Golden Gate Park Reviews (San Francisco, California)

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

December 20, 2011

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo At three miles long and almost half a mile wide, the Golden Gate Park is one of the largest man made parks in the world and it is a lovely place to while away a sunny afternoon. There are lots of things to see here, not least the amazing gardens ...Read more At three miles long and almost half a mile wide, the Golden Gate Park is one of the largest man made parks in the world and it is a lovely place to while away a sunny afternoon.

There are lots of things to see here, not least the amazing gardens which include the Japanese Tea garden (where the fortune cookie is said to be invented), a rose garden and a rhododendron dell which are all very pretty. If you want to be more active, you can join the thousands of cyclists and skaters who always fill the parks pathways. The Japanese Tea Gardens are particularly fun to walk around because there are lots of cute little crooked paths and stone bridges to explore. You really do feel like you are at one with nature and it’s a bit like being in a childhood story wandering around.

For those who enjoy flora, there is also the Conservatory of Flowers which costs around $5 to get in and is actually apparently the oldest glass and wood Victorian greenhouse in the western hemisphere – an obscure title to hold, but an fairly impressive building none the less. There are over 2000 types of plant and flower in the conservatory, but the biggest crowd pleaser has got to be the butterfly area in which there are so many butterflies flying freely around the zone.

The park is also home to the massive California Academy of Sciences complex which is home to a living rainforest containing, amongst other things, a 210,000 gallon aquarium, an alligator swamp and 38,000 animals from around the globe. The design of the building itself is something else; the roof is a 197,000 square foot area of ‘living greenery’ that is designed to look like rolling hills and it is made up of over a million and a half plants. It serves a purpose as well (as you would expect from a science based building) in that it absorbs 2 million litres of water a year and keeps the building tend degrees cooler than a normal roof and so saves untold amounts of energy. Fascinating stuff indeed.

A few points to consider when planning your visit:

-Most of the things to see are in the Eastern side of the park
-On Sundays, the JFK Drive is closed to traffic in certain parts
-You can get free guided tours of some parts of the park – just ask!
-It’s not recommended that you visit the park at night

So, needless to say there is a lot of fun to be had at the Golden Gate Park and you will surely enjoy a visit there especially on a nice San Francisco afternoon.
Close

From journal More things to see in San Francisco

Reaching the Far West

by SeenThat

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel

March 19, 2007

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo This walking tour begins at the fashionable neighbourhood of Haight Ashbury and end at the Pacific Ocean, the very end of San Francisco.The last bastion from the sixties, Haight Ashbury quarter can be reached from Market Street with bus number ...Read more This walking tour begins at the fashionable neighbourhood of Haight Ashbury and end at the Pacific Ocean, the very end of San Francisco.

The last bastion from the sixties, Haight Ashbury quarter can be reached from Market Street with bus number seven. Haight Street between Masonic (leave the bus just after the Buena Vista Park) and Stanyan hosts a plethora of restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, souvenir shops and old hippies. This is an appropriate place to have a breakfast and gather strength for a walk across the Golden Gate Park.

The huge park measures five kilometers length from the entrance at Haight Street to the Pacific Ocean, its width is just one kilometer and enough attractions are packed in this vast park to keep anyone busy for a week. Beginning in 1870, the former dunes were reclaimed and nowadays there are more than 3,500 species of plants in the park. The park is not just a gigantic, open botanic garden, and for sport fans it offers tennis courts, boats at the Stow Lake, an equitation field, a small nine holes golf course, soccer fields and endless paths for biking and jogging. San Francisco being the Asian capital of America, the park wouldn’t be complete without a wonderful Japanese Tea Garden next to the Stow Lake (the first lake while advancing westwards) and in that lake’s single island – called Strawberry Hill – a Chinese Pavillion.

The magnificent Dutch Mill marks the end of the park; it was built in 1902 and was used to pump water from underground to a reservoir on Strawberry Hill. However, in 1913 electric pumps were introduced and the mill became obsolete. It decayed slowly until a massive restoration effort ended in 1981, at its base is the colorful Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden.

Next to the mill is the Ocean Beach – one of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco. The coast is kept unspoiled; there are not any restaurants or shops obstructing the view of the ocean from the wide promenade running along it. The beach is too beautiful to leave; it is wide and has a fine, dark sand wet with salty, cold ocean water. Instead of leaving, it is recommended to walk along it to the north, toward the cliffs. There, on 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, is the Cliff House – which according to the owners is where San Francisco begins. The last statement depends on the direction you are looking from, but what is undeniably true is that it is the only restaurant in town facing the Pacific Ocean and that it was open in 1863. The food there is rather common and pricey (expect to pay above thirty dollars) but the views compensate for that. There is no better place to end such a splendid walk.

To return to downtown, walk back to the Golden Gate Park and turn left into Fulton Street, from where bus number five safely travels to Market Street. Close

From journal Walking San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

by gatorgirl1977

Ocala, Florida

August 14, 2006

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo Golden Gate Park is full of beautiful sites and things to do. There is the Japanese Tea Gardens, the Rose Garden, the Windmill, and the Botanical Gardens. The Park is free to visit. The Japanese Tea Garden has an additional charge, but it is under ...Read more

From journal Fun in the sun in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

by airynfaerie

St. Augustine, Florida

July 18, 2006

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo In this park that occupies over 45 city blocks of area, one can get lost in the various-themed gardens, museums, and overall beauty. The things to see and activities to participate in are so extensive, it would be hard to take it all in with one ...Read more

From journal Long (Full) Weekend in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

by JesusW

Mexico city, Mexico

April 24, 2006

Email
Print

There is a lot more to see in this park than the usual Museum and Japanese Garden, you have to travel to the other side, the seaside, to find some interesting gardens and windmills.

From journal The Golden Gate and Alcatraz

Golden Gate Park

by GilraenEstel

Birmingham, United Kingdom

April 3, 2006

Email
Print

Golden Gate Park was originally conceived to help urbanites escape the chaos of the city. And boy, does it ever. You would not realise that you're in the middle of a city at times! We took a leisurely stroll around it, prior to going to Alcatraz ...Read more

From journal Beautiful San Francisco in 2 Days

Golden Gate Park

by Milja

Waterloo, Ontario

February 6, 2006

Email
Print

The Japanese Tea Garden was very cool, even if you don't normally like gardens. The fee is $3, and well worth it. The park is awesome for rollerblading.

From journal Weekend in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

by queserasera

Orlando, Florida

January 17, 2006

Email
Print

We met up with some friends to explore this large, lovely park. It's a great place to walk, picnic, and relax. The Japanese Tea Garden was a highlight and worth the modest admission fee (less than $4 when we visited). According to the San Francisco ...Read more

From journal San Francisco: The City by the Bay

Golden Gate Park

by Pamela Nayor

Anaheim, California

August 8, 2005

Email
Print

This wonderful park has something for everyone. Lakes that have boat rentals, bison roaming a large field, running/biking trails, a windmill, gardens, a botanical center, tea gardens, museums, and children’s playgrounds. We spent a good part of ...Read more

From journal Family Escape to San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

by normanite

New York, New York

October 8, 2004

Email
Print

Best of IgoUgo Website: Golden Gate Park Of course, no visit to ‘Cisco would be complete without stepping into this famous park. (map) Golden Gate Park, once covered with sand dunes, is SF’s largest park, and is bigger than Central Park. The park was designed in ...Read more

Website: Golden Gate Park

From journal If You’re Going to San Francisco…

IgoUgo

Golden Gate Park

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Reaching the Far West

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

What's Nearby?

Nearby Things to Do

Popular San Francisco Hotels

Popular Things to Do in San Francisco

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Reaching the Far West

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park