See our Sanitation and Safety Practices

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Golden Gate Park is the largest urban park in America, larger than New York’s Central Park. It is shaped in a long rectangle, at over 3 miles long and 1017 acres, the park is a divide between two neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Richmond and the Sunset.

Golden Gate Park was originally sand dunes that came from the Oceanside winds. John McLaren, a naturist from Scotland planted the grass, trees and various plants in 1890. The park now has more than 1,000,000 trees and 10,000 plants with a variety of different species.

On an average weekend, 75,000 people visit Golden Gate Park. In the park there is a lot to see and do e.g. Museums, Gardens, Sports and Activities. Here is a list of some of the things you should come across when in the park:

Museums at Golden Gate Park:

  • California Academy of Sciences
  • Conservatory of Flowers
  • Garden of Shakespeare’s Flowers
  • Japanese Tea Garden
  • M.H. de Young Museum
  • San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum

Sports and Recreation at Golden Gate Park:

  • Archery
  • Basketball
  • Biking and Skating
  • Dog Runs
  • Fly-Fishing
  • Golf – 9 hole golf course
  • Handball
  • Kezar Stadium – Former home of the San Francisco 49ers
  • Lawn Bowling
  • Lindy in the Park – Swing Dancing
  • Pètanque – French Bowling game
  • Speckels Lake
  • Stow Lake – Largest Lake in the park
  • Tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee

Sights and Activities at Golden Gate Park:

  • AIDS Memorial Grove
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Beach Chalet and Park Chalet
  • Birding
  • Buffalo Paddock
  • Children’s Playground
  • McLaren Lodge
  • Music Concourse and Pavilion
  • Opera in the Park
  • Picnic Grounds
  • Rose Garden
  • Portals of the Past
  • Rhododendron Island
  • Statues
  • Strawberry Hill
  • Windmills and Queen Wilhlmina Tulip Garden