San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
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A three-mile-long patchwork of lush gardens, meadows, lakes, and historic sites created over the years since 1870. This is a look at the features that define the park, from the east side to the west.
Golden Gate Park
The entire expanse of Golden Gate Park can be viewed from the top of Grand View Park.
Golden Gate Park: Horseshoe Courts
Formerly part of a rock quarry, the courts were established in this canyon near the northeast corner in 1922.
Golden Gate Park: McLaren Lodge
Lodge of John McLaren, who managed development of the park from 1887 to 1943, now the park department headquarters.
Golden Gate Park: Alvord Lake
Near the Haight Street entrance, this small lake and bridge date back to the 1880s.
Golden Gate Park: Alvord Bridge
The first iron-reinforced concrete bridge, its cavernous tunnels covered with artificial stalactites crosses under Kezar Drive.
Golden Gate Park: Kezar Stadium
Much smaller now than its original 1925 size, amateur recreation events are hosted here.
Golden Gate Park: Fuchsia Dell
Gorgeous network of paths and plantings, east of the Conservatory of Flowers.
Golden Gate Park: Sharon Meadow
This patchwork of meadows fills the opening expanse of the park on the east side near Haight Street.
Golden Gate Park: Children's Playground
Children have played here since 1888, and the last major renovation was completed in 2007.
Golden Gate Park: Carousel
Built in 1912 and installed at the Children's Playground in 1941, murals inside depict scenes from the park.
Golden Gate Park: Sharon Building
Opened in 1888, this was meant to be an indoor play area and extension of the playground. It now hosts an art studio.
Golden Gate Park: Hippie Hill
This hill looking down over Sharon Meadow was a notorious gathering point in the 1960s. Hand drummers frequent it today.
Golden Gate Park: Dahlia Garden
Dahlias planted in diverse colors on the east side of the Conservatory of Flowers, at full bloom in September.
Golden Gate Park: Conservatory of Flowers
Originally built in 1878, the renovated glass greenhouse now hosts plant galleries and special exhibits.
Golden Gate Park: Tree Fern Dell
Some ferns along these paths date back to 1898. The area was referred to during the 1960s as Mescaline Grove.
Golden Gate Park: Lily Pond
Not many years ago, this was a well-kept pond with waterlilies and ducks.
Golden Gate Park: AIDS Memorial Grove
Designed and landscaped by groups of volunteers, this grove was officially designated in 1996.
Golden Gate Park: Tennis Courts
Home to the Tennis Club established in 1901, there are 21 public courts which can be reserved at the clubhouse.
Golden Gate Park: Lawn Bowling Courts
Courts on either side of Bowling Green Drive - lessons are available if you're not sure how to lawn bowl.
Golden Gate Park: Whiskey Hill
Shady wooded hill with an appropriate name and secluded paths bordering Lincoln Way.
Golden Gate Park: Skating Area
Sundays are the most active days for skating, when JFK Drive is closed to traffic. Skating music is played here.
Golden Gate Park: Brown Gate
Bronze sculptures of a bear and cougar adorn either side of this gated entrance at Eighth Avenue.
Golden Gate Park: Fulton Playground
Little playground bordering Fulton Street at 9th Avenue, across from the JFK Drive pedestrian tunnel.
Golden Gate Park: JFK Tunnel
Even something as utilitarian as a traffic bridge was undertaken with fantastic style by the park's builders. Everything had to be beautiful.
Golden Gate Park: Music Concourse
Developed for the 1894 Mid-Winter Exhibition, this central courtyard is adjacent to the park's museums.
Golden Gate Park: Pool of Enchantment
Restored during the DeYoung rebuilding project, this pool was created in 1917 with donated funds.
Golden Gate Park: Music Stand
This concert shell, part of the 1894 Mid-Winter Exhibition development, still hosts performances on Sundays.
Golden Gate Park: DeYoung Museum
Founded in 1895 and re-opened in 2005, the deYoung hosts exhibitions of art and historic artifacts.
Golden Gate Park: Academy of Sciences
Entirely rebuilt and opened in 2008 - it features an aquarium and the rainforest dome.
Golden Gate Park: Shakespeare Garden
Established in 1928, this garden features plants and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare's writings.
Golden Gate Park: Stone Rings
Two rings of stones, possibly headstone pieces, lie embedded in a clearing and around a tree at this spot south of Middle Drive East.
Golden Gate Park: Handball Courts
Two indoor handball courts are situated just north of the Big Rec Fields, off of Middle Drive East.
Golden Gate Park: Big Rec Field
Two back-to-back baseball diamonds on an incredibly large stretch of lawn.
Golden Gate Park: Heroes Grove
Tranquil grove of redwoods, surrounding a granite rock inscribed with the names of local casualties of WW1.
Golden Gate Park: Japanese Tea Garden
Dating to 1894, this garden's current beautiful state belies a turbulent political history.
Golden Gate Park: Botanical Garden
Featuring themed sections with plant specimens from around the world, this vast gated garden is open every day.
Golden Gate Park: Rose Garden
Developed in 1961, the roses are in full bloom in late summer, despite the park's frequent foggy days.
Golden Gate Park: Redwood Memorial Grove
The Doughboy Statue with laurel wreath sits at the entrance to the thickly wooded Memorial Grove.
Golden Gate Park: Colonial Historic Trees
Planted in 1896, this grove includes a tree for each of the 13 Colonies.
Golden Gate Park: Pioneer Log Cabin
Constructed in 1911 from redwood logs, to honor the pioneer women of California.
Golden Gate Park: Rainbow Falls
Named for the colored lights that originally framed the falls at their dedication in 1930.
Golden Gate Park: Prayerbook Cross
Another 1894 relic, this cross is just barely visible from street level.
Golden Gate Park: Stow Lake
A landscaping masterpiece of the park, it's very hard to believe that this lake was built from nothing.
Golden Gate Park: Boathouse
At the northwest corner of Stow Lake, boat rentals are available at the front entrance, bicycles and surreys at the back.
Golden Gate Park: Strawberry Hill
The island hill surrounded by Stow Lake, paths lead to the wooded top area, which once hosted an observatory.
Golden Gate Park: Huntington Falls
The sculpted rocks look a little theme park-ish, but it's no less scenic when you're climbing the adjacent stairs.
Golden Gate Park: Mothers Meadow
Very spacious meadow with a playground nestled in the trees, south of Stow Lake.
Golden Gate Park: Lloyd Lake
This placid lake is the reservoir for the water pumped up its adjacent hill to Rainbow Falls.
Golden Gate Park: Portals of the Past
Part of the entrance for a Nob Hill Mansion destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.
Golden Gate Park: Disc Golf Course
A recent addition to the park, this course opened in 2007 in the wooded area near 25th Avenue at Fulton.
Golden Gate Park: Speedway Meadow
The site of this meadow actually was a speedway in the late 1800s, where carriage races took place.
Golden Gate Park: Elk Glen Lake
Adorned by fruit trees on its east side, this lake is surrounded by wild grasses that grow high in the early spring.
Golden Gate Park: Mallard Lake
So easy to pass by, especially driving on MLK, this lake features a shady stream on its east shore.
Golden Gate Park: Metson Lake
Just southeast of the Polo Field, this lake is lined with wild blackberry bushes around its edge.
Golden Gate Park: Spreckels Lake
Bordering the 36th Avenue entrance at its west edge, Spreckels is home to the model boat club.
Golden Gate Park: Lindley Meadow
This curved valley of a meadow catches luxurious amounts of shade in the late afternoon.
Golden Gate Park: Rhododendron Island
Little traffic island planted with Rhododendrons in season dividing JFK Drive and the 36th Avenue entrance.
Golden Gate Park: Stables
Reportedly closed for repairs, the stable area adjacent to the Polo Fields has been abandoned for some time.
Golden Gate Park: Polo Field
Used most often now for soccer, this field was originally designed as a much larger stadium.
Golden Gate Park: Par Course
This course wraps around the west and south perimeter of the Polo Field.
Golden Gate Park: Pentaque Court
Pentaque is a French game played with metals balls on a hard surface, dating back to 1907.
Golden Gate Park: Bison Paddock
Of the variety of animals housed in the park to entertain visitors in its early days, only these few bison remain.
Golden Gate Park: Fly Casting Pools
These shallow pools do not contain fish - only targets for fly casting practice.
Golden Gate Park: North Lake
The North Lake in the Chain of Lakes has walkways, benches, and landscaped islands for birds.
Golden Gate Park: Middle Lake
The Chain of Lakes were crafted around natural marshes, and this one looks the part.
Golden Gate Park: South Lake
Bordering MLK Drive, the small south lake has grassy slopes and benches along its shore.
Golden Gate Park: Golf Course
Dedicated in 1951, the nine-hole course features a restaurant and is open every day.
Golden Gate Park: Bercut Equitation Ring
The premier spot in the park for running horses around in a circle.
Golden Gate Park: West Playground
A little oasis of green picnic area and ocean-themed playground bordering Lincoln Way at 45th Avenue.
Golden Gate Park: Murphy Windmill
Originally larger than the earlier Dutch Windmill, to the north, this site has been under renovation for over a decade.
Golden Gate Park: Soccer Fields
Long soccer field area, sandwiched between the last section of JFK Drive and wooded pathway on the west.
Golden Gate Park: Park Chalet
The back half of the Beach Chalet, this bar and restaurant also houses a visitor's center with 1930s frescoes.
Golden Gate Park: Visitors Center
Ground floor room in the Beach Chalet building, decorated with 1930s Lucien Laboudt fresco paintings.
Golden Gate Park: Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden
Tulips are planted here for the early spring season, other times of year it may be different flowers.
Golden Gate Park: Dutch Windmill
Beautifully restored 1903 windmill, first built to water the park, now purely decorative.
Golden Gate Park: West Entrance
Inscribed rock marking the west entrance to Golden Gate Park at the edge of the Great Highway and Pacific Ocean.
Leave a comment (4 comments)
Carl Sjogreen said 5 months, 2 weeks ago:
Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it!
brianwestphal said 5 months, 2 weeks ago:
Very authoritative -- I like this a lot. I really like the layout of pins on the map :)
sharon said 5 months, 1 week ago:
Well you've certainly covered it pretty thoroughly!
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aegage said 5 months, 2 weeks ago:
What an extensive guide to this wonderful parks, thanks donovan