Explore the sites where California’s military legacy began!
Monterey isn’t just a beautiful coastal town—it’s the birthplace of California’s military history. This walking tour highlights significant historical landmarks tied to Monterey’s military roots, from the Spanish colonial period through the early days of American statehood. The walking loop begins and ends at Lower Presidio Historic Park, where free parking is available. Depending on how long you linger at each stop, the walk is 1.5 to 1.7 miles and takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Stop 1 LOWER PRESIDIO HISTORIC PARK: 113 CORPORAL EWING ROAD
Begin your journey where California’s military history began. Established as El Presidio Real de San Carlos in 1770, the park is perched above Pacific Street at the Lighthouse Curve near downtown Monterey. In 1946, the Presidio became the Military Intelligence Service Language School, which later evolved into today’s Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
Stop 2 MONTEREY STATE HISTORIC PARK: 20 CUSTOM HOUSE PLAZA
Monterey State Historic Park is a vibrant hub of California history, featuring a collection of carefully preserved buildings and homes that date back to the Spanish, Mexican, and early American periods. Many of these structures played significant roles in the region’s military and political past. The park offers guided one-hour walking tours from the Custom House—just steps from Old Fisherman’s Wharf—where you can purchase tickets and learn more about the area’s layered legacy.
Twelve of Monterey’s 55 Path of History landmarks are located within the park boundaries, providing a concentrated opportunity to explore pivotal chapters of California’s military and governmental development.
Key military-related sites within the park:
Custom House: The Mexican government constructed the oldest building in California, the Custom House, in the 1820s to regulate trade at the Monterey port. In a defining moment of military history, on July 7, 1846, US Navy Commodore John D. Sloat landed in Monterey and raised the American flag over the Custom House, officially claiming California for the United States during the Mexican–American War. Following the American takeover, the building was used by the US Navy as a warehouse and later functioned as a barracks, courthouse, and jail. The Custom House became California’s first public museum in 1930 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Visitors walking through the park will also find sites such as the Pacific House Museum, the First Brick House, and the Old Whaling Station, each with its ties to the area’s evolving military and civilian life.
Stop 3 ROYAL PRESIDIO CHAPEL (SAN CARLOS CATHEDRAL): 550 CHURCH STREET
Built between 1791 and 1794, this is the oldest stone building in California and the only remaining structure from the original Spanish Presidio. It served the soldiers and their families stationed there and remains an active parish and school.
Stop 4 SHERMAN QUARTERS AND LARKIN HOUSE: SW CORNER OF JEFFERSON AND CALLE PRINCIPAL
The Sherman Quarters once housed William T. Sherman, during his military service in Monterey. Adjacent is the Larkin House, a distinguished example of Monterey colonial architecture and the home of Thomas O. Larkin—the only US consul to Alta California under Mexican rule and a key figure in California’s shift to American governance.
Stop 5 COLTON HALL: 570 PACIFIC STREET
Colton Hall is one of the most historically significant buildings in California. It represents a pivotal moment in the transition from military to civilian governance during the early years of American control. The building was commissioned in 1849 by US Navy Chaplain Walter Colton, who had been appointed Monterey’s first American alcalde (mayor and judge) after the US military took possession of California during the Mexican–American War.
A staunch believer in education, Colton envisioned the hall as a place of learning, justice, and government. Built using convict labor and financed by taxes he imposed on local activities like gambling and alcohol sales, the two-story, Greek Revival-style building served as a town hall, public school, and courthouse.
In September and October 1849, Colton Hall hosted California’s first constitutional convention, where 48 delegates from across the region gathered to draft the state’s founding document. These meetings laid the groundwork for California’s entry into the Union in 1850. The constitution drafted here outlawed slavery, established a framework for state governance, and marked the beginning of California’s statehood journey.
Today, Colton Hall operates as a public museum. Visitors can tour the original assembly room—restored to its 1849 appearance—and view historic artifacts, documents, and exhibits detailing the region’s early American and military history.
Colton Hall houses part of Monterey’s city government and offering a tangible link to California’s military-to-civilian transformation.
Stop 6 LOWER PRESIDIO HISTORIC PARK: 113 CORPORAL EWING ROAD
Conclude your walk where it began—at Lower Presidio Historic Park. If visiting on a weekend, step into the Presidio of Monterey Museum, open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum explores Monterey’s military evolution from the Spanish and Mexican periods through the modern US Army era.
Regardless of the day, enjoy the panoramic views of Monterey Bay from the park, where you’ll also find picnic tables and benches—an ideal spot to relax and reflect.
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