Our History

1956

A small group of volunteers came together to support the young Cabrillo National Monument. The Cabrillo Historical Association (CHA) convened for its first meeting on Dec 5, 1955, and was formally incorporated as a nonprofit on Feb 9, 1956.

1956

The newly formed Cabrillo Historical Association operated a small bookstore inside the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Inside, CHA volunteers and part-time staff sold postcards, publications, and souvenirs; and assisted the NPS employees by fielding phone calls and answering visitor questions.

1962

The CHA’s first publication was released November 1962, just seven years after the organization was founded. Dr. Theodore Walker’s “Whale Primer” booklet reflected a growing public interest in marine life visible from Cabrillo’s coastline. Within its first month, more than 1,600 copies were sold.

1969

The Association’s role expanded beyond bookstore operations and publishing when its board approved direct financial support for Cabrillo National Monument. Approximately $600 was committed through a special cooperating-association fund to help purchase items that federal funding or procurement regulations could not cover.

1966

Cabrillo National Monument’s Mission 66 Visitor Center opened in 1966, creating a new place for visitors to find information, attend programs, and purchase educational materials. The complex included new administrative offices for Cabrillo Historical Association staff, and a designated CHA bookstore.

1960s - 1990s

From the late 1960s through the 1990s, the scope of CHA’s publications expanded. As Cabrillo National Monument grew and visitor interest broadened, the Association supported works that placed the park within a larger regional and historical framework. Titles included “The Old Point Loma Lighthouse” (1968), “The Cabrillo Log” (1969), “The Cabrillo Era and His Voyage of Discovery” (1982), “Boats and Shipbuilding in San Diego” (1983), and “Robert Decatur Israel: San Diego Pioneer and Keeper of the Light” (1984).

1997

By the mid-1990s, it was clear that the Cabrillo Historical Association had outgrown its name.

In 1997, the Cabrillo Historical Association became Cabrillo National Monument Foundation. The new name recognized the organization’s broader role and signaled an increasing commitment to fundraising, planned giving, endowment development, and long-term financial support for the park.

2024

In April 2024, CNMF completed its first capital project, the Oceanside Trail. During the six-year effort, donors and partners helped the Foundation raise more than $400,000 to connect the Whale Watch Overlook area with the lower intertidal zone and Coastal Trail.

2026

Seventy years after its incorporation, CNMF has grown from a volunteer-led lighthouse bookstore into a staffed philanthropic organization capable of supporting ongoing programs, responding to urgent needs, and advancing major projects at Cabrillo National Monument.

What began with roughly $700 in annual donations has grown into an estimated $6 million raised to support Cabrillo National Monument.