Golden Gate Park
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The City By The Bay's Backyard Retreat
When residents of San Francisco say "the Park," they most often mean Golden Gate Park. There are a variety of smaller parks scattered throughout the city, but none is as large and comprehensive as this one. Stretching for over three miles, starting from the Western Addition and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods and running all to the way to the ocean, this park is nine blocks wide and separates the Sunset and Richmond Districts.
Golden Gate Park houses a variey of gardens, museums, and water features (including an uphill stream!). It plays host to a variety of art and music events and is a popular location for the urban walkers, runners and cyclists.
Easily reached by city public transit (which is much easier than parking!), this parks offers more outdoor activities, educational opportunities and peaceful oasises than many people realize. You can catch two different SF MUNI busses that run all the way from downtown to the park: the 5-Fulton or the 71-Noriega. The 5-Fulton runs along the north border of the park, accessing the Richmond district further south than the 38-Geary. The 71-Noriega passes down Market and Haight Streets before heading west along the southern edge of the park. Both busses will get you to Ocean Beach and the Great Highway. The 44-O'Shaughnessy will take you through the park, crossing north/south at a location of many major park museums and features.
See Some Of Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Guides and Gifts
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Grateful Dead Reproduction Concert Poster Golden Gate Park
Price: $12.99
List Price: $14.99 |
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The Windmills of Golden Gate Park
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California's Parks and Monuments
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List Price: $24.95 |
About Golden Gate Park
- Map of Golden Gate Park
Here's a Google map of the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco - Golden Gate Park
Today, Golden Gate Park looks a lot more different than it did in the 18070s, when it was nothing but sand dunes. - Golden Gate Park
Did you know that Golden Gate Park is the largest man-made park in the world? - San Francisco Neighborhoods: Golden Gate Park
What's larger than New York's Central Park, once consisted of sand dunes, is now covered with more than one million trees and is bison-friendly? - Visual Golden Gate Park
Interactive map of the public park in San Francisco, with links to illustrated descriptions of many of its constituent gardens.
The Conservatory of Flowers, a stunning wood Victorian structure, is home to plants from around the world.
Features of the Park
- San Francisco Botanical Garden
Enjoy the San Francisco Botanical Garden's world of gardens, excellent horticulture library, bookstore, and education programs. The San Francisco Botanical Garden is open daily, 365 days a year and is free to the public. - California Academy of Sciences
Explore, Explain and Protect the Natural World - Includes Natural History Museum, Morrison Planetarium and Steinhart Aquarium all in one location. - The Conservatory of Flowers, DeYoung Museum and Golden Gate Park
Take a photo tour of the lovely Victorian conservatory grounds, see the rebuilt DeYoung Museum with the Andy Goldsworthy installation and surrounding grounds. - de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park
The DeYoung Museum was first founded in 1895. It's present incarnation opened in October 2005, and now features improved galleries and a stunning tower view. - Japanese Tea Garden
The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is the type of Japanese garden known as a wet walking garden, although it has a Zen garden, or dry garden area as well. - Kezar Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Former home to football teams, and the field where Dirty Harry uttered the famous "go ahead, make my day" line.
golden gate park gifts and collectibles
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CA, San Francisco, California, Golden Gate Park, Drive
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San Francisco, CA 1907 Golden Gate Park Buffalos
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STOW LAKE GOLDEN GATE PARK SAN FRANCISCO PHOTO POSTCARD
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JEWEL HALL MUSEUM GOLDEN GATE PARK SAN FRANCISCO CA PC
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SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE PARK STARBUCKS COFFEE MUG
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GRATEFUL DEAD at GOLDEN GATE PARK SAN FRANCISCO POSTER
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The Politics of Golden Gate Park
My grandmother wasn't born yet when the 1906 Earthquake struck San Francisco, but she told me that her own mother, my maternal great-grandmother, camped out in Golden Gate Park that night with some of my grandma's older brothers and sisters, and that one child got pneumonia afterwards and died. She said that she was told that thousands and thousands of city residents camped in the park that night, having either lost their homes in the quake or the fires, or too scared to sleep indoors that night.
One hundred years later, sleeping in the park has been made illegal. The issue of this day and age is homelessness. "Camping" is what has officially been made illegal, describing a time of day or a type of camp as what is prohibited. It's pretty much been an issue, albeit an on-again off-again one, since the 1960s. These last few decades have seen a variety of enforced evictions and mandated clean-ups. It's definitely been an issues of contention during the last three mayoral offices.
Environmentalists also pay a lot of attention to Golden Gate Park. The impact of city cars and air quality is an issues that has been growing over the last few decades. Preservation of plant and animal life in the face of growing density of human population and park usage is also a concern.
Events in Golden Gate Park
- Bay to Breakers
The mid-May Bay To Breakers is a 12K (7.46 miles) race through the streets of San Francisco, CA. Part of the race route runs through Golden Gate Park - Golden Gate Renaissance Festival
San Francisco brings history to life with the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire which takes place the last weekend in August in Speedway Meadow. - Lindy In The Park
Learn to swing dance and lindy hop for free in GGP on Sundays (weather permitting). - The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
Summers brings a series of free Shakespearen plays to Golden Gate Park!
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What Do You Like Best About Golden Gate Park?
I never owned or drove a car in SF and found taking the bus was often much easier for me than friends who tried to drive and meet me somewhere. I hope the Fish Round at the Aquarium isn't changed in the retrofit, that was an incredible exhibit!
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Robin says:
12 months ago
We love Golden Gate Park. I'm glad you put bus routes in your hub. On the weekends, it's really hard to park as roads are closed to cars. The Academy of Sciences/Aquarium is closed in the park and is under complete renovation right now. It is temporarily on Folsom and 5th until its completion in the park. I'm so anxious for its opening; it looks amazing. For kids there is a carousel and a great new park that opened next to it. You can find it by following the signs from the Fell street entrance. We also like to go and look at the buffalo which are kept as an extension of the SF Zoo. Great hub again, Relache!