Attraction 7 / 33
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Bordered by Fulcon Street, Stanyan Street, Lincon Way and Ocean Beach
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The largest and best known park in San Francisco is the
1,017 acre (411 ha) Golden Gate Park. Its history goes back to
1870 when the site was an area of wild sand dunes. At
the time, the area, known as 'outside lands', was well
outside the city's developed limits.
History
William
Hammond Hall,
a civil engineer, was contracted to design
the park. He was inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted,
the creator of the Central
Park in New York. He created
a hilly park with a varying landscape of lakes, meadows,
ridges and winding roads. In 1871, William Hall was
appointed as the first superintendent of the new park.
To convert the sand dunes into a forested parkland,
innovative sand reclamation techniques were used and
a dike was built to protect the park from the sea. In
1887, John McLaren, a Scottish native, succeeded William
Hall. During the 56 years as superintendent of the park,
he planted thousands of trees and converted the area
into the
park as we know it today.

Golden Gate Park

Conservatory of Flowers
Main Attractions
The
main attractions of the park are located at the eastern
side of the park. It includes The Conservatory of Flowers,
Japanese Tea garden.
The Conservatory of Flowers, a Victorian-style greenhouse is modeled after the Palm house at the Kew Gardens in London. It was built between 1876 and 1883 and houses a collection of tropical plants and flowers.
The M.H. De Young Museum has its origins in the 1894 Midwinter International expo. The Fine arts Museum, built for the expo, was so successful that it was decided to establish a permanent museum. The museum has a very diverse collection, including paintings from the Laurence Rockefeller collection.
The Conservatory of Flowers, a Victorian-style greenhouse is modeled after the Palm house at the Kew Gardens in London. It was built between 1876 and 1883 and houses a collection of tropical plants and flowers.
The M.H. De Young Museum has its origins in the 1894 Midwinter International expo. The Fine arts Museum, built for the expo, was so successful that it was decided to establish a permanent museum. The museum has a very diverse collection, including paintings from the Laurence Rockefeller collection.

Japanese Tea Garden
Another remnant from the 1894 expo is the Japanese
Tea Garden. Following the success of the expo's
Japanese village, a Japanese Tea Garden was constructed
to display the Japanese lifestyle. The garden, covering
5 acres, features a teahouse, sculptures, ponds, bridges
and many native Japanese plants.
Other Attractions
The Golden gate park has many more attractions including
the
Buffalo paddock, a rose garden, the Steinhart Aquarium and the Strybing
arboretum. At the north-west corner of the park there's even a Dutch garden, complete with an authentic windmill. The park is also popular for its sports facilities
which include tennis, pétanque, golf, fly-fishing,
biking, inline skating, archery, handball and horseback
riding. On weekends, the meadows in the park are used
by many visitors as picnic grounds.

Queen Wilhelmina Garden
The Golden Gate Park is located between Haight Ashbury and
the Pacific Ocean in downtown San Francisco. It attracts
more than 12 million visitors yearly.
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- Next: Lombard Street



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