Golden Gate Park is every San Franciscan’s beloved
backyard. Any weekend finds hundreds of people coming here to play or
just to relax and breathe in the heady air. Almost every conceivable
sort of recreational activity is available: hiking, running, cycling,
golf, tennis, baseball, soccer, fishing, and more. There’s also the very
first children’s playground in the US with the magnificent
Herschel-Spillman Carousel, built in 1912 .
Even on a rainy day, the park offers world-class activities in the form
of the California Academy of Sciences Natural History Museum, Morrison
Planetarium, and, perhaps best of all, the marvelous Steinhart Aquarium
(see California Academy of Sciences).
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Entrances on Fulton St, Lincoln Way, Stanyan St & the Great Hwy
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415 831 2700
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www.parks.sfgov.org
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Open sunrise– sunset daily
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Free
Japanese Tea Garden
Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
California Academy of Sciences
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The park’s more than 1,000
acres are some 3 miles (5 km) long and half a mile (1 km) wide, making
it the largest cultivated urban park in the US. There are 27 miles (43
km) of footpaths, winding through gardens, lakes, waterfalls, and
forests. But it was not always so. Before the 1870s the entire area was
sandy wastes and scrubland. William Hammond Hall made great progress
over two decades, then hired Scottish gardener John McLaren in 1890.
“Uncle John”, as he was known, made the park his life’s work, devoting
himself to its perfection until his death in 1943, at the age of 97.
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Map of Golden Gate Park
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For information and a map of the
park, stop at the McLaren Lodge, originally the home of the park’s
chief gardener. It is now a visitor center (
501 Stanyan St
, open 8am–5pm Mon–Fri).
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The Garden of Fragrance in the Strybing Arboretum is specially designed for the visually impaired to enjoy.
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Top 10 Sights
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Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill
Strawberry
Hill is the island in the middle of this lake. Don’t miss the Chinese
moon-viewing pavilion on the island’s eastern shore.
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Victorian Conservatory of Flowers
The park’s oldest building, a copy of London’s Kew Gardens, shelters more than 20,000 rare and exotic plants.
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Giant Tree Fern Grove and John McLaren Rhododendron Dell
Coming
upon the Giant Tree Fern Grove, with its huge, curling protoflora
gathered around a small central lagoon, is like venturing into a
primeval forest. Just a bit farther to the west, the Rhododendron Dell
contains the largest array of these gorgeous blooms (850 varieties) of
any US garden.
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Music Concourse
This
area provides the cultural focus for the park, dating from 1894. There
are free concerts on Sundays and events sponsored by the San Francisco
Opera .
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Japanese Tea Garden
This eternally delightful garden is full of refined detail: bonsai trees, rock gardens, exotic plantings, and pagodas.
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Shakespeare Garden
This
charming English garden features the 200-odd flowers, herbs, and such,
mentioned in the Bard’s works. Bronze plaques quote appropriate
passages.
Shakespeare Garden entrance
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Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
This
vast area is home to more than 7,000 species from countries with
climates similar to that of San Francisco. Environments include a
Redwood Nature Trail, a Primitive Plant Garden, and a Biblical Garden.
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de Young Museum
Set
in a beautiful garden located in the heart of the park, this landmark
museum exhibits art from Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific. Also has
an astounding collection of textiles, photographs, and modern art .
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Buffalo Paddock
American
buffalo were first brought here in 1894. In 1984 a small herd was given
a home again, roaming under the eucalyptus trees.
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Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden
The
windmill, and the tulip garden that surrounds it, were both gifts from
the queen of the Netherlands in 1902. The windmill is one of the world’s
largest and was restored in 1981.
