San Francisco: Golden Gate Park

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is the largest city park in the United States and a veritable oasis in the middle of this urban chaos. As locals, we make it out to Golden Gate Park at least once a month and I am always blown away by the serenity and beauty of this park. Now, keep in mind that the Golden Gate Park is massive and even a full day there is not enough. Here are some of our favorite spots that you should check out:

The Children’s Playground:

San Francisco takes its kids seriously and this playground is no joke! Tubes to crawl through, chutes to fly down, swings to soar on, planks to balance on and of course, everyone’s favorite, the carousel! Check the hours and directions for The Children’s Playground.

The Mother’s Playground and Meadow

For those with younger kids looking to picnic on lush green lawns, the Mother’s Playground is a great place to park it for a few hours. The playground is smaller and suited for toddlers as well as big kids, but not as intimidating as the one at the Children’s Playground. Great for a low-key family picnic. The Mother’s Playground is conveniently located between MLK Jr. drive and Stow Lake drive.

Japanese Tea House and Garden

For those of you unable to make it to Japan anytime soon, take a gander through the Japanese Tea Garden, sip a cup of tea as you stroll through the serenity of the gardens, with its waterfalls, bridges, lanterns and of course, the elegant and impressive pagoda. You can find hours and directions to the Japanese Tea House and Garden online.

The De Young Museum

For the art lovers in the family, the De Young is a great place to visit. For those less inclined, the De Young has a great courtside cafe and open gardens just out front to spend the time. During the summers. the De Young has wonderful family nights on “Fiesta Fridays”, with music, children’s activities and a host of free exhibits. One of our favorite things to do in the city!

Stow Lake

Tucked away in the center of the park is Stow Lake, where families can rent paddle or row boats and get acquainted with domestic aquatic creatures like seagulls, ducks, turtles, and much more. Many enjoy the scenic walk around the lake. You can also rent bikes for adults, kids, or the whole family at the lake. Check us out paddling it out at Stow Lake!




The California Academy of Sciences

This relatively new addition to the park never fails to impress both tourists and locals. The kids will love all the natural and interactive exhibits and guaranteed, even the adults will learn a lot!

Buffalo Paddock

Although that’s what it is called, it is actually bison that you see in Golden Gate’s Buffalo Paddock, and it’s the closest you will come to an open zoo in the city. The bison tend to keep to themselves (and we suggest, you let them), but it’s still great for the young ones to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures in a somewhat natural habitat. Within the Golden Gate Park, the Buffalo Paddock is situated off of John F. Kennedy Drive in the north/west corner of the park.

Tips on Visiting Golden Gate Park:

1. As mentioned, Golden Gate Park is huge and although you can attempt to walk around, I would recommend picking a few places you would like to spend your time and focusing on them. A map of Golden Gate Park is therefore, essential.

2. On sunny weekends parking around the park can be a real nightmare. There are two lots around the park, along with a shuttle service that runs between the park’s major attraction for free.

3. For more events, activities, clubs and goings-on, check out the Golden Gate Park website.