by Kimberley Heit

Created on: October 24, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2008

Whether you are a tourist exploring or a local looking for something to do with your weekend Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California has something for everyone. The attractions, activities and dining choices are numerous and varied enough to appeal to people of all ages and interests.

Golden Gate Park is one of the most highly visited city parks in America with over 13 million visitors enjoying the grounds every year. The parklands are over 1000 acres in size and have been built on top of what was once quite a harsh landscape of sand dunes ravished by ocean winds.

ATTRACTIONS:

Some of the most popular attractions In Golden Gate Park include:

The Japanese Tea Gardens-explore 5 acres of Japanese style gardens with winding paths, sculptures, ponds, bridges and teahouses.

Conservatory of flowers-the conservatory of flowers is a greenhouse filled with thousands of plant species including tropical, aquatic and seasonal flowering plants. One section you can enter features live butterflies.

Koret Children's quarter-enjoy the children's playground, complete with carousel. There are swings, slides, tubes to crawl through and planks to balance across.

The De Young Memorial Museum- houses art and cultural displays from around the world. Popular installations include work from America, Africa, New Guinea, New Zealand and the Philippines.

California Academy of Science-one of the biggest natural history museums around the globe this museum contains an aquarium and planetarium. It has recently been rebuilt as a sustainable building with solar panels, natural light and recycled materials. You will find exhibits on botany, geology, space and water. Some of the most popular attractions are; the rainforests of the world exhibit, a 3D theater and a discovery interactive tide pool.

The San Francisco Botanical Gardens-contains over 7000 plant varieties and the largest horticultural library in the state. There is even a garden of fragrance with Braille signs and free guided walks are available.

ACTIVTIES

Some of the numerous activities available in the Golden Gate Park include:

-Archery

-Basketball courts

-Pathways suitable for walking, bicycling and skating-with JFK drive shut off to cars on Sundays. Bikes and skates can be rented from park suppliers.

-9 hole golf course

-Lawn Bowls, including free lessons

-Swing dancing with free beginners lessons on Sundays

-Sea Lion watching

-View Bison, bears and goats in the Buffalo paddock

-Over 20 tennis courts

-Playing fields for team sports like football

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