19 Fun Things To Do In Golden Gate Park – A Local’s Guide

Get inspired by all the fun things to do in Golden Gate Park!

When I first moved to San Francisco, I lived very close to Golden Gate Park in the Haight/Ashbury District and I’ll never forget strolling through the park for the first time. I was wowed by how large it is and the sheer beauty of the architecture against the backdrop of all the amazing garden and green spaces. I’ve always loved how you can feel, and see, the weather change as you move through the park and get closer to the Pacific Ocean at its western most end.

Golden Gate Park has more than 1000 acres of gardens, museums, meadows, and lakes, and is San Francisco’s pride and joy. The park spans 3.5 miles from the Haight neighborhood all the way to the famous Ocean Beach at Highway 1. Did you know that over 24 million people visit Golden Gate Park each year, which is just second to its east coast sibling, Central Park in New York City?

Trust me, there is so much to do in this park, and it is so carefully designed and well cared for, you won’t ever feel as though it is too busy or crowded.

Short on Time? Here’s my top 5 Must See List:

• Japanese Tea Garden
• Conservatory of Flowers
• Bison Paddock
• Rose Garden
• Stow Lake

Here are the Fun 19 Things to do in
Golden Gate Park

I’m going to divide the park into 4 sections of all the things to do in Golden Gate Park for you to pick and choose from depending on your time and interests of your travel team.

#1 Explore the de Young Museum

Located in the Music Concourse, the de Young is one of San Francisco’s premiere fine art museums. You can enjoy a wide range of exhibits from paintings, to sculpture, textiles, and artifacts. The museum even has an observation tower for panoramic views of the city! This is one of the best things to do in San Franciso during rainy days.

We keep a membership to the de Young, not just for the great exhibits, but also for the permanent collection, which is one of my favorites.

50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Tuesday to Sunday – 9:30 AM to 5:15 PM – Closed on Mondays
Ticket Prices: Adults: $15, Seniors (65+): $12, College Students with ID: $6, Youth (17 and under): Free, San Francisco residents – Discounted prices.

#2 Check Out the California Academy of Sciences

Located in the Music Concourse directly across from the de Young, is this amazing combo of a natural history museum, planetarium, and aquarium in one. It’s obviously great for the kids, and we love to take our out of town guests to see the famous albino alligator, the rainforest, and the green roof.

55 Music Concourse Drive
Monday to Saturday: 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Sunday: 11 AM to 5 PM
Ticket Prices: Adults: $40.25, Seniors (65+): $35.25, Youth (12-17): $35.25, Children (3-11): $30.25, Children (under 3): Free, San Francisco residents: Discounted prices.

#3 Visit the Japanese Tea Garden

Located on the Music Concourse, the Japanese Tea Garden is a must of the cultural attractions of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco, in my opinion. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s also really beautiful and relaxing with its pagodas, bridges, and Japanese architecture.

It’s a 3.5 acre garden,  the oldest of its kind in the country, filled with traditional Japanese gardens. There are koi fish in the pond and an outdoor cafe for Japanese tea and cookies!

Try to go at an offbeat time, like early morning, or even when the weather isn’t so great, and you’ll see what I mean.

75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Daily from 9 AM to 6 PM (summer) or 5 PM (winter)
Ticket Prices: Adults (12-64): $13, Seniors (65+): $10, Youth (12-17): $10, Children (5-11): $7, Children (under 5): Free, Residents of San Francisco (with ID): Discounted prices.

#4 Stroll Through the Conservatory of Flowers

Located along JFK Drive, the Conservatory of Flowers is the picturesque Victorian building and surrounding gardens built in 1879. It’s a giant greenhouse filled with exotic and rare plants and flowers. Look for special flower shows and exhibits and bring your camera for the great photo ops.

100 John F Kennedy Drive
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 AM to 4:30 PM, Closed on Mondays
Ticket Prices: Adults: $13, Seniors (65+), College Students with ID: $9, Youth (12-17): $9, Children (5-11): $7, Children (under 5): Free, San Francisco residents: Discounted prices

#5 The Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum

Located along the 9th Avenue entrance to the park is The Botanical Garden. It’s not your average garden with over 55 acres and more than 8000 plants from all over the world. You could spend a lot of time roaming around here seeing all kinds of plants you’ve probably never seen before that love to grow in San Francisco’s climate.

1199 9th Avenue
Daily from 7:30 AM to 7 PM (March-October), 7:30 AM to 6 PM (November-February)
Ticket Prices: Adults: $13, Seniors (65+), Youth (12-17), and College Students with ID: $7, Children (5-11): $3, Children (under 5): Free, San Francisco residents: Free (with proof of residency)

#6 Wander Around the Rose Garden

Located along JFK Drive and Stanyan Street is the Rose Garden, another personal favorite. It is one of the hidden gems of San Francisco with its perfectly groomed rows of many variety of roses.

Probably the best time to visit is May to July, when the roses are in full bloom. There are some varieties that bloom April through October as well. So, if you hit it in June, you might catch the peak of the colors and largest blooms!

Try to visit in the early morning or late afternoon for a more quiet time and bring your camera!

Near the intersection of JFK Drive and Stanyan Street in Golden Gate Park
Open 24/7
Free

#7 Find the Hidden Shakespeare Garden

Located near the Academy of Sciences and MLK Drive, the Shakespeare Garden is hidden away from the busier parts of the park. It’s a gated place created as a tribute to William Shakespeare. The plants and flowers are mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets, and poems.

A bust of Shakespeare is featured in the garden with bronze plaques inscribed with some of the quotes from his works that name the plants found in the garden. The quaint garden feels like the English countryside with a variety of roses, primroses, daisies, and lavender and rosemary.

335 Martin Luther King Jr Drive
Open 24/7
Free

#8 Pay Tribute at the Aids Memorial Grove

Located between Bowling Green Drive and Nancy Pelosi Drive, the National AIDS Memorial Grove is secluded and peaceful. This meticulously landscaped garden is dedicated to the memory of those who have lost their lives to AIDS and those who have been affected by the disease. It’s meant to be a place for reflection and remembering.

San Francisco, as you know, was profoundly affected by the AIDS epidemic and this garden is a lovely tribute to the many victims of the horrible virus. The grove spans 10 acres of meandering paths and benches to sit quietly.

The Circle of Friends is a circular stone monument engraved with the names of thousands of people who have died from or been affected by AIDS. It’s a lovely and thought provoking site.

Bowling Green Drive and Nancy Pelosi Drive
Open 24/7
Free

#9 Pedal Around Stow Lake

Located near the center of the park, west of the Japanese Tea Garden and north of John F. Kennedy Drive, Stow Lake is the biggest and most known of the lakes in Golden Gate Park. It has a great island with a waterfall in the center of the lake called Strawberry Hill. Strawberry Hill is accessed by two quaint stone bridges.

Stow is a popular place for walks around the lake and for renting pedal boats at the Stow Lake Boathouse.

#10 Sail a Toy Boat at Spreckels Lake

Located along John F. Kennedy Drive between 36th Avenue and 43rd Avenue, Spreckels Lake hosts the Model Yacht Club and remote control boat sailing. This is a busier, less secluded, lake than Stow, but is great for the family and any toy sail boat fans!

#11 See Portals of the Past at Lloyd Lake

Located in the middle of the park near the Park Presidio Bypass and Crossover Drive, Lloyd Lake is a smaller lake than the others. It’s mostly known for a white granite column structure called Portals of the Past. The Portals of the Past survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

#12 Watch the Ducks at Mallard Lake

Located north of MLK Drive, near the Bison Paddock, is Mallard Lake, named aptly for its population of mallard ducks. This lake is more remote and not as frequently visited as the other lakes in the park, so you are likely to have some quiet time there.

DO NOT feed the ducks here! It’s actually illegal to intentionally feed the wildlife and disrupt their natural behaviors.

#13 Relax at Metson Lake 

Located near 41st Avenue, Metson Lake is also a small lake tucked into a lot of greenery, away from the main attractions of the park. You can enjoy some tranquility there, as well as some bird watching. Bring a picnic and hang out!

#14 Stroll the JFK Promenade

Spanning the park from the entrance at Stanyan Street along the JFK Drive to the ocean, is the pedestrian JFK Promenade. JFK Drive used to only be closed to cars on Sundays, but during the pandemic, the drive was closed to traffic daily to allow for safe distancing and exercise.

Since that time, the city has decided to permanently close this promenade to vehicles. The result is a car free zone with art installations, walkers, joggers, bikes, and strollers. It’s really a great way to explore the park.

#15 Step Back In Time at the Bison Paddock

Located along JFK Drive and 36th Avenue is the most surprising site in the park. A tiny heard of 10 bison live and graze in a paddock near Mallard Lake. Since 1892, when the bison originally roamed in the area now known as the Music Concourse, the herd was moved to its current location. The animals are cared for by the San Francisco Zoo.

Bison are the largest land animal in North America and they are huge! It’s sometimes difficult to see them up close as they roam their meadow and are not always near the fence. There have been some escapes! But not to worry, that hasn’t happened for a long time!

#16 Koret Children’s Quarter Playground and Carousel

Located in the Koret Children’s Quarter at Bowling Green Drive and Keenan Drive, the Koret playground is known to be the first children’s playground in the country. It was built in 1888, and in 1914 the famous Herschell-Spillman Company Carousel was built for the park.

The carousel is truly a work of art and features beautifully hand-carved and painted animals. You can ride on horses, giraffes, lions, and other creatures like dragons and sea monsters.

Bowling Green Drive and Keenan Drive
Ticket Prices: Adults (ages 18+): $3, Youth (ages 6-17): $2, Children (ages 5 and under): Free with a paying adult, Seniors (65+): $2
Open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM

#17 See the Tulips at the Windmills 

Located at the western most tip of the park, at the ocean, are the two Dutch Windmills that were originally built to pump water into the park and irrigate the gardens. The Dutch Windmill was built in 1903 and the Murphy Windmill was built in 1908.

These majestic structures are no longer used for pumping water, but are very iconic landmarks in San Francisco.The tulips that bloom in the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden by the windmills are quite a site each spring. March is the peak time for the tulips, but you can catch the flowers from February through early April.

#18 Listen to a Show at the Music Concourse

Located near the entrance to the park is the large and historic Music Concourse, an open-air plaza that houses the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. This is where you’ll find the beautiful fountains, pollard sycamore trees, and seating in front of the Spreckels Temple of Music Bandshell. I have seen concerts, comedy festivals, and Shakespeare performed here.

#19 Golden Gate Park Special Events

Each year, Golden Gate Park hosts many events. Check dates and times at the Golden Gate Park website here.

Spring Eggstravaganza held in April – A springtime celebration and egg hunt.

The Bay to Breakers Race held in May – The iconic and wild 7.5 mile race across San Francisco.

Surrealistic Summer Solstice Jam Festival held near the Summer Solstice – A summer music celebration.

The San Francisco Marathon held in July – The annual full marathon.

Outside Lands Music and Art Festival held in August – The world famous 3 day music festival.

Flower Piano held in September – A community piano concert for 10 days in the Botanical Garden where everyone can play and listen.

San Francisco Opera in the Park held in September – The renowned opera company offers FREE concerts in the park.

Comedy Day held in September – The best comedy festival, ever!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival held in October – The huge and fabulous, annual FREE music festival.

Tree Lighting held in November – A holiday tradition!

How do I Get Around in the Park

Walk: Golden Gate Park is a very pedestrian friendly park with plenty of paved and groomed paths guiding you to all the spots you want to see. You can literally walk from the Stanyan entrance all the way to the Windmills and the beach in just a few miles.

Shuttle: Golden Gate Park has a FREE Shuttle service. The shuttles loop around the JFK Promenade and the Music Concourse. You can hop on and off the shuttle at many stops to have access to all the top attractions. The shuttle only operates on the Eastern part of the park, which means you can’t take the shuttle to see the bison, windmills, or to the beach, for instance.The shuttle also connects to local public transit stops for the MUNI buses.

Where do I park in Golden Gate Park

There are options for free and paid parking:

1. The underground Parking Garage by the Music Concourse in the park at the Academy of Sciences on 55 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive is the most convenient parking.
The cost is $5 p/hour during the week and $6. p/hour on the weekends with a max daily rate of $29 during the week and $33 on the weekend.

2. The Kezar Stadium Parking Lot on Stanyan next to Kezar Stadium at the entrance to the park is another convenient spot, but has fewer parking spaces than the garage. The cost is $7 up to 2 hours, $14 up to 4 hours, $17 up to 6 hours, $22 up to 7 hours, and $25 for the day.

3. There’s plenty of free parking throughout the park, along the main roads, such as Martin Luther King Dr., however, on the weekends, its a challenge to find spots, unless you arrive early. Don’t give up, just keep driving around until you find one!

4. Another parking option is to park at the Ocean Beach parking lots and walk into the park from the beach end, which is just about a 2 mile walk to the museums.

The Best Places to Stay In San Francisco

San Francisco has many hotels, so I’ve compiled a list of the safest spots for you to stay. Here are some recommendations for boutique hotels. 

These are all in safe neighborhoods and have 5 star reviews.

Best Bargain Boutique Hotel In San Francisco
The Hotel Triton
Right in Union Square, next to the gates of Chinatown, is this fun hotel with unique rooms and an artistic vibe. Known for great service, a terrific location, and the best French restaurant in town, Cafe De La Presse.

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Best Comfy Boutique Hotel in San Francisco
Hotel Zeppelin
In the beautiful Nob Hill neighborhood is this great bargain. The Zeppelin is decorated in San Francisco’s avant-garde style. It’s a comfortable and affordable hotel in a great location.

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Best Mid Range Boutique Hotel in San Francisco
1 Hotel San Francisco (formerly Hotel Vitale)
The 1 Hotel San Francisco is across from the Ferry Building with views of the skyline and the Bay. This hotel is known for its natural materials, sustainably sourced linens, and beautiful decor.

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Best Luxury Boutique Hotel in San Francisco
Hotel Drisco
This luxury boutique hotel at the top of the Pacific Heights neighborhood is an Edwardian-Victorian style hotel with superb service, complimentary breakfasts and wine time!

Which will be your favorite thing to do in Golden Gate Park?

In a nutshell…

Golden Gate Park is truly one of San Francisco’s most beloved gems, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you’re wandering through peaceful gardens, exploring fascinating museums, or simply enjoying a quiet moment by one of the many lakes, there’s always something new to discover in Golden Gate Park. That’s why on our one day in SF itinerary, 2 days in SF itinerary, and 3 days in SF itinerary, Golden Gate Park is always on the list.

With so much to do, it’s no wonder this park draws millions of visitors each year. So grab your walking shoes, pack a picnic, and get ready to make your own memories in this incredible urban oasis. Trust me, once you experience it, you’ll keep coming back!

xx,
Carrie