Presidio Officers Club

Elite '08

118

166

Rosie W.

San Francisco, CA

I love that someone dinged this place for the "idiocy" of obeying the fire code.  Yeah, polyester linens, candles and your drunk guests make a sensible combo, especially in a historic landmark....

This place is fantastic, even if your votive candles can't have the flame sticking out (if your caterer knows what s/he's doing, they've already prepared for that).  Beautiful, elegant space, great event managers with lots of experience to help you out...  and as someone pointed out, the free parking might bring tears to your grateful eyes.  The fact that we could have a separate cocktail lounge, then open the double doors into the dining area got lots of compliments from our friends.  And while some people think it's dark, I really like the Spanish style and coziness (ah, the fireplace!).  Plus, we were there in the evening.  But if you like airier spaces, I suggest you check out the Golden Gate Club, its sister property.

Only one thing (and they warn you about it) is that the adjacent museum, with full access to the unlockable coat closet, is open until 5 or 6pm.  So you need someone there to watch coats until the museum closes.   My brothers used that as an excuse to not interact with guests, so they didn't mind that duty.  

All in all, I found it an accomodating, elegant, convenient and damn beautiful place.  My husband and I often comment to one another that we're so glad we had our reception there.

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Elite '08

37

82

Shaun O.

Bethesda, MD

I scored an invite to the UCSF Hem/Onc Holiday Party and with two lovely ladies at my side, I went and checked this place out.

When we arrived, the party unfortunately was winding down.  However, food was still available and was definitely tasty.  The main hall is large and has many other tables.  I did a quick tour of the building, which has a lot of history dating back to the military era of the Presidio.

Great location, as it is near the waterfront too

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23

127

Rashmi N.

San Francisco, CA

Quite unlike it's large and elegant cousin, the Golden Gate Club, The Officer's Club is a smaller, darker and more rustic relative.  It definitely has it's own charm though.  With a mission feel and flair the Officer's Club comes with quite a history - one that can literally be seen in the walls.   Last I saw they were creating an exhibit in the dark, cozy lounge area.

Heavy wood doors lead into the building and the main event room has somewhat low ceilings.  Swathed in dark wood it has magnificent iron chandeliers and a cozy fireplace perfect for chilly Presidio evenings.  The windows are dense and old-fashioned.  This main room can also be expanded into a somewhat awkward double-sized area by opening accordion-style doors.  There are also smaller rooms and corridors scattered about.  

Heading out of the Club you are treated to a vast expansive view of the Presidio and bay.  And looking back in the darkness you'll be taken by the chandeliers blazing through the windows.

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Elite '08

211

354

mary a.

South San Francisco, CA

after last year's ghost hunters episode on the sci-fi channel which featured the "officers club" in the presidio, a special friend of mine invited me to visit this place NOT to see an exhibit OR to learn it's historical facts OR to check the gift shop OR to attend a soiree NOR to reserve a room for a meeting or an event (reservations are ONLY taken up to 1 year in advance), BUT hoping to see a ghostly apparition of some sort or YET, to capture an orb in my camera!!

in front of this remodeled spanish colonial military building, two bronze canons flanks the club's entrance and amusingly it was given a named: san pedro(st. peter) and poder (powder).

the well-known, "haunted" officers club has been the leading event location for many years,with its exquisite, cultured ballroom and reception lounge. back in time, this place has been the favored environment for special occsions to the military officers.

so the first room that we went in was the MESA LOUNGE, which displays a spanish crucifix, leather holsters, bone dominoes and a comb for lice. a portion of a floorboard was pried up & peeled away the plaster to permit a glimpse of the adobe walls which encapsulates a portion of this room.
this was the place where the ghost hunter team smelled the tobacco smoke and heard the tapping of a ring....the "wanna-be ghost hunter" (WBGH) and i smelled nor heard NOTHING!

around the corner, in which NO cameras or foods are allowed beyond this point, black & white photos are hanging in the wall and different uniforms in different period of times are encased in glasses for display.

the EXHIBTION HALL was unfortunately closed and not showing any exposition to the public during our visit.

at the VISITOR CENTER, which is the informational hub for all things historical, you will find books, free maps, brochures, clothing, pamphlets,  pins, pens, stuff toys & etc.

my WBGH companion took pictures of: the pitch-black COAT CHECK, where it is only use during an event, the MORAGA ROOM which is the grand ballroom with blackout curtains, gas fireplace, chandeliers with dim lighting & wooden floors.

supposedly in this room, a full-bodied apparition of a woman in a spanish-styled dress can be seen walking through the ballroom and out the door.
however, the only full-bodied "spook" the WBGH saw was a woman in jeans, hooded sweatshirt & sneakers, prancing around and later running through the door, because i, myself was scared of my own shadow and scared from the creepy noise and talking of the WBGH!!

the rest of the rooms: ARGUELLO, DE ANZA & GARDEN are certainly a perfect venue for any occasion with its different capacity, anemities & measurement that will fit to your event. the WBGH took pictures of these rooms and investigated also.

the KITCHEN with a double-swinging door is ample enough for the caterers to use to keep or hold the food for an event. again, no orbs was seen in the camera.

so in the end of our "ghost hunting", we ended up learning some interesting stuff about this historical place, albeit no evidence was seen with our naked eyes or captured with my camera, we both walked away happy & well-informed.

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11

43

Hayley L.

San Francisco, CA

I used this place for my wedding reception in 2006.  I wasn't considering this location initially, because of the rather high fee ($4k in 2006) but I fell in love with the spanish architecture and the lovely hardwood floors... this place gets nice lighting during the day and very soft romatic lighting at night...  They definitely make you pay for everything (chair/table rentals are additional) and the biggest minus on this place is that the kitchen doesn't have any stoves... only prep and fridges... I think this makes it harder for the caterers, who either have to BBQ outside or precook everything.  

Presidio staff was pretty good, but they seem to have a lot of turnover.  The contract is a bit cumbersome (what can I say, it's a gov't organization) and they have these idiotic rules about candles (must be in a votive at least 2" above the flame) and insurance (PLEASE check w/your caterer regarding this aspect) so can't give them 5 stars.

oh, also forgot to add, the rental for the club includes the whole place, really, after hours... so you have the run of the place... kinda nice.  Plus, plenty of PARKING!!!

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Elite '08

50

142

Sara O.

Castro Valley, CA

We checked out the Officer's Club as a possible location for our wedding.  It's a cool little place with a lot of history.  They've got a lot of different small rooms with artifacts, old uniforms, and museum-y stuff.  I liked it.  I didn't really think it was a great place for a wedding though, at least not one for 100+ people.  Here's why (among some other thoughts):

--I LOVED the big room because it had a big, fat fireplace.  Probably wouldn't seat too many people comfortably, but it was cool.  Also, it was kind of dark.  It didn't have many windows.
--there was an old-fashioned coatroom.  Neat.
--there was a lounge-y area that might be neat for socializing.  However, it's filled with artifacts, and I'd be worried to break something.
--It's a little rustic.  As in, old and not so fancy.  It's also undergoing "excavation and renovation," so there are some unfinished places.
--The Club is broken up into a lot of little rooms.  To me, this makes it a difficult place for a wedding reception, because people would be scattered all over the place.

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13

27

Ronnie ..

San Francisco, CA

This is a beautiful venue for a wedding reception.   The old world charm of the building, the fireplace, chandeliers and some candles, all contributed to a warm and romantic setting for our wedding. It was not dark at all (mentioned by another reviewer). Our reception was absolutely beautiful. We did want a church wedding, and had our service in the Presidio Chapel.  

Yes, the price tag for just renting the spaces is not cheap, but it was worth it.  

The little room in the front with comfy seats was a lifesaver.  For me (the exhausted bride) the ability to refresh myself by putting my feet up in a plush, soft leather chair for a few minutes was great.  On  a few occasions, I slipped in, closed the door and took 5 minutes alone. Aaah!

The historical area was interesting for our families to take little strolls through, we have a few war buffs in the family and they seemed to enjoy it.

This is a huge space, and you don't need to use all of it. Many caterers have experience with this space and can help you make the most of it, particularly if you are using a caterer from the Presidio Trust's preferred list (I found plenty of excellent choices).

Also, there is plenty of parking here.    

A word of caution though about taxi's and getting guest's home after the event, taxi's don't like to pick up people in the presidio.  The only complication was that a few people waited for taxi's that never came.

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Elite '08

31

324

kris l.

San Francisco, CA

I love this building.  It's got all this space that I could just imagine could host some great parties and events.  There's just so much history in it.  They also have a little area with some history of San Francisco.  And don't forget the Visitor's Center!  I went yesterday with my sister to check out the Plants and Insects Exhibition (it's been extended through Nov. 26th).  I really liked the "photographs" of the plants.  They were really cool.  The artist didn't use a camera, lens, or computer to get the images.  He basically put the plants on a piece of film and passed an electric current though it, then used an optic fiber to perfect it.  It was so cool!  One of the best parts of this place is all of the FREE parking!  There's a huge lot right across the way.

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20

302

Michael C.

Daly City, CA

This is a great venue to host meetings, small dances, town halls, luncheons, dinners, etc. It's a historic monument and the second oldest building in the city (though I argue the first half the time). Everything has been refurbished, though you can still see some of the history of the building and the Presidio itself there. Half of it is a large open space with wide windows that open up to the Marina and Marin County.

If you do look out the window on a bright and sunny day you could just sit by the windows and look out into forever and enjoy the view. There's a fully functional kitchen with a conventional and commercial fridge, lots of chairs, and the staff there are really nice and accomodating.

On the other half, there is the small little museum of stuff. No photos though, but always good to learn about the history of San Francisco and sit in the comfy couches after a long day of walking around historic San Francisco.

The good thing is if you are planning to host anything there or plan anything there, right outside is ample parking. The lot is huge and there are a few bus lines that run right up front. I'm not sure if that bowling alley nearby is still up and running though, but from the looks of things, I think its closed. How sad, just like every other bowling alley in the city.

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