Golden Gate Park

Why go

Golden Gate Park is defined by the Music Concourse, wooded roads, meadows, and garden enclosures. Another layer comes from the shift from dense city blocks toward the Pacific edge. Plan Golden Gate Park by remembering to choose one park cluster because crossing the whole park takes time. After Golden Gate Park, choose de Young Museum or Japanese Tea Garden; this keeps Golden Gate Park geographically coherent and avoids forcing Golden Gate Park into an unrelated crossing.

What to look for

• Look closely at the Music Concourse, wooded roads, meadows, and garden enclosures.
• Notice the shift from dense city blocks toward the Pacific edge.

The full story

In 1903, a pair of Dutch-style windmills were built at the extreme western end of the park. These pumped water throughout the park. The north windmill was restored to its original appearance in 1981 and is adjacent to Queen Wilhelmina tulip garden, a gift of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. These are planted with tulip bulbs for winter display and other flowers in appropriate seasons. The Murphy Windmill in the southwest corner of the park was restored in September 2011. Following the disastrous events of the famous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Golden Gate Park has also served as a safe haven for survivors and refugees of the devastating catastrophe. "The Army constructed a virtual town with large residential barracks tented housing, latrines and bathhouses, laundries, and other services". A sliver of park at the far east end of Golden Gate Park, the Panhandle, lies north of Haight-Ashbury, and it was the site of the Human Be-In of 1967, preceding the Summer of Love.

Useful to know

• For Golden Gate Park, choose one park cluster because crossing the whole park takes time.
• Pair Golden Gate Park with de Young Museum or Japanese Tea Garden when the route and opening conditions align.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.