Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park sit on San Francisco's west side, where the old hippie neighborhood around Haight and Ashbury runs right into the park's eastern entrance.
Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park sit on San Francisco's west side, where the old hippie neighborhood around Haight and Ashbury runs right into the park's eastern entrance. Come for Victorian houses, vintage clothing and record stores, then spend a full day in the park with its museums, gardens and lakes.Haight Street was ground zero for the 1967 Summer of Love and still trades on it: thrift stores, smoke shops, murals and street musicians. The side streets are lined with brightly painted Victorians. Golden Gate Park stretches about three miles from here to the Pacific. The de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences and the Japanese Tea Garden are clustered together on the east side; farther west it gets quieter, with lakes, meadows and the windmills at Ocean Beach.Time: A morning is enough for the Haight. Give the park a full day if you want to do two museums.Car-free: The eastern stretch of JFK Drive is closed to cars, so it's easy to explore on foot or by bike.
Sights in Haight-Ashbury & Golden Gate Park
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Garden
1Japanese Tea Garden
The garden was created for the 1894 Midwinter Exhibition and is considered the oldest public Japanese garden in the USA. Makoto Hagiwara maintained and expanded it until 1925. You'll cross the steep drum bridge, pass koi ponds and a five-story pagoda from 1915, and enjoy green tea in the teahouse. Outside visitors pay $14 ($16 on weekends); on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, admission is free from 9 to 10 AM, which is also the quietest time.
Since 2005, the art museum in Golden Gate Park has occupied a Herzog & de Meuron building, its copper facade slowly turning green. The collection ranges from 17th-century American painting and textiles to art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. From the Hamon Tower, you get panoramic views over the park to the Golden Gate Bridge. Check opening hours, closed days, and admission prices beforehand on famsf.org; time-slot tickets are available for major special exhibitions.
A natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium under one roof, opposite the de Young. The new building by Renzo Piano opened in 2008; on the roof, Californian native plants grow across approximately one hectare. Beneath a glass dome lies a four-story rainforest; in the Steinhart Aquarium, you'll find a coral reef. Buy tickets online in advance, especially on weekends. Reserve Planetarium seats on-site via QR code in the lobby. On Thursday evenings, "NightLife" runs for visitors aged 21 and over.
The white wooden and glass greenhouse opened in April 1879 and is the oldest building in Golden Gate Park. Five rooms host tropical plants from Central and South American lowlands and cloud forests, alongside orchids and carnivorous plants over warm ponds. A tour takes just under an hour, and admission is charged. Even from the outside, the view over the flowerbeds in front is worthwhile.
The steep, wooded hill at the east end of Haight Street has been a park since 1867, making it the city's oldest. On roughly 15 hectares, paths lead up between oaks and cypresses. From the summit, you see across the city to the Golden Gate Bridge, and from a western viewpoint, over Golden Gate Park to the Pacific. The ascent takes about 15 minutes; it's best to go during the day.
Brewpub from 1997 at the corner of Haight and Masonic Street, recently independent again. Alongside its own, often British-inspired beers, there are burgers, fish and chips, and weekend brunch. A good stop in the heart of Upper Haight, usually no wait at lunchtime.
Small Puerto Rican spot at 1805 Haight Street, one of the few in the city and significantly cheaper than most restaurants in the area. Expect Mofongo made from mashed plantains, pork roast with rice and beans, and Tostones. Only a few tables, so it can get crowded at mealtimes.
Breakfast spot at 1451 Haight Street, a neighborhood fixture for ~46 years. Large portions of eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and biscuits with gravy; burgers also available for lunch. Weekend mornings see a line out the door; weekdays, you can usually walk right in.
The Haight has a few old-school breakfast spots serving big plates of eggs, hash browns and pancakes. Expect weekend lines in the morning; weekdays move faster.
Craft beer
San Francisco has a long brewing tradition. The Haight has its own brewpubs, and Lower Haight is home to Toronado, a beer bar with dozens of taps.
Picnic in the park
For a day in Golden Gate Park, pack a picnic. The lawns around Stow Lake and Hellman Hollow near JFK Drive are good spots.
Culture and history
Until the 1880s this was all sand dunes and farmland. A cable car line brought day-trippers out to the new Golden Gate Park, and after the 1906 earthquake the Haight filled in with Victorian homes.Summer of Love: Cheap rents drew hippies in the 1960s. In 1967 tens of thousands of young people poured in for the Summer of Love, and bands like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane lived in the neighborhood.The park: Golden Gate Park was built on sand dunes starting in 1870. The 1894 Midwinter Fair left behind the Japanese Tea Garden and the forerunner of the de Young.Today: The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair has run every June since 1978. Big music festivals take over the park in summer and fall, when paths and buses get packed.
Martini bar at 1633 Haight Street, operating for over 80 years, making it one of the oldest bars in the Haight. A dimly lit room, classic martinis and simple drinks, a good contrast to the tourist shops outside.
The bar at 1725 Haight Street opened in 2006 and was among the city's first craft cocktail bars. It also features a kitchen that works with whole animals, serving small, hearty dishes. It fills up quickly in the evenings; early evening is your best bet for a spot at the bar.
Walk the Haight; for the three-mile-long park, a bike or the bus is the better bet.Muni Metro N Judah: Runs underground from Market Street, then along the south side of the park (Cole and Carl, or 9th Ave and Irving for the museums) all the way to Ocean Beach.Buses: The 7 and 6 run along Haight Street, the 33 links the Haight with the Mission, and the 5 Fulton runs along the park's north side.In the park: Eastern JFK Drive is permanently car-free. Rent bikes or e-bikes at stations around the park edge or from shops on Stanyan Street.Parking: The Music Concourse garage sits underground between the de Young and the Academy of Sciences, handy for a museum day with kids.
Accommodations in Haight-Ashbury & Golden Gate Park
Find perfect stay in Haight-Ashbury & Golden Gate Park
