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Photo: Superchilum, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Once an area of sand dunes, Golden Gate Park is an urban oasis, roughly half a mile wide and four miles long, with windmills, bison, museums, lakes and a carousel hidden among its charms. At 1,017 acres, it is 174 acres larger than New York's Central Park, so unless you have a bike, you'll want to plan which area you want to visit, especially along the east (Stanyan Street) to west (the Ocean) axis. A free shuttle bus circulates through the eastern half of the park. JFK Promenade between Transverse and Kezar is closed to vehicular traffic; this car-free zone is popular with walkers, cyclists, and runners. The number 5 trolleybus runs along the park's north boundary (Fulton Street), and offers the most frequent service across the park and to downtown. The N streetcar runs two blocks south of the park's southern boundary, with service similar to the 5 bus.
Golden Gate Park is an urban park between the Richmond and Sunset districts on the West Side of San Francisco, California, United States. It is the largest urban park in the city, containing 1,017 acres (412 ha), and the third-most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 24 million visitors annually. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Previously known as Stow Lake, it was renamed in 2024, though many locals still use the old name. This pleasant lake surrounding Strawberry Hill, a scenic island with excellent views and great picnic spots, is an excellent place to relax. Boating (several types for rent) is available from a boathouse, which is open daily from 11AM-5PM. The ruins of the Sweeny Observatory are on the top of the hill, which was destroyed in the 1906 Earthquake. A Chinese pagoda sits on the edge of the island, which was donated by Taiwan in 1973, nearby the artificial waterfall.
A wide variety of roses on display.
The oldest public Japanese garden in the country, with beautiful plants, ponds, bridges, and Japanese-style structures including a tea house. Tours are available every Wednesday and Sunday at 1PM starting at the main gate.
formerly the Strybing Arboretum
One of the largest botanical gardens on the west coast, the Botanical Gardens cover 55 acres with thousands of varieties of plants from around the world and multiple specialized gardens and miles of trails (seriously, the place is huge). One of the most unique attractions is the Redwood Trail, which runs through a naturalistic redwood forest reminiscent of the ones north of San Francisco along the Californian coast. There is also a bookstore and library on the premises, near the main entrance. Free guided tours of the gardens depart from the bookstore daily at 1:30PM with an extra tour on the weekends at 10:30AM. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays another free tour departs from the Friend Gate at 2PM.
A modern and ethnic art focused museum, with three levels of exhibits with contemporary and historical pieces from America as well as art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas in a uniquely-designed building with courtyards and sculpture gardens that includes Three Gems piece by Turrell. One corner of the building houses the free Hamon Observation Tower which offers a lovely 360-degree view of the park and surroundings.
With roses and other flowers mentioned in his plays. A bust of Shakespeare sits at the opposite end from the entrance.