FAQ

What is your Pandemic policy?

We are open with rules based on our federal jurisdiction which can differ from state and city regulations, and take both your safety and that of our staff very seriously. Please see the front page of our website for current standards.

Do you have outside seating or allow animals?

We do have some outside seating and all dogs are welcome there (abiding by GGNRA leash laws). For dogs or other service animals to come indoors they have to meet the Federal laws of a service animal. (as state or city laws do not apply on Federal property)

What else can I do around The Interval?

There are great walks along the Marina with views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and more. There are fantastic picnicking spots up on the great lawn in upper Fort Mason as well as the Marina and Crissy Field in The Presidio. Please come by and pick something up to enjoy outside!

Does The Interval serve food?

We offer a few light snacks at this time which you can see on our menu. In Fort Mason you can get food to-go from our neighbors at Radhaus, Greens, the Farmers Market on Sundays, Equator Coffee, and Off The Grid Trucks on seasonal Friday evenings. Please note all of their hours are subject to change so please check in with them before making plans.

What is The Long Now Foundation and how is it connected to The Interval?

The Long Now Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 01996 to foster long-term thinking and responsibility. The Interval serves as the Foundation’s headquarters, a showcase for Long Now projects, and directly furthers its mission. As a café, bar, library, museum, and event space, The Interval is a gathering place meant to inspire conversations about long-term thinking. You can learn about all of Long Now’s projects in our space including prototypes of the 10,000 Year Clock, our Rosetta Disk, the de-extinction work of Revive & Restore, as well as PanLex and Long Bets.

What are the bottles on the ceiling?

Each bottle represents one of The Interval’s generous donors. They’re filled with exclusive spirits made for us by St. George Spirits in Alameda. Donors can reserve a bottle for a $2500 donation (which is almost entirely tax-deductible). More than 100 bottle donors made their gift to The Interval as part of our “brickstarter” fundraising campaign which was essential to building our space. Others have donated more recently, and their support helps us produce unique, long-term thinking talks and other events in our space. The custom St. George Spirits are not on our regular menu, but visitors to The Interval can purchase a tasting of all three for $50, which you can deduct from the price of your bottle if you choose to purchase one.

What are all the books about?

The books are part of an ongoing crowd-sourced collection that we call the Manual for Civilization: a library that contains the knowledge that is needed to sustain or even restart civilization. When it’s complete, our library will contain over 3,000 books, completely filling The Interval’s shelves. Our library is crowd-sourced: Long Now members, donors, and invited experts have suggested books for inclusion. We’re also building a digital version of the Manual in partnership with the Internet Archive who will scan all the books that are not yet online and make them all available as a special collection in the Archive.