DK Travel : San Francisco : Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

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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 (see Golden Gate Park Playground). 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).
More Parks and Gardens The Garden of Fragrance in the Strybing Arboretum is specially designed for the visually impaired to enjoy.

Top 10 Sights

1. Hippie Hill

This pleasant slope, a short walk from Haight-Ashbury, was the celebrated site of stoned-out gatherings in the 1960s.
2. 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.
3. Giant Tree Fern Grove and John McLaren Rhododendron Dell

Coming upon the Giant Tree Fern Grove, with its huge, curling proto-flora 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.
4. 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 (see War Memorial Opera House and San Francisco Ballet).
5. Japanese Tea Garden

5. Japanese Tea Garden

This eternally delightful garden is full of refined detail: bonsai trees, rock gardens, exotic plantings, and pagodas.
6. Shakespeare Garden

6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill

8. Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill

Strawberry Hill is actually the large island in the middle of this placid lake, which is ideal for boating. Don’t miss the elaborate Chinese moon-viewing pavilion on the island’s eastern shore, a gift from Taipei in 1981.
9. Buffalo Paddock

9. 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.
10. Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden

10. 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.

Practical Information

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). Entrances on Fulton St, Lincoln Way, Stanyan St & the Great Hwy (415) 831-2700 www.parks.sfgov.org Open sunrise–sunset daily Free Japanese Tea Garden: Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive; Open Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm daily, Nov–Mar: 8:30am– 5:30pm daily; Adm $3.50 Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens: 9th Ave at Lincoln Way; Open 8am–4:30pm Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm Sat–Sun Contribution California Academy of Sciences: Music Concourse; Open 10am–5pm daily; Adm $8, planetarium $2.50 extra