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This park is enormous! I didn't expect the park to be this huge when I visited it for the first time with my husband and cat. We were in San Francisco recently for my husband's work trip and decided to take a breather by exploring the park. Street parking seemed to be the best option since we couldn't locate a designated lot and everyone else was doing it. The park is pet-friendly in acceptable areas of the park, so please be mindful of the rules. Even though we weren't able to walk around the entire park, it was a beautiful day when we visited with many people enjoying the green landscapes and local scenery.
Today I entered the park at 19th Avenue/ crossover and took the pedestrian path up to stow lake, meandered up and around back to the rose garden and continued through Hero's grove. Then I kept going! When I got to the conservatory of flowers, I turned around and went all the way back and down past rainbow falls, Lloyd lake, past Hellman hollow to Spreckle's lake, said hello to the Bison and took a left and exited just past chain of lakes. What an adventure! I saw red tail hawks, blue jays, blue herons, all kinds of ducks, two turtles and of course the Bison. There are some beautiful views, art exhibitions, interactive displays and tons of photo worthy spaces. There are these beautiful pianos set up throughout the park for the public to play which I enjoyed practicing on. So many of the local plants are blooming so the flowers and trees sing with life. I stuck to the pedestrian trails but there are so many options off the beaten path for both hike vibes and bike rides. With the unique variety of San Francisco weather, it can go from overcast to sunny in a matter of moments, so it's always nice to have layers.
The tulips here are soo beautiful! This is an excellent place to take a romantic stroll and enjoy the pretty flowers. There are also many areas to set up a blanket and have a picnic. The Dutch Windmill is located here and is a magnificent piece of equipment that was restored in the 1980s. There is a sign on the windmill that explains the history and it was originally built in the early 1900s and used to pump water. It was crowded mid-day on Sunday with many people taking pictures with the tulips and picnicking with blankets. It is important to drive slowly while in the park since many people walk in the street. Finding a place to park can be difficult depending on the day and the event. There are so many things to do here as this is a huge park. The Japanese tea garden, museum, and tulip garden are just a few of the places I've visited here.
We happen to be in the area and I was asked if I wanted to stop by here to see the bison. Of course I do! It was late so some seemed to be going in for the evening but there were still a couple out roaming. Looks like there is a lot of parking around here and plenty of space. It's a nice park good for all sorts of outdoor activities.
Imagine a huge rectangle. Make it a park with grass and hills, flowers, trees, some fountains... I dunno, throw in a big lake, some world-class Art and Science museums, and a dome where concerts and shows perform in the Summer. Let's also close down the streets from cars one day a week in the Summer so people can ride their bikes, skate, rollerblade, play and dance in the streets! How about on some warm weekend days we put huge concerts there that fill the grass for as far as the eye can see so people can bring all their friends to enjoy food, drinks, and music together. And the lake... let's make it so people can rent boats, and if they don't or can't row, they can peddle so they, too, can enjoy the waterfall and life on the lake! Let's also have beautiful statues around the park, definitely a Shakespeare Garden, and let's throw in something for garden lovers, like a Botanical Garden (a big one) and a Conservatory of Flowers. For more culture, let's add a Japanese Tea Garden with more lakes and flowers, and even a bridge in the shape of a circle. Let's also make this accessible to everyone, so some days, the museums are free (ie, usually once a month). And some entrance fees are lower for locals. (Check the websites.) Aaaaaand this is Golden Gate Park, and this is my favorite park in California, if not the entire country.
The Central Park of the San Francisco! It is huge! You can spend a day there. One of the wonderful green part of the city. They have around a charming neighborhood and the botanical garden.
something for everyone. this park is big! don't try to walk it all, just go to wherever you're interested in. whether it's the museum, japan tea garden, botanical garden, boating at the lake, or choose any picnic spot. a sunny day here is really enjoyable, so much space to spread out from others and do your own thing great for taking a stroll and dog walking.
This park is amazing! We rented E bikes on a recent weekend trip to San Francisco and spent Sunday exploring. The main park is free with a fee for the gardens. We traveled the length of the park down JFK boulevard all the way to the sea! There were people practicing the Lindy and a guy playing a piano in the middle of the road, a portion of which was closed to cars and filled with bikers, joggers, and people enjoying the view. I've been to San Francisco several times, but never made it to the park and I really didn't know what I was missing. The Cypress trees were amazing!
Great park to visit. It's home to the California Academy of Sciences, and it's a nice place to take a stroll and enjoy the scenery.
An amazing gem in San Francisco. This huge botanical garden has plants from all over the world plus acres of walking trails and so many activities. I attended the Flower Piano this weekend when they have about 19 pianos scattered across the park where passers by can sit down and play. The skill and variety of the players were great. They also had a schedule of performances ranging from the SF philharmonic to jazz to special events for children. The event was free for San Francisco residents and a modest fee for non residents. This is a yearly celebration and definitely worth attending. Bring a picnic or buy food from the vendors. A wonderful experience.
I am a proud fourth generation San Francisco. And I truly love Golden Gate Park for all its quirky, unique places. It seems to get better and better, but maintains all the traditions of the bygone years Sunday is always a treat to watch the rollers, skaters, the Lindy Hop dancers and all the other unique people walking around Perfect for a bike ride a jog or just visiting the Steinhardt aquarium the Museum or the Concourse bandstand Nice little rose garden too You can seriously spend a full day exploring from the Haight to the Beach
Great experience!! Totally unexpected. Free entertainment for the family. Restroom close by with bike rental and hotdog stand a fee steps away..
We haven't been to the Golden Gate Park for years. It's an amazing and huge park to explore. This iconic park has 1,017 acres with lakes and meadows and also include California Academy Of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, Koret Children's Quarter and Carousel, Music Concourse, Portals of the Past, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Windmills, etc. It was a bit cloudy on Tuesday morning coz we got there early at around 9:30 a.m. Plenty of parking spaces were available. We parked in the parking garage near the California Academy of Sciences. The underground parking garage was huge so make sure you know where you park! We only went to the Japanese Tea Garden. We beat the crowd that day and it didn't have too many people.
6 days ago
Had a delightful time at the free Comedy Day celebration in Robin Williams Meadow this past weekend, which I've been to at least six times now. Also did a little rollerblading at the Skatin' Place which happens on select Sundays. It was pretty chill. We even skated along the JFK Promenade to check out the artworks (old and new) and live music happening in various locations. I regularly visit this park because there are so many awesome events that happen here, some that I've attended include music festivals, Symphony in the Park and Bandshell concerts at the Spreckels Temple of Music, the SF International Chocolate Salon, and the Entwined Lighted Forest. There are also plenty of trails I've taken advantage of for running, and lakes and waterfalls I've explored and set up a mat for lounging nearby, like the scenic Blue Heron Lake that offers pedal boat rentals and Lloyd Lake with the Portals of the Past monument, a unique memorial and piece of history. A huge variety of trees and plant life surround you wherever you go, along with waterbirds and other adorable creatures, and lots of grass for picnicking. There are also beautiful gardens galore including the SF Botanical Garden where the annual Flower Piano takes place, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and a bunch that are free to visit like the Shakespeare Garden, Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, Dahlia Dell, and Fuchsia Dell. Countless public art displays and projects can be found throughout the park, some of my faves being the Rabbitwoman and Dogman sculptures along the Golden Mile pathway and the sea serpent "Naga and the Captainess" at Rainbow Falls. I've also checked out a plethora of museums and attractions here over the years, such as Cal Academy of Sciences, the paddock bison, and the dutch-style windmills. I never seem to run out of interesting things to see, do, and experience at GGP. There are multiple public restrooms as well as both a pay garage and free street parking winding through the park too. read more
This 1017 acre park is incredible huge that housed a museum, academy of science, a botanical garden/ conservatory of flowers, a Japanese tea garden , as well as a lake!! So much luscious towering trees like eucalyptus groves, as well as enormous massive cypress trees and so much green grass open spaces !!!! Boat rentals are available at the lake!! Food trucks by the covered open stage and surrounded with benches to enjoy live music performances!!! What a day to spend with my grandkids enjoying an open space under the shady trees while eating our food truck eats!! read more
We were visiting the de Young museum which is right by Golden Gate Park. After we finished at the museum we had a picnic lunch in the park at the music concourse area. The park is huge and museums, lakes, and cultural attractions like the Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. There are lots of park benches for sitting and beautiful water fountains to admire. There is a parking garage close by called the music concourse parking that costs $5 per hour. It's a lovely place to take a nice walk. The gardens are beautiful. read more
14 days ago
This park is enormous! I didn't expect the park to be this huge when I visited it for the first time with my husband and cat. We were in San Francisco recently for my husband's work trip and decided to take a breather by exploring the park. Street parking seemed to be the best option since we couldn't locate a designated lot and everyone else was doing it. The park is pet-friendly in acceptable areas of the park, so please be mindful of the rules. Even though we weren't able to walk around the entire park, it was a beautiful day when we visited with many people enjoying the green landscapes and local scenery. read more
4 months ago
Today I entered the park at 19th Avenue/ crossover and took the pedestrian path up to stow lake, meandered up and around back to the rose garden and continued through Hero's grove. Then I kept going! When I got to the conservatory of flowers, I turned around and went all the way back and down past rainbow falls, Lloyd lake, past Hellman hollow to Spreckle's lake, said hello to the Bison and took a left and exited just past chain of lakes. What an adventure! I saw red tail hawks, blue jays, blue herons, all kinds of ducks, two turtles and of course the Bison. There are some beautiful views, art exhibitions, interactive displays and tons of photo worthy spaces. There are these beautiful pianos set up throughout the park for the public to play which I enjoyed practicing on. So many of the local plants are blooming so the flowers and trees sing with life. I stuck to the pedestrian trails but there are so many options off the beaten path for both hike vibes and bike rides. With the unique variety of San Francisco weather, it can go from overcast to sunny in a matter of moments, so it's always nice to have layers. read more
The tulips here are soo beautiful! This is an excellent place to take a romantic stroll and enjoy the pretty flowers. There are also many areas to set up a blanket and have a picnic. The Dutch Windmill is located here and is a magnificent piece of equipment that was restored in the 1980s. There is a sign on the windmill that explains the history and it was originally built in the early 1900s and used to pump water. It was crowded mid-day on Sunday with many people taking pictures with the tulips and picnicking with blankets. It is important to drive slowly while in the park since many people walk in the street. Finding a place to park can be difficult depending on the day and the event. There are so many things to do here as this is a huge park. The Japanese tea garden, museum, and tulip garden are just a few of the places I've visited here. read more
2 months ago
We happen to be in the area and I was asked if I wanted to stop by here to see the bison. Of course I do! It was late so some seemed to be going in for the evening but there were still a couple out roaming. Looks like there is a lot of parking around here and plenty of space. It's a nice park good for all sorts of outdoor activities. read more
Imagine a huge rectangle. Make it a park with grass and hills, flowers, trees, some fountains... I dunno, throw in a big lake, some world-class Art and Science museums, and a dome where concerts and shows perform in the Summer. Let's also close down the streets from cars one day a week in the Summer so people can ride their bikes, skate, rollerblade, play and dance in the streets! How about on some warm weekend days we put huge concerts there that fill the grass for as far as the eye can see so people can bring all their friends to enjoy food, drinks, and music together. And the lake... let's make it so people can rent boats, and if they don't or can't row, they can peddle so they, too, can enjoy the waterfall and life on the lake! Let's also have beautiful statues around the park, definitely a Shakespeare Garden, and let's throw in something for garden lovers, like a Botanical Garden (a big one) and a Conservatory of Flowers. For more culture, let's add a Japanese Tea Garden with more lakes and flowers, and even a bridge in the shape of a circle. Let's also make this accessible to everyone, so some days, the museums are free (ie, usually once a month). And some entrance fees are lower for locals. (Check the websites.) Aaaaaand this is Golden Gate Park, and this is my favorite park in California, if not the entire country. read more
something for everyone. this park is big! don't try to walk it all, just go to wherever you're interested in. whether it's the museum, japan tea garden, botanical garden, boating at the lake, or choose any picnic spot. a sunny day here is really enjoyable, so much space to spread out from others and do your own thing great for taking a stroll and dog walking. read more
4 months ago
This park is amazing! We rented E bikes on a recent weekend trip to San Francisco and spent Sunday exploring. The main park is free with a fee for the gardens. We traveled the length of the park down JFK boulevard all the way to the sea! There were people practicing the Lindy and a guy playing a piano in the middle of the road, a portion of which was closed to cars and filled with bikers, joggers, and people enjoying the view. I've been to San Francisco several times, but never made it to the park and I really didn't know what I was missing. The Cypress trees were amazing! read more
2 months ago
Great park to visit. It's home to the California Academy of Sciences, and it's a nice place to take a stroll and enjoy the scenery. read more
3 months ago
An amazing gem in San Francisco. This huge botanical garden has plants from all over the world plus acres of walking trails and so many activities. I attended the Flower Piano this weekend when they have about 19 pianos scattered across the park where passers by can sit down and play. The skill and variety of the players were great. They also had a schedule of performances ranging from the SF philharmonic to jazz to special events for children. The event was free for San Francisco residents and a modest fee for non residents. This is a yearly celebration and definitely worth attending. Bring a picnic or buy food from the vendors. A wonderful experience. read more
I am a proud fourth generation San Francisco. And I truly love Golden Gate Park for all its quirky, unique places. It seems to get better and better, but maintains all the traditions of the bygone years Sunday is always a treat to watch the rollers, skaters, the Lindy Hop dancers and all the other unique people walking around Perfect for a bike ride a jog or just visiting the Steinhardt aquarium the Museum or the Concourse bandstand Nice little rose garden too You can seriously spend a full day exploring from the Haight to the Beach read more
3 months ago
Great experience!! Totally unexpected. Free entertainment for the family. Restroom close by with bike rental and hotdog stand a fee steps away.. read more
We haven't been to the Golden Gate Park for years. It's an amazing and huge park to explore. This iconic park has 1,017 acres with lakes and meadows and also include California Academy Of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, Koret Children's Quarter and Carousel, Music Concourse, Portals of the Past, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Windmills, etc. It was a bit cloudy on Tuesday morning coz we got there early at around 9:30 a.m. Plenty of parking spaces were available. We parked in the parking garage near the California Academy of Sciences. The underground parking garage was huge so make sure you know where you park! We only went to the Japanese Tea Garden. We beat the crowd that day and it didn't have too many people. read more
Golden Gate Park is one of my favorite places to visit in San Francisco. There's plenty to see and do, from exploring museums like the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum to strolling through its many gardens and scenic areas. They're both free and paid activities for all ages. Most places within the park are walkable, but they also offer shuttle services for convenience. My personal favorite spots are the Japanese Tea Garden and Blue Heron Lake, which is great for birdwatching. However, the Rose Garden during winter isn't worth visiting--it looks pretty bare and somewhat depressing without flowers or leaves. The park is massive, so it's best to plan ahead to make the most of your visit. One downside is the lack of food options--besides a few overpriced hot dog stands, there aren't many restaurants or food vendors around. read more
A giant, gorgeous park and a definite gem of San Francisco. It's the Central Park of the West Coast, except it's not as public transportation-accessible as Central Park. Notwithstanding NYC comparisons, there's just so much to explore in Golden Gate Park that there's no way to see it all in a day. Some of my favorite places to visit over the years include: Deyoung Museum California Academy of Science Conservatory of Flowers Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco Botanical Garden Queen Wilhelmina Garden Chinese Pavilion at Blue Heron Lake (formerly Stow Lake) Even just walking around and admiring the natural scenery throughout the year (the cherry blossoms in the spring is one of my favorite times!) is so relaxing and beautiful. read more
***reposted twice? ummm this is a great spot to picnic, read, skate, run, bike, hike, and mini sightsee. I recommend that you visit this place when you are alone, on a date, and in a group, if you are in San Francisco long enough because it is just too great to miss and/or rush read more
6 months ago
6 months ago
A huge park. Only explored tiny parts of the park. Still has more to explore next time. The parts that I have checked out, they were nice but there were tons of animal poops on the grounds. So instead of looking forward and stroll, I looked down to make sure I'm not stepping on poops lol. read more
1 year ago
So worth buying the ticket to the botanical gardens and Japanese gardens! Well kept and stunning range of botanicals. A MUST-SEE in SF! read more
9 months ago
This was a very nice experience to endure with such an amazing friend. I had a blast and got to see such amazing scenery that is unique to its location. I saw the statues, trees, plants and even activities such as a ferris wheel. It was beautiful and I came during the winter to the area. read more
Shot in the Park 1,017-acre park located in the heart of San Francisco and is currently in the lead for USA Today's "Best City Park" award (https://shorturl.at/tB86D)--and for plenty of good reasons! It's hard to describe Golden Gate Park to someone who's never been, as it's not just fields and meadows like a normal city park. GGP is more of a cultural epicenter that has pretty much all one needs and more when visiting a city. The Good: *Free to visit the park (note that some of the gardens and museums require entrance fees) *Street parking only, but there is a parking garage for de Young & CA Academy visitors. *Not one, not two--but five botanical gardens: Shakespeare Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Queen Wilhelmina Garden, and Conservatory Valley *Windmill @ the Queen Wilhelmina Garden *Buffalo!! Yes, you read that right. *de Young Art Museum *Fishing *Multiple small lakes *CA Academy of Sciences *Park is extremely walkable from venue to venue--which is good because you're not gonna want to give up that parking spot once you've secured it. *Food and drink trucks parked along the JFK *Lots of great restaurants in the surrounding vicinity that you can easily walk to. The Meh: *Multiple restrooms around the park, but cleanliness might vary *A few Local Outdoor Enthusiasts™ lurking, but it's not as bad as you'd think. The Ugly: *As with anything, the bippers are for real, so don't be stupid and leave anything valuable in eyesight or be prepared to be relieved of it. Conclusion: Amazing park with lots of history and fun things to see. If you're visiting SF, I'd highly recommend blocking out at least one whole day to check out the GGP. Two if you really want to get the whole experience. read more
If you're in San Francisco, Golden Gate Park is an absolute must-see. You can get an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge up close perfect for photos! There are plenty of cozy spots nearby to grab a great coffee, pick up a few souvenirs, and even dive into the fascinating history of the bridge. Whether you're a local or just visiting, this iconic park offers the perfect mix of nature, culture, and unforgettable sights. read more
This is a one of a kind park indeed! I didn't realize how large this park actually was until I pulled it up on google. We came here initially to get a good view of the bridge and we did get to experience that and had a great time! We also got to check out the incredibly beautiful Japanese Tea Garden too and wow. I genuinely cannot even begin to describe the beauty here. We took an uber here initially and then caught a bus to the gardens and that was a super easy and quick ride. We walked through the park from the street to get to the garden and on the way we saw a lot of beautiful trees and even a herb garden. We probably could have spent all day here! read more
Having enough time for seeing everything in this park is hard. It has so much to check out that it's pretty much to be honest impossible. Golden Gate Park covers so much ground that you have to give yourself a few days to see it all. Make sure you get to visit a couple of the famous museums. There's also a lot of beauty including some famous and crowded ass lakes and other places for boating and things. Basically this is like San Francisco's version of Central Park, except it's bigger. It's got such a shit ton to see that you need a few visits to see all of what it's got. This is kind of hard to know where to start, but you may want to start at the world famous museums. A City Pass helps to save money and visit a few. For natural history go to the California Academy of Sciences. Known for the aquarium and the rainforest exhibits among other things. Has a pretty big collection of bones and other creatures from long ago. There's still lots more to see. For art go to the De Young Museum. There's art from the 1800s on forward including local artists, so that's cool to check out and support. Gatherings are pretty common in here. It's crowded like every weekend for concerts and those sorts of things. There's other parts of the park though that aren't as crowded and you can enjoy the natural environment or whatever. read more
Love this part me and my girlfriend went to Harley strictly bluegrass for our first time. There were a lot of people we tried a lot of very of different desserts such as Marley's treats we tried the Ube flan cheesecake read more
1 year ago
I started the day wanting to visit this park. It was a very cool morning with an even cooler breeze. Unfortunately, my Uber driver left me in the middle of the park and I had no idea where to go. The park is a massive 1000 acres big. Well I heard that there are free shuttle buses running throughout the park. After walking for a while I finally found a shuttle stop only to realize the first one doesn't start operating for another 25 minutes?!? I had no choice but to start walking toward the direction where buildings are supposed to be. I did say that it was cold. By sheer luck the first operating bus for the morning spotted me and stopped (Thank God!). The driver was very nice and dropped me off by the DeYoung Museum, California Academy of Sciences, and Japanese Tea Garden area. I went into the DeYoung Museum to warm up and to go up to their free observation area. The ultra-modern building is beautiful as were the views. Afterwards, I headed over the small Japanese Tea Garden area which was very nice and worth a visit. Then, I jumped on the free shuttle again and headed over to the beautiful conservatory of flowers. Unfortunately, I never made it to the far west end where I heard the views of the Pacific are beautiful. But the park is quite beautiful and locals that live nearby were definitely making the most of their proximity to bike or jog. This park is a definite must visit if your in SF. This is one of those large open public spaces that great for enjoying the great outdoors. read more
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More info about Golden Gate Park
501 Stanyan St
San Francisco, CA 94117
Directions
(415) 831-2700
Call Now
Visit Website
http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/
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Ask the Community - Golden Gate Park
Is it safe to park car anywhere around golden gate park or are there some areas that are safer to park in? Trying to avoid car break-ins
If there's anything visible inside your car (bags, boxes, luggage, etc.), it is at risk of being broken into anywhere in San Francisco. The best advice not to leave anything visible and (ideally) not to leave anything in your trunk, either.…
Is biking allowed in the park (we have electric bikes)?
It sure is. In recent times the main roads are closed for automobiles. And it plans to keep it closed for only the people. Walk, jog, take the dog, bike, rollerblade, scooter, the more you do withy our feet the better for our community's future.
Are there any restrooms around Golden gate park during this pandemic? At grocery stores or cafe? Thanks?
Yes, there are restrooms throughout the park. There's a map here: https://goldengatepark.com/golden-gate-park-restrooms-map.html If you'd prefer supermarket restrooms and if you're willing to walk, there are Safeways at 7th Avenue & Cabrillo and…
I'm traveling with a toddler Is there a Play ground?
There's a big one by the east end of the park near Sharon Meadow and the merry-go-round, another by the 19th Ave entrance, and a couple smaller ones sprinkled around. Enjoy!
What are the street parking regulations in GGP?
You have to read the sign near where you park or want to park. It's different every block. Generally, no overnight parking in the park is allowed.
Are there bathrooms at the park?
Yes-along different paths and various areas of the park there restrooms.
Is it free?
Yes and no. The majority of the park is free however there are a few components (museums and the Japanese garden) that have admission fees. We were there and walked all around the "free" areas and enjoyed a beautiful park.
Can you actually access the bridge from this park if you wanted to walk across on foot?
I assume you mean the Golden Gate Bridge? If so, then no. Golden Gate Park and the Golden Gate Bridge are in very different parts of town. While technically you could walk between the two, you'd have to cross a lot of the city to do so.
Does this park have flowers all year round? Or at this time?
All year round. There is no season in San Francisco. You would see the most diverse types of flower in the spring.
Are dogs allowed here? - thank you everyone for your help!
Yup, dogs are allowed throughout the park on leash. The park also has 4 off-leash areas: http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-dog-training-area/
Will we be able to picnic here?
Absolutely. There are many areas to choose from. Download their app for directions or ideas inside the park.
My family and I will be driving an RV. Are they permitted in the park?
I believe so, but no overnight parking
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