Golden
Gate Park in San Francisco consists of almost 1017 acres of Land and is
located between Fulton Street and Lincoln Way with its main entrance at
Fell and Stanyan Streets. It is one of California's most beautiful urban
parks and is 3 miles long by 1/2 mile wide, it is larger than New York's Central
Park. Once covered with sand dunes, the Golden Gate Park consists of millions of
trees today. The Park is composed of hundreds of attractions including
Gardens, Lakes and Museums that are linked by wooded paths. It also has
several fly casting pools and a lily pond within its borders.
Being home to art, culture, scientific exhibits and lots of recreation, the
Golden Gate Park is the third most visited park in America with over 13
million Visitors each year.
Entering the Golden Gate Park is absolutely free, but some of the Museums
and other sights do charge a fee. The best way to see the most popular spots of
the Golden Gate Park is by following the signs showing a white sea gull with an
orange beak. If you would like to walk and not drive then it is best to take a
guided tour. It is advisable to make the first stop at McLaren Lodge and Park
Headquarters in order to get complete information about the park so that you can
make the best use of the time in hand.There are hundreds of gardens in Golden Gate park of San Francisco, however, the most popular ones are - The Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Rose Garden, The Strybing Arboretum, Rhododendron Dell, Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, George Washington Bicentennial Grove, Redwood Memorial Grove, the outer Conservatory Flower Gardens, the Shakespeare Garden, and a springtime array of thousands of tulips and daffodils around the Dutch windmill. There is no fee for most of the gardens except the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden. Besides the Gardens there are several other attractions like - The Beach Chalet, Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, The Music Concourse Area, De Young Museum, John F. Kennedy Drive, Academy of Science, AIDS Memorial Grove, Kezar Stadium.
The Conservatory of Flowers:
This is a Victorian-style greenhouse with a striking assemblage of glass and iron, modeled after the Palm house at the Kew Gardens in London and houses a collection of tropical plants and flowers. It exhibits a rotating display of plants and shrubs, along with a mesmerizing variety of orchids. This is a must see attraction of Golden Gate Park. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9a-4:30p and closed on Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children, students and the elderly. FREE admission on first Tuesday of each month.
Japanese Tea Garden:
The garden covers 5 acres of land and features a teahouse, sculptures, ponds, bridges and many native Japanese plants. It is open daily from 8:30a-5:30p. Admission is $3.50 for adults and $1.25 for 6-12 and 65+. Last one hour is free.
Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens:
It consists of almost 6,000 species of plants out of which some are very
rare and ancient. Strybing Arboretum is open every day from 8am to 4:30 pm on
weekdays and 10am to 5pm on weekends and holidays.Stow Lake & Strawberry Hill:
This is the largest lake of Golden Gate Park and the most popular activity here is to rent a paddle boat, rowboat or a motorboat and cruise around the circular lake. Strawberry Hill is a artificial island at the center of stow lake. It has a waterfall and peace pagoda. Rental boats are available every day from 10am to 4pm.
Golden Gate Park Activities:
The Golden Gate park is also popular for its sports facilities which include Boating, Model yatch sailing, Soccer, Archery, Basketball, football, Lawn bowling, tennis, golf, fly-fishing, biking, inline skating, archery, handball, pétanque, and horseback riding. It has a lot to offer and is one of the best places to bike and rollerblade. You can also rent a boat and drift or paddle around circular Stow Lake with Strawberry Hill in the center.
