What made what was once considered an "impossible" wasteland develop into a favorite retreat for San Francisco residents? Let's walk into the mysterious Golden Gate Park, follow in the footsteps of history, and feel the many charms of this treasure land.
When Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York's Central Park, was still building Central Park, San Francisco Mayor Frank McCoppin proposed to build a green space larger than Central Park in the suburbs of San Francisco. Unfortunately, Olmsted at the time was not optimistic about the project, feeling that the area could not become a park. More than a hundred years later, however, Golden Gate Park has become a favorite recreation spot for San Franciscoians. All thanks to the conviction and unique vision of young engineer William Hammond Hall and master gardener John McLaren.
The birth of Golden Gate Park can be traced back to a commercial struggle among local politicians. Mayor McCorping was one of those who tried to turn the frontier into a lucrative urban sprawl project, settling some land disputes along the way. Although Olmsted initially dismissed the site's potential, Hal and McLaren were determined to move forward with the project. Their vision is to return the place to nature, abandoning commercial facilities and thus revealing its unique natural beauty.
Golden Gate Park's prosperity today can be described as "artificial" wildness. First, the historic Conservatory of Flowers was founded in 1879 and houses rare plants from South America, Central America and the Amazon Basin. In addition, Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, built in 1893, are family favorites.
The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is equally breathtaking. The oldest public Japanese-style garden in the United States was built in 1894 and is another highlight of Golden Gate Park. This meticulously crafted garden is home to plants, birds and fish from Japan that have thrived on a land once considered barren for more than a century.
In 1906, the Great San Francisco Earthquake forced thousands of refugees to sleep in parks. The temporary shelters erected by the U.S. military were also moved to permanent residential areas after the earthquake and are still in use today. As the city recovered, Golden Gate Park became home to many new institutions, such as the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. There are two windmills in the park, one built in 1903 and the other in 1908. In addition, there was a Dahlia Garden and Shakespeare Garden in the 2020s.
During the Great Depression, the U.S. government's Engineering Advancement Agency (WPA) made many constructions in Golden Gate Park, such as the San Francisco Botanical Garden, archery range, Anglers Lodge, and Model Yacht Club. In addition, they restored the Art Deco-style Horseshoe Pits built in 1926 and built the Beach Chalet with magnificent murals depicting the construction of Golden Gate Park.
In 1930, the Hoover Grove Giant Sequoia Grove was inaugurated to commemorate the martyrs of World War I. Today, we don't have to trek to the Marin Headlands and Muir Woods National Monument to admire the towering trees.
The function and use of Golden Gate Park has changed over time. In 1946, the beautiful Stow Lake Boathouse was inaugurated. Twenty years later, near the edge of the park in the Haight-Ashbury area, a "Summer of Love" event called Human Be-In kicked off, with thousands of young people drawn to the utopian ideal and enjoying free concerts. Today, on April 20 (admittedly, in some places you can see it almost every day), you can still smell the intoxicating atmosphere at Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, as if you had traveled back 50 years.
In Golden Gate Park, there is the most recent permanent memorial, the American AIDS Memorial Forest, built in 1991. Dedicated to the countless people who have died of AIDS, the memorial is a testament to the dark times of the '80s, when San Francisco's queer community was devastated and the city was under pressure.
However, the story of Golden Gate Park does not end there. Every year, it is constantly being revitalized. Today, Golden Gate Park is home to events such as the Bay to Breakers 12-kilometer race and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Outside Lands festivals held each October. In December, the Christmas lights attract families and visitors.