Muir Woods has a rich and varied history, from its use by the Coast Miwok people, to its early days of tourism and the Mount Tamalpais Mill Valley Scenic Railway, to an era of conservation, to modern preservation. In each era, the forest has been affected by the actions of humans, for better or for worse.

In May 1945, Muir Woods was host to a very special international event. United Nations delegates meeting in San Francisco traveled to Muir Woods to honor the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a special memorial in a grove of redwood trees.