Cannons in California?

[shooter2]

Hi guys,
           My lovely partner and I have scored some cheap tickets to LA next year (March 3 to 18).  We are flying over from Australia and along with the obligatory tourist stops in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco (to appease my darling) I was wondering if I could get some info on cannons and artillery museums (places) I could visit at this time in the State of California?
I consider myself a fairly serious student of muzzle loading artillery and I have extensively studied, photographed and measured many of the coastal defense cannons in Australia.  I hope I can get some recommendations or even introductions on places to go as I am on a limited time and budget.
Thanks
Shooter2

[cannonmn]

There are 31 cannons of many different types at the Presidio and Fort Point in San Francisco.  San Francisco is ringed by many 1890's coastal defense fortifications you can visit, but as far as I know there are only one or two guns left in them all.  One of the beach-level fortifications at Golden Gate Park, near a windmill, is as I recall a six or eight-inch disappearing gun in working condition.

[shooter2]

Thanks cannonmn,
                           I have the Presidio on my list of must do's.  The National Parks Service websites leave a bit to be desired though on details about the cannons there.  I found some listings on Spanish cannons on display there but other than that not much detail.  Still, once I go there I will no doubt find out more. 

Any knowledge about San Diego?  I found a listing for a maritime museum there with some tall ships, but no mention of cannons.

regards
Shooter2

[Victor3]

 Fort MacArthur might be of interest to you. Only about a 30 minute drive South of LAX.

http://www.ftmac.org/

 The big guns are long gone, but there's a nice museum inside the original concrete structure with lots to see. Some day I'll have to scan my old pics from when a friend and I took and 'unofficial and unguided  ' tour of the innerds back before they spiffed the place up in the early 1980's.

[cannonmn]

Here are some additional details regarding the earlier Spanish cannons at Presidio and Fort Point:

http://www.militarymuseum.org/CastilloSanJoaquin.html

[shooter2]

Victor3,
           Good info on Fort McArthur.  I will add it to places to visit next year.  They seem to have some interesting publications in their bookstore as well.

Thanks for the extra info cannomn.

Kindest regards
Shooter2

[subdjoe]

When you are in SF try to get across the Gate to Ft. Baker.  It has a refurbished Nike bunker.  Not exactly a cannon, but still Artillery.  Also, for fun, as you go across the Bridge, look at the hills on the Marin side and see how many of the artillery emplacements you can spot. 

Don't forget Alcatraz, it was a Federal fort before it was a prison.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz

If you want a day long trip, get up to Ft. Ross, north of Jenner on Hwy. 1.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=449
Be sure to watch the video on that CA parks site for a quick overview.  As a note of interest, Hwy 1 used to come into the fort through the east wall, right in front of the chapel and then go out through the main gate on the west.  It has since been diverted.  Oh, and the CA site says about 2 1/2 hours from San Francisco - it lies, give yourself 3 1/2 (that is going up Hwy 101, and traffic on that varies a lot from hour to hour).  More if you go all the way up old Hwy. 1 rather than Hwy. 101. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ross

[jeeper1]

In the San Diego area, I believe there are some replica cannons either on or near the "Star of India"  ship. and a Breech loader cannon in La Mesa.

[subdjoe]

Darn!  I forgot about Mare Island!  Not far from San Francisco.

http://www.mareislandhpf.org/

In front of the Commandants House is a nice little display of various naval guns.  Nothing big, but spanning a hundred years or so.

You can drive around and see some of the brick buildings from the 1850s, too.  Unfortuantely, this historic, and once very important shipyard, is now closed and being redeveloped.  I was there a few years ago, got to drive around and it struck me that 20 years ago I would have been shot without warning driving in some of those places. 

[shooter2]

Thanks to subdjoe and Jeeeper2 for adding to my knowledge base.  It seems we are going to Las Vegas as well now! The woman knows no bounds, this will cut into my cannon viewing time.  Good thing I love her and she loves shooting (tolerates cannons)

regards
Shooter2

[shooter2]

Sorry about the typo in the previous post Jeeper1

[Double D]

You can always go back and fix it, by hitting the modify key

[subdjoe]

Thanks to subdjoe and Jeeeper2 for adding to my knowledge base.  It seems we are going to Las Vegas as well now! The woman knows no bounds, this will cut into my cannon viewing time.  Good thing I love her and she loves shooting (tolerates cannons)

regards
Shooter2

Isn't there a range in Vegas that rents full auto stuff?  Hmmm.....was it the Vegas Front Sight that lets you burn through a magazine of something full auto for free and an inducement to take their class?   Do they still do that?