Fort Point for kids
The Fort Under the Bridge. A true story near San Francisco, CA, told for kids 3-12.
Read along
Psst! Down below the bridge, right at the edge of the water, there's a real castle-looking fort made of bricks. It's called Fort Point! It was built more than one hundred and fifty years ago, during the Gold Rush, when lots of people were rushing to California to dig for gold.
Soldiers put big cannons in the windows to protect the bay from enemy ships. But guess what? No enemy ship ever came, and those cannons never fired in a battle! Then, many years later, the bridge builders wanted to knock the old fort down.
But Joseph Strauss, the bridge boss, said, "No way! This fort is too cool!" So he built a special arch in the bridge, right over the top of the fort, like a giant umbrella. And it's still sitting under there today.
Quiz the back seat
Did Fort Point's cannons ever fire at an enemy ship?
Show the answer
Never!. Never! No enemy ship ever came. Fort Point is a fort that never had to fight.
3 fun facts
- Built 1853 to 1861.
- Its cannons never fired in battle.
- The bridge has a special arch built over it to save the fort.
For grown-ups
Written by the Tumbly team, then checked claim by claim against the sources below before it was published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
More stories in San Francisco
The Island of Pelicans
Look across the water, toward the city. See that rocky little island with a lighthouse on top?
The Hill That Used to Be Rocks
Look up at the hill with the rocky top. Do you think it was always here?
The Room That Is a Camera
Look at that little building next to the Cliff House. Do you know what is inside?
The Lighthouse With a Helicopter Hat
Look out toward the ocean. Far, far away, there is a tiny lighthouse sitting on a rock.Roads
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).