Developed in the late nineteenth century, many years before the neighborhoods that surround it, GOLDEN GATE PARK manages to be both a pastoral retreat for San Franciscans and a bastion of local culture, with more than a thousand acres of gardens and forest, complemented by some of the city’s best museums. Spreading three miles or so west from the Haight, it was designed in 1871 by park commissioner William Hall, mimicking the style of Frederick Law Olmsted (who also created Central Park in New York). Hall used a dyke to protect the park’s western side from the sea, and John McLaren, the Scottish park superintendent for 56 years, sculpted numerous miniature environments from what was then an area of wild sand dunes by planting several thousand trees here. The resulting living masterpiece is a rugged landscape which undergoes a natural transition as it approaches the ocean, subject on the park’s western half to strong winds and chilly temperatures. It’s perhaps fitting then that most of the cultural institutions are situated on the eastern half of the park, with the more open western side better for outdoor activities.
If you’re entering by car or bike, follow Fell Street west until it becomes John F. Kennedy Drive, along which most of the major draws are located. The Conservatory of Flowers sits just inside this northeastern entrance, a Victorian horticultural museum modeled on the Palm House at London’s Kew Gardens. Though the interior has been closed since 1995 when the mostly glass building suffered severe damage in a winter storm, the rolling greens in front of the building are still a popular gathering spot, with numerous rollerbladers and cyclists zipping past. The Conservatory is expected to open the doors to its greenhouses in the next couple of years, though no one seems willing to commit to an exact date just yet. Just south of here is a children’s play area, complete with a jungle gym, sand pit and classic merry-go-round (25¢ per child), as is the National AIDS Memorial Grove, on Middle East Drive, one of the park’s most recent additions. Nearby, on a small set of lawn bowling greens, elderly locals play in suitably restrained fashion.
Of the park’s numerous museums, the M.H. de Young Museum, off JFK Drive (Wed–Sun 9.30am–5pm; $7, $2 off with Muni transfer and free first Wed of each month; tel 415/863-3330), is the largest, if not the most exciting; its rather cramped collection covers everything from ancient Greek and Roman artifacts to more than a hundred early American works bequeathed by John D. Rockefeller III. The British galleries feature Neoclassical and Rococo works from the reign of George III, most notably the contributions of Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, Henry Raeburn, and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Rubens, Rembrandt, and other seventeenth-century European painters are also well represented. The museum had its origin in the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, a venture that was so successful that the Fine Arts Building (around which the current museum was built) was turned over to newspaper publisher M.H. de Young with the purpose of establishing a permanent museum.
For over a decade now, the Asian Art Museum has shared a building with the de Young, but as it will be entirely relocated into roomier galleries in the former San Francisco Public Library building by 2002, most of the permanent collection of over 10,000 paintings and decorative objects is in storage. Temporary exhibits occupy what space remains.
Opposite, the California Academy of Sciences (daily 10am–5pm; summer daily 9am–6pm; $8.50, $1 off with Muni transfer and free first Wed of each month) is a perfect place to amuse restless children. There’s a natural-history museum with a thirty-foot skeleton of a 140 million-year-old dinosaur, depictions of the solar system, life-size replicas of elephant seals and other California wildlife, and a colony of twenty black-footed penguins. The Academy’s “educational” earthquake ride – simulating a range of tremors – is a popular exhibit for thrill-seeking kids and adults alike. The show-stealer, though, is the collection of 14,500 specimens of aquatic life in the Steinhart Aquarium (daily 10am–5pm; included with Academy admission). The feeding of the penguins at 11.30am and 4pm is always a popular scene, as is the Fish Roundabout; where the viewing area at the center of this donut-shaped fish tank creates the sensation of being underwater. Alligators and other reptiles lurk in a thankfully less intimate exhibit known as the Swamp. The Morrison Planetarium (schedule varies; $2.50, $1.25 for children, $7 laser rock shows; tel 415/750-7141) offer the typical array of sky shows by day and rock music-oriented laser shows – which draw smoked-out teens (and those who still act like them) – by night.
Slightly west of the museums, the popular Japanese Tea Garden (daily 9am–5.30pm; $2.50) was built in 1894 for the California Midwinter Exposition and beautifully landscaped by the Japanese Hagiwara family, who looked after the garden until World War II, when along with other Japanese-Americans they were sent to internment camps. A massive bronze Buddha dominates the garden, whose gently curved bridges, winding footpaths, still pools filled with shiny carp, and leafy bonsai and cherry trees lend the place a peaceful feel despite the busloads of tourists pouring in every day. The best way to enjoy the garden is to get there around 9am when it first opens for a tea and Japanese cookie breakfast in the teahouse for $2.50.
For a less crowded outdoor alternative, wander south to the Strybing Arboretum (Mon–Fri 8am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am– 5pm), with entrances across from the Tea Garden or at Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way. The 75-acre botanic garden is home to more than 7000 varieties of plants, with miniature gardens focusing on plants from different regions of the world – desert to tropical. For a tour, stop by the Ninth Avenue entrance at 1.30pm any day of the week, or 10.30am Saturdays or Sundays. Just outside the Arboretum’s north entrance is the Shakespeare Garden, showing off every flower and plant mentioned in the writer’s plays.
To enjoy the somewhat quieter corners of the park head west through the many flower gardens and eucalyptus groves towards the ocean. Though you can wander quite aimlessly about, a number of activities may catch your fancy as well. Boat rental is available on the vast and marshy Stow Lake (near Nineteenth Ave) for $10–14 per hour, a pleasantly serene option at midweek when it’s relatively uncrowded. Sitting at the water’s center is Strawberry Hill, a large fake hill that can be reached by a footbridge. Meanwhile, the Golden Gate Park Stables at John F. Kennedy Drive and 36th Avenue offer horse-riding for around $25 per hour. On weekend afternoons the large soccer field nearby is the scene of some very heated games between South and Central American intramural squads.
Perhaps the most unusual thing about Golden Gate Park is its small herd of bison, roaming around the Buffalo Paddock off JFK Drive near 38th Avenue; you can get closest to these noble giants in their feeding area at the far west end. Continuing west along JFK, you’ll pass the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden before coming to the 1902 Dutch Windmill at the northwest corner of the park; restored to working order, the windmill once pumped water to the park’s Strawberry Hill reservoir. At the southwest corner of the park, the companion Murphy Windmill stands in a somewhat sorrier state, never having been restored for lack of funds. Between the two structures, facing the highway, is the Beach Chalet, a two-story, white-pillared building designed by Willis Polk; housing a series of 1930s frescoes depicting the growth of San Francisco as a city and the creation of Golden Gate Park, it also holds a small visitors’ center that provides information about the park’s numerous guided walking tours. Upstairs there’s a lively brewery-restaurant, great for late weekend brunches.
A $12.50 Golden Gate Park Explorer Pass gets you into all the Park’s museums and other attractions, representing a 25 percent reduction of total admission costs.
California Academy of Sciences: Within this complex of museums are a library, a research lab, a planetarium, an aquarium and a natural-history museum. As the oldest scientific institution on the West Coast, it has gathered excellent samples from many cultures and eras. Located near the Music Concourse, off Middle Drive East, (415) 750-7145.
Open daily 10 am-5 pm (winter); 9 am-6 pm (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Admission prices (per person, to the Steinhart Aquarium and Natural History Museum): adults $8.50, youth, students w/ID (12-17) and seniors (65 and over) $5.50, children (4-11) $2, children 3 and under free. Admission is free for all on the first Wednesday of each month. www.calacademy.org
Conservatory of Flowers: Widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the entire City, this greenhouse is currently closed due to storm damage. It is a replica of London's Kew Gardens conservatory, and was built between 1876 and 1883. When open, it houses huge palm trees under its soaring dome, plus exotic orchids, water lilies and microclimates from around the world. Located at the eastern end of the park, just off Conservatory Drive.
Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers: Designed in 1928 by the California Spring Blossom and Wildflower Association to honor the plants and flowers mentioned in the Bard's poems and plays. Obsessed fans can play "name the work" as they pass each of the 150-odd specimens. At Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Middle Drive East, behind the California Academy of Sciences. Free.
Japanese Tea Garden: Many people's favorite part of the park, this was originally built as part of the sprawling Midwinter Fair. Begun by an Australian in 1894, this intricate and private (depending on the season) complex of paths, ponds and a teahouse features native Japanese and Chinese plants. Also hidden throughout its five acres are beautiful sculptures and bridges. Makato Hagiwara, a Japanese gardener whose family took over the garden from 1895 to 1942, also invented the fortune cookie.
Admission $3.50, children 6-12 and seniors 65+ $1.25; last hour is free. For Tea Garden admission info, call (415) 752-4227. Teahouse: (415) 752-1171. Located just east of Stow Lake, between JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. Tea Garden open daily, 8:30 am-5:30 pm. Teahouse open 10 am-5:15 pm.
Strybing Arboretum: Begun in 1937 with WPA funds and charitable donations, this 70-acre horticultural extravaganza entices the senses with more than 6,000 plant species. The garden of fragrance -- with signs in Braille -- brings flowers alive with scent alone. The main entrance is on Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. Also accessible from the Japanese Tea Garden through the Friend's Gate.
The Gardens are open weekdays, 8 am-4:30 pm and weekends and holidays, 10 am-5 pm. Free. (415) 661-1316 or fax (415) 661-7427. www.strybing.org
AIDS Memorial Grove: Built and maintained by volunteers, this solemn spot offers a chance for reflection. At the intersection of Bowling Green Drive and Middle Drive East (415) 750-8340. (Article)
Arts & Crafts: Adults and children can take classes in ceramics, painting, metal arts and drawing at the Sharon Art Studio. Call (415) 753-7004 for a brochure and schedule. Located near the Children's Playground at the far eastern end of the park, just north of Kezar Drive.
Beach Chalet: This two-story building, built in 1921, lurks over Ocean Beach and houses some of the best murals in the city. The frescoes were done by Lucien Labaudt and portray people of the City in various stages of play. Upstairs, in the bustling brewpub, you'll find present-day city dwellers tending to microbrews, casual California cuisine and stunning views. Happy hours Monday-Friday, 3-5 pm. 1000 Great Highway (between Fulton and Lincoln streets), (415) 386-8439. (Web site)
Buffalo Paddock: Small herds of bison have made their stoic presence known since 1892, when the park was a free-range zoo of elk, bears, goats and other animals. Next to Spreckels Lake.
Children's Playground: Swings, slides and other kids' favorites lie in the shadow of a carousel built in 1912. It's open daily, 10 am-6 pm, Memorial Day through Labor Day. The rest of the year, it's pen Friday-Sunday, 10 am-4:30 pm. Located at MLK and Bowling Green drives, (415) 831-2700.
McLaren Lodge: Located at Fell and Stanyan streets, this elegant building was built in 1896 to house John McLaren. It is also one of the oldest Mission-style structures in the City. Today, it houses a park information center and an ornate, classic meeting room. (415) 831-2700.
Music Concourse and Pavilion: Formally landscaped grounds lead to the classically styled Music Pavilion, built in 1899 as part of the Midwinter Fair to promote California.
Picnic Grounds: There is almost nothing more pleasant than a sunny day picnicking in the park. If you have a large group, reserving a spot could make the day hassle-free, as long as the weather cooperates. Barbecue pits are located between Marx Meadow and Speedway Meadow, near JFK Drive; (415) 831-5500.
Portals of the Past: A front porch standing without a house, reflecting in a still lake below -- that's all that remains of a wealthy Nob Hill house destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. It is the only public memorial to the disaster in the City. At Lloyd Lake, between JFK Drive and Cross-Over-Drive.
Strawberry Hill: This naturally formed island in the middle of Stow Lake is 428 feet high, thus affording great views of the surrounding park, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Tamalpais. A good day hike, with lush foliage, trees and an artificial waterfall.
Shakespeare in the Park: In September, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival performs works every weekend. You can bring a picnic and bask in the late summer weather. Free. Located behind the Conservatory of Flowers.
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