| Golden Gate Park | |
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| Type | Municipal (San Francisco) |
| Location | San Francisco |
| Size | 1017 acres (4. The Panhandle is a Park in San Francisco, California that forms a Panhandle with Golden Gate Park. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions There are many parks in San Francisco California, USA. A complete listing is available at the website of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city 1 km²) (1. 6 mi²) |
| Opened | 1870s |
| Status | Open all year |
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of 1017 acres (4. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city An urban park, also known as a municipal park (North America or a public park or open space (United Kingdom is a Park in cities and other 1 km², 1. 6 mi²) of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 174 acres (0. 7 km², 0. 27 mi²) larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually With 13 million visitors annually, Golden Gate is the third most visited city park in The United States (after Central Park and Lincoln Park in Chicago). Lincoln Park is a 1200 acre (49 km² 1875 mi² park along Chicago Illinois ' lakefront facing Lake Michigan. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.
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History
In the 1860s, San Franciscans began to feel the need for a spacious public park similar to Central Park that was taking shape in New York. Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was completed in 1869 Golden Gate Park was carved out of unpromising sand and shore dunes that were known as the "outside lands" in an unincorporated area west of then-San Francisco's borders. Although the park was conceived under the guise of recreation, the underlying justification was to attract housing development and provide for the westward expansion of The City. The tireless field engineer William Hammond Hall prepared a survey and topographic map of the park site in 1870 and became commissioner in 1871. William Hammond Hall (1846 in Hagerstown Maryland, United States of America - 1934 was a Civil engineer who was the first State Engineer of California He was later named California's first State Engineer and developed an integrated flood control system for the Sacramento Valley when he was not working on Golden Gate Park. Flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U
The actual plan and planting were developed by Hall and his assistant, John McLaren, who had apprenticed in Scotland, the homeland of many of the nineteenth century's best professional gardeners. Dr John Hays McLaren (1846 &ndash 1943 served as superintendent of the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA for 53 years Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The initial plan called for grade separations of transverse roadways through the park, as Frederick Law Olmsted had provided for Central Park, but budget constraints and the positioning of the Arboretum and the Concourse ended the plan. Frederick Law Olmsted ( April 25, 1822 &ndash August 28, 1903) was an American landscape designer and father of American In 1876, the plan was almost exchanged for a racetrack favored by "the Big Four" millionaires, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Collis P. Huntington, and Charles Crocker. The Big Four was the name popularly given to the chief Entrepreneurs in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the First Amasa Leland Stanford ( March 9, 1824 June 21, 1893) was an American Tycoon, Politician and founder of Mark Hopkins could refer to Mark Hopkins (educator (1802-1887 American educator Collis Potter Huntington ( April 16 or October 22 1821 – August 13 1900) was one of The Big Four of western railroading (along with Charles Crocker ( September 16 1822 &ndash August 14 1888) was an American Railroad executive. Hall resigned and the remaining park commissioners followed him. The original plan, however, was back on track by 1886, when streetcars delivered over 47,000 people to Golden Gate Park on one weekend afternoon (the city's population at the time was about 250,000). A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Hall selected McLaren as his successor in 1887.
The first stage stabilized the ocean dunes that covered three-quarters of the park area with tree plantings. By 1875, about 60,000 trees, mostly Blue Gum Eucalyptus, Monterey pine and Monterey cypress, were planted. The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an Evergreen tree one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. Pinus radiata (family Pinaceae is known in English as Monterey Pine in some parts of the world (mainly in the USA, Canada and the Cupressus macrocarpa ( Monterey Cypress, Macrocarpa; syn Callitropsis macrocarpa (Hartw By 1879, that figure more than doubled to 155,000 trees over 1,000 acres (4 km²). Later McLaren scoured the world through his correspondents for trees. When McLaren refused to retire at age 60, as was customary, the San Francisco city government was bombarded with letters: when he reached 70, a charter amendment was passed to exempt him from forced retirement. He lived in McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park until he died at age 90, in 1943.
In 1903, a pair of Dutch-style windmills were built at the extreme western end of the park. These pumped water throughout the park. The north windmill has been restored to its original appearance and is adjacent to a flower garden, a gift of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Wilhelmina (Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Marie 31 August 1880 &ndash 28 November 1962) was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands These are planted with tulip bulbs for winter display and other flowers in appropriate seasons. Tulipa, commonly called tulip, is a Genus of about 150 species of bulbous Flowering plants in the family Liliaceae. Murphy's Windmill in the south of the park is currently being restored.
Most of the water used for landscape watering and for various water features is now provided by the use of highly processed and recycled effluent from the city's sewage treatment plant, located at the beach some miles away to the south near the San Francisco Zoo. Effluent is an outflowing of water from a natural body of water or from a man-made structure The San Francisco Zoo, housing more than 250 animal species is located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco California nestled between Lake Merced and In the 1950s the use of this effluent during cold weather caused some consternation, with the introduction of artificial detergents but before the advent of modern biodegradable products. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive These "hard" detergents would cause long-lasting billowing piles of foam to form on the creeks connecting the artificial lakes and could even be blown onto the roads, forming a traffic hazard.
Golden Gate Park is adjacent to Haight Ashbury, and it was the site of the Human Be-In of 1967, preceding the Summer of Love. Haight-Ashbury is a district of San Francisco, California, US, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets The Human Be-In was a Happening in San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park, the afternoon and evening of January 14, 1967. This article refers to the summer of 1967 For the film of a similar name please go to My Summer of Love. The tradition of large, free public gatherings in the park continues to the present, especially at Speedway Meadow. One of the largest events held annually at the park starting in 2001 has been the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (formerly the "Strictly Bluegrass Festival"), a free festival held in October. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, previously Strictly Bluegrass, or HSB for short is an annual free music festival held the first weekend of October in San Francisco's Speadway Meadow also plays host to number of large scale events such as the 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival held by Musician and Filmmaker Michael Franti with Guerrilla Management .
Major features
Japanese Tea Garden
The five acre (20,000 m²) Japanese tea garden at Golden Gate Park is an immensely popular feature.
The Music Concourse Area
The Music Concourse is an open area with three water fountains surrounded with maple trees positioned uniformly. There is also a stage on the east side. The buildings near the concourse area include The California Academy of Sciences and De Young Museum.
In 2003, the Music Concourse is also undergoing a series improvements to include an underground 800-car parking garage, narrowing of the roadways in the Music Concourse, the addition of bike lanes, and the elimination of existing surface parking.
De Young Museum
Named for M. H. de Young, the San Francisco newspaper magnate, the De Young Museum was opened January 1921. Michael Henry de Young ( September 30, 1849 - February 15, 1925) was an American Journalist and Businessman The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. The MH de Young Museum (commonly called de Young Museum) is a Fine arts Museum located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Its original building had been part of The California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, of which Mr. The California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 commonly referred to as the "Midwinter Exposition" or the "Midwinter Fair" was a World's Fair de Young was the director. The de Young has been completely rebuilt and re-opened in 2005.
Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is one of the largest natural history museums in the world, and also houses the Steinhart Aquarium and the Morrison Planetarium. The California Academy of Sciences is one of the ten largest Museums of natural history in the world and one of the oldest in the United States consisting of a coral The Academy of Sciences carries exhibits of reptiles and amphibians, astronomy, prehistoric life, various gems and minerals, earthquakes, and aquatic life.
In September 12, 2005, Academy of Sciences started a complete reconstruction, with completion scheduled for 2008; until then it is temporarily located downtown in the SoMa area. "SoMa" redirects here For the SoMa in Vancouver see South Main.
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum
The San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum was laid out in the 1890s, but funding was insufficient until Helene Strybing willed funds in 1926. The San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly Strybing Arboretum is a large Botanical garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the " Mauve Decade" because William Henry Perkin 's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that Planting was begun in 1937 with WPA funds supplemented by local donations. This 55 acre (222,500 m²) arboretum contains more than 7,500 plant species. An arboretum is a collection of trees Related collections include a fruticetum (from the Latin frutex, meaning shrub and a viticetum a collection of vines The arboretum also houses the Helen Crocker Russell Library; northern California's largest horticultural library.
AIDS Memorial Grove
The AIDS Memorial Grove has been in progress since 1988 and is still the only national AIDS memorial in the U.S.. The AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco California, is The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Grove's executive director, Thom Weyand, has said that "part of the beauty of the grove is that as a memorial which receives no federal money, it is blessedly removed from the fight over the controversy of AIDS. "
Stow Lake
Stow Lake surrounds the prominent Strawberry Hill, now an island with an electrically pumped waterfall. Crepuscular rays, in atmospheric Optics, also known as sun rays, cloud breaks, sunburst, God's rays, Fingers of God A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock Rowboats, pedalboats, and electrically powered boats can be rented at the boathouse. Much of the western portion of San Francisco can be seen from the top of this hill, which at its top contains one of the reservoirs that supply a network of high-pressure water mains that exclusively supply specialized fire hydrants throughout the city.
Spreckels Lake
Spreckels Lake is located on the northern side of the park near 36th Avenue. As the home waters of the San Francisco Model Yacht Club, one can usually find model yachts sailing on Spreckels Lake. This article is concerned with model vessels that are operated either though programatic means or by remote control Many of these are of the 'free-sail' type used before the advent of the modern radio controlled model. A radio-controlled model (or RC model is a model that is steerable with the use of Radio control. The yachts are set up by their owners, and most include either an auxiliary wind vane or main sheet linkage to control the rudder in response to varying wind conditions. The yachts are then released, and pole handlers will walk down each side of the lake with a padded pole to prevent the yachts from colliding with the lake edge. The lake has been specifically designed for this type of operation, as it has a vertical edging (allowing the yachts to closely approach the shore) and a paved walkway around the entire edge. At one location near a grassy area, "duckling ramps" allow young wildlife to leave the pond safely.
Conservatory of Flowers
The Conservatory of Flowers is one of the world's largest conservatories built of traditional wood and glass panes. The Conservatory of Flowers is a large botanical Greenhouse in San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park, constructed in 1878 It was prefabricated for local entrepreneur James Lick for his Santa Clara, California, estate but was still in its crates when he died in 1876. James Lick ( August 25, 1796 &ndash October 1, 1876) was an American carpenter Piano builder land baron and patron Santa Clara California (ˌsæntəˈklærə founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852 is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U A group of San Franciscans bought it and offered it to the city, and it was erected in Golden Gate Park and opened to the public in 1879. In 1883, a boiler exploded and the main dome caught fire. A restoration was undertaken by Southern Pacific magnate Charles Crocker. Charles Crocker ( September 16 1822 &ndash August 14 1888) was an American Railroad executive. It survived the earthquake of 1906 only to suffer another fire in 1918. In 1933 it was declared unsound and closed to the public, only to be reopened in 1946. In 1995, after a severe storm with 100 mph (160 km/h) winds damaged the structure, shattering 40% of the glass, the conservatory had to be closed again. It was cautiously dissected for repairs and finally reopened in September 2003.
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium, the one-time home San Francisco 49ers of the AAFC and NFL and the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League prior to each team moving to its current home venue, was built between 1922 and 1925 in the southeast corner of the park. } Kezar Stadium is a Stadium located in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco California. The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team The All-America Football Conference (AAFC was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL from 1946 The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 The old 59,000-seat stadium was demolished in 1989 and replaced with a modern 9,044-seat stadium. The Stadium was recently home to the Major League Lacrosse's San Francisco Dragons and the United Soccer League's California Victory. The San Francisco Dragons is a Lacrosse team based in San Jose California. The California Victory was a USL First Division professional soccer team based in San Francisco California. The original stadium was featured in the film Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood. Dirty Harry is a 1971 Crime film produced and directed by Don Siegel.
John F. Kennedy Drive
John F. Kennedy Memorial Drive was the new name for North Drive, winding from the East end of the park to the Great Highway after the Kennedy Assassination. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of The Great Highway is a Road in San Francisco that forms the city's western edge along the Pacific coast The assassination of John F Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday November 22 1963 in Dallas Texas The portion east of the 19th Avenue park crossing is closed to motor traffic on Sundays and holidays, providing a popular oasis for pedestrians, bicyclists, and skaters. In 1983 the other major transverse road, South Drive, was renamed as Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader
Minor Features
There are also a number of more naturalistically landscaped lakes throughout the park, several linked together into chains, with pumped water creating flowing creeks.
A notable bronze statue of Don Quixote and his companion, Sancho Panza may be found in one of the many walks in the park. es '''''Don Quixote''''' (, see spelling and pronunciation below fully titled es '''''El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha''''' ("The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Sancho Panza is a Fictional character in the novel Don Quixote written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in
A paddock corrals a small herd of bison, captive in the Park since 1892. The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo. [2]
Many statues of famous people are located throughout the park, including Francis Scott Key, Robert Emmet, Robert Burns, Goethe and Schiller (sharing a single pedestal), Cervantes, and Thomas Starr King. Francis Scott Key ( August 1, 1779 &ndash January 11, 1843) was an American Lawyer, author and amateur Robert Emmet, Roibéard Eiméid ( 4 March 1778 &ndash 20 September 1803) was an Irish nationalist rebel leader Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( in modern Spanish; September 29, 1547 &ndash April 22, 1616) was a Spanish Novelist Thomas Starr King ( December 17 1824 &ndash March 4 1864) was an American Unitarian minister influential in California At the Horseshoe Pits there is a concrete bas-relief of "The Horseshoe Pitcher" by "Vet" Anderson, a member of the Horseshoe Club.
Also, the "Janis Joplin Tree" is a favorite site for many tourists and locals. Located on the edge of hippie hill, is it said to have just enough room in its branches for a girl and her guitar.
Chronic Homeless Controversy
The chronic homeless population living in Golden Gate Park has often resulted in police "sweeps" aimed at clearing homeless encampments from the park. Some visitors and nearby residents argue that such encampments bring unsafe and unsanitary conditions, e. g. areas strewn with used needles and syringes, garbage, and human excrement. [1] Critics of the crackdown on homeless encampments in the park argue that the situation has not worsened in recent years, and that campaigns against homeless people have often been undertaken by mayors of the city for symbolic, political reasons. [2]. In 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union brought a lawsuit against the city government on behalf of ten homeless people alleging property violations by the City during sweeps in Golden Gate Park the year before. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses [3].
Golden Gate Park in Film
San Francisco has a long, storied history of being featured in film, but possibly because of its relative seclusion from downtown areas and limited vistas of major landmarks, Golden Gate Park has rarely enjoyed the cinematic spotlight, though Charlie Chaplin filmed scenes for at least two movies there (A Jitney Elopement and In the Park, both from 1915). A Jitney Elopement was Charlie Chaplin 's fifth film for Essanay Films. In the Park was Charlie Chaplin 's fourth film released in 1915 by Essanay Films. [3] The cloaked Klingon ship in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home lands in the park, but the filming was done elsewhere. Star Trek IV The Voyage Home ( Paramount Pictures, 1986) is the fourth feature Film based on the Star Trek Science fiction
Democratic Presidential candidate Mike Gravel shot an interpretive campaign advertisement at Spreckels Lake [4]. Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from
See also
Notes
- ^ Not a place to call home anymore / Major push in place to clean 'crown jewel'
- ^ San Francisco Bay Guardian
- ^ [1]. The Panhandle is a Park in San Francisco, California that forms a Panhandle with Golden Gate Park. The Conservatory of Flowers is a large botanical Greenhouse in San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park, constructed in 1878
External links
- Golden Gate Park Official Site
- America's Most Visited Parks
- Park History with maps from San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
- Park Map
- Google map including satellite image ca. early 2004
- Friends of the Music Concourse - local preservation and advocacy group
- Another capsule biography of Hall
- Park history from San Francisco Historical Society
- Article regarding Golden Gate Park Playground
- Photos of Golden Gate Park - Terra Galleria
- JB Monaco Golden Gate Park Photo Gallery
- Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority redevelopment program
- Brief vita of John McLaren, the park superintendent
- Golden Gate Park Visitor Guide
- Golden Gate Park is at coordinates Coordinates:
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