General’s Residence Fort Mason

Had a company party here. Was pretty cool spot. Parking is a real problem but that was the only issue to be aware of. Downstairs they have a nice bar/​lounge area and it leads out to a backyard area that is right on the bay. You can see Alcatraz and angels island and all that goes with the bay.
Have a hard time really rating just the generals residence though since a party planner and caterer had set up most of the inside. For all I know when you clear it out it is crappy but I doubt it.
Could see someone having an awesome wedding here for sure.

Captivating views!
Attended a wedding in this venue two weekends ago. Inside, as we entered and signed-​in at the foyer, there hung a beautiful vintage glass chandelier above hardwood floors and featured a fireplace in the center, very inviting for us wedding guests. The furnitures and fixtures had vintage touch: leather chairs, mirrors, wooden shelves, etc.) As we made our way inside we headed back outside and down the steps towards the garden. The wedding was held outdoors on the back lawn of the historic General’s Residence. We faced the scenic San Francisco Bay with the Aquatic Park, Angel Island and Alcatraz as the backdrop and provided some beautiful views for our pictures. After the wedding we were led to the Lounge where we had cocktails and hors-d’œuvre while we mingled and chit-​chatted with the other guests. The Lounge, Dining Room, and Ballroom had floor to ceiling windows and offered captivating and panoramic views of the Bay. There is an elevator in the building. The front and interior of the structure has that historic look. Love the charm and elegance it possesses.
This was my first time attending a wedding in this venue. I am here as a guest. I would imagine that it would be expensive to rent this place. I believe the place can also be rented for other events such as conferences or other private gatherings (birthdays, memorial, etc). Parking can be a challenge especially when there is a lot going on. It was nice to be a part of this couple’s wedding in this National Historic Landmark on the San Francisco waterfront. Just beautiful!

My daughter celebrated her wedding at the General’s Residence this past February. It was a perfect venue, I highly recommend it.
pros:
outstanding views, ability to have an outdoor or indoor wedding, large space, you can bring your own vendors in, tables and chairs included, given the space for a long time, can’t say enough about how magical this space is, it made for a fairy tale event. Not as expensive as others we looked at.
Cons:
If you do have the ceremony outside, you will need another set of chairs for an additional cost but the venue can provide
You will need a day of planner at a minimum and make sure they direct guests to the various rooms, events, as the space is spacious and guests won’t always know what’s going on in another room.
Be sure to lock your valuables up and gather up loose items before the end of the event. We had quite a few items go missing and got very little help from staff.

Wow, what a magical place for a wedding! Although it is a rare occurrence, we experienced a warm, clear, sunny afternoon in February in San Francisco. The ceremony out on the grass overlooks the entire bay from the Golden Gate to the Marina, and the setting sun ignites incoming ships with a romantic glow. Inside there are several rooms to break up the scene with plenty of room for dinner, dancing, and cocktails. And the rich history of the building creates a fun atmosphere of elegance, sophistication, and local culture.

This has the potential to be a lovely venue with some restoration. I found the place to be somewhat dingy and run down. The men’s restroom was filled with a stench like an open sewer. Other than the location and view… Can’t say much.

We had our wedding at the General’s Residence in November 2014. Overall, we’d recommend it for a San Francisco experience that is unparalleled. Since most of our guests were coming from out of town (and out of the country), we wanted to make sure that they’d get the most of their limited time in San Francisco. We were looking for a place where we could do the ceremony outside (ideally with views) and reception inside, and that had a classy but not stuffy feel. Check, check, and check. There are not many places in San Francisco that fit the bill!
Positives:
–The view – there’s nothing like it! It’s really a magical place to get married. The space has lots of character.
– It is a completely open venue, so you can use any vendors you want. Depending on your stress level, this can be a downside too. Being able to buy your own alcohol saves a ton of money (you have to have a licensed bartender/​caterer serve it).
–Tables and chairs are included in the rental cost, and you can rent a dance floor and outdoor ceremony chairs through them at a reasonable price.
–They’ll set up and break down anything you rent through them at no added charge.
–You get a 12 hour window with a buyout, including set-​up and break down, which is longer than most venues give you. You have to allow an hour for breakdown, and must be out by midnight, so your reception has to end by 11 (perfect time to start an after-​party).
Downsides:
–Since they are part of the Fort Mason Center, there is a fair amount of bureaucracy in the early stages with the booking, deposit, etc, and there are a number of non-​negotiable rules (eg no open candles, etc).
–Although they have an on-​site coordinator (Brianna, who was helpful especially in the weeks preceding the wedding), they will not be involved in coordinating vendors, etc. They really are just there for the «space,» so you’ll need to have either a caterer who serves in a coordinating function, a day-​of planner, or an extremely organized friend in that role.
–The dining room and ballroom are a bit sparse (and the overhead lighting is not flattering), so we got uplighting to jazz it up a little.
–A full venue buyout is required on Saturday and comes at a premium (though there are many spaces in SF that cost much more).
One tip: Our vendors told us that most people don’t take advantage of the Rathskellar (downstairs bar). We had our cocktail hour here, which had a great pub-​like atmosphere and allowed guests to spill out to the lawn to enjoy the views.

Really sweet SF event space!
I went to a «charity ball» here on Saturday night and the space definitely surpassed any of my expectations. The part was in the downstairs area (I have no idea what’s upstairs) and took up all three of the main rooms. In one room there were buffet tables set up, as well as silent auction items lining the wall. The other two rooms had more open space and there was a bar in each. In the room on the far left was also a dance floor. All three of these rooms have beautiful big windows facing the Bay. As it was nighttime, I could only see the lights, but it was really lovely.
There was an area set up for us out on the back lawn as well, with couches and tables. I found it a bit too chilly to hang out out there, but quite a few people chose to do so (and since they were handing out cigars, I’m sure it was a great idea).
All in all a really fun night at a beautiful venue.

A great old venue in the city.

Went here for the House of Walker event and found this place to be a perfect fit for it very nice and the experience was also a good thing!

The view is spectacular.

Came here for the House of Walker tasting on Friday. Very nice venue. It’s a little hard to find though. They have a lot of events here so some extra signage might be worth it. Our cab driver wasn’t sure where it was and we eventually found three other couples wandering and were able to find it together.

From the moment we got engaged, we were looking for a venue that fit all of our needs. A view, not too expensive and a BYO. This was one of the first venues we looked at and it was perfect. It has the most stunning view of the bay and the house has so much charm, you really don’t need to overload with décor. The windows span the entire back of the house, so there really is no bad place to be.
The communication with the event staff was more than helpful and we felt extremely looked after and cared for. The venue it self was stunning and spacious and all I kept hearing was that the guests loved it. We got married on the lawn in the back and the weather was perfect for our day. I would recommend the Generals Residence or any of the other venues at Fort Mason to anyone.

i dont know the first thing about weddings but this venue is one of the nicest ive been to. classy but not overdone. a nice lawn area out back for vows and all that hoopla. nice big trees. views of the wharf, the bay, and alcatraz through big windows in the residence. unfortunately, weather is unpredictable and very likely to be cold and/​or foggy.

Attended a fabulous event at this venue. Totally stunning. Spacious rooms, great view. Just a lovely very elegant ambiance. Parking was easy and free!!!

If I could I would give no stars to this venue. The venue itself is gorgeous and so stunning. It is perfect for weddings and social events with lots of space to get creative. The rate is reasonable and the views are breathtaking. So you ask why on earth would I give just one star and none if I could? Customer service or rather lack of customer service. I am not going to go into the details since there so many and I am just going to say that after my previous experience I will never book another event at this location. After 20 plus years in the event industry I have to say that this was my least favorite experience and it was because of the sales and management staff. Horrible horrible attitudes and snotty personalities. It seems to be the case whenever I use a venue managed by the city of SF. Sad to say that they just reopened in October and I venture to guess there will be many more reviews like mine.

This is an awesome venue. It is a great place for a wedding, holiday party, or private event. The house has 3 main rooms (dining room, lounge, & ballroom) plus a kitchen & interesting basement. The basement consists of a bar area with old leather chairs & a few tables. Back in the old days I could imagine a bunch of stodgy old men sitting around sipping whiskey & smoking cigars. It was kinda creepy down there (and I don’t think we were supposed to be there) so we exited quickly.
The best room is the lounge. It is semicircular in shape, has huge floor to ceiling windows, and looks out on the bay. There are amazing views of Alcatraz, Aquatic Park, & Ghirardelli Square (which, of course, made me crave a sundae).
I’m sure that the grounds are beautiful but I was there after dark. I would love to go during the day to check it out. The videos on the website show it all… go check them out! And keep this spot in mind for a great wedding venue.