Golden Gate Park is an urban park in San Francisco. It has been open since 1870 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and William Hammond Hall, John McLaren and Calvert Vaux are all credited with its design. It is large enough to feel like several parks. The Panhandle has paths, a playground, restrooms and large lawns, while in the park’s western end a herd of American bison grazes in a meadow. Koret Children’s Quarter, next to the carousel, is thought to have been the country’s first public playground when it opened in 1888, and it was renovated in 2007.
The Golden Gate Park Band plays free, family-friendly concerts at the Bandshell, usually on Sunday afternoons from late April to early October. Entry to the Conservatory of Flowers and the San Francisco Botanical Garden is free for San Francisco residents and all veterans.
The trade-off is the event calendar. Some park roads may close during special events such as Outside Lands in August or Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October.
