San Francisco Botanical Garden

Nature enthusiasts will find this hidden gem an absolute delight. Despite residing in the Bay Area for a decade, I recently discovered this serene haven, and it's a vibrant sanctuary. The tranquil atmosphere here effortlessly soothes the mind. The botanical garden beautifully organizes plants by global regions, offering fascinating insights with labeled exhibits. Personally, strolling across the water bridge, observing the playful catfish below, was a highlight. They curiously followed my steps along the bridge—a unique experience. Parking is conveniently available on the street with a generous 4-hour free limit. I visited on a Tuesday, encountering manageable crowds. I recommend arriving early on busy days to avoid congestion. Overall, it's a stunning destination well worth a visit.

Beautifully kept garden. If u come before 9 you can enter for free. Loved all the exhibits, like the Jurassic garden, dessert (I think it was called succulents), and the redwood forest, which were overwhelmingly huge. There was also a very fragrant place although I couldn't figure out which plant it was, not sure it was one of the magnolia trees.I might have spent two hours walking the garden!

March 2024
And I'm back to see the magnolia in Bloom.. from the small trees in the front outside the botanical garden to the big huge tall trees inside.. it's breathtaking and mesmerizing..

December 2023
My happy place.. I love walking around the botanical garden no matter where in the world I am.

This is just pure joy and happiness ❤

And it was great to find out that before 9:00 am it's free.. got there at 8:45 am

I am excited to see the magnolia in Bloom in a few months..

The Redwood Grove was pretty awesome just walking amongst the sequoia and feeling a part of the universe..

Thank you for what you do to make this botanical garden a reality in the San Francisco Golden gate Park. I so appreciate you.

And it's free for SF residents. Just show an ID or residence proof.

TLDR: free before 9AM for everyone, free for SF residents!

We came in around 8AM and walked around for an hour and probably only saw half the park. It was a great time seeing all the beautiful flowers and you can even come during different seasons and see different flowers and plants bloom.

The layout is also fun as you can take the main path or the side dirt paths around the gardens

It is a wonderful place to visit especially in the summer. There are several species of plants, the Lake of Dwarf Conifers is a spectacle in itself, as well as a large lawn ideal for those who want to take a family walk. There is a free tour daily at 1:30 pm leaving from the Main Gate. I recommend the visit!

Beautiful botanical garden. The magnolia walk during when they are in full bloom (mid Feb) is absolutely fantastic. Park has free entry for San Francisco residents.

We went to go see the magnolias in bloom. It is beautiful to see all the natural beauty in the littlest of flowers. It’s always nice to wander around the gardens.

Stunning garden... Such a beautiful oasis in the middle of another oasis! ❤

Highly recommend commend visiting this place... And if you're a SF resident, it's free! The team has put in so much effort and time in keeping the trees and plants from all over the world in such an immaculate state! Well done. 👍🙏🙌❤.

Heavenly! This garden is so beautiful and peaceful, I absolutely loved every inch of this place. There are so many trees, flowers and animals. I fell in love with nature and it is ridiculously huge for you to roam around. It is free every day from 7:30 AM to 9 AM, every second Tuesday of the month, Thanskgiving, new year’s. 10/10

Very huge! It had beautiful flower festival going on- which happens once a year. The entry is free for SF residents. But it’s worth the visit. The queue gets long as the day passes so better to arrive early by 9-10 am

Absolutely stunning! A must visit for tourists and locals. If you’re a resident of SF it’s free entry but well worth the price to visit if you’re not. You could spend days here and not see everything this garden has to offer. I’ve gone 4x since March and April through June have been the best months in my opinion.

Gorgeous gardens, the place is absolutely massive! We went an hour and a half to closing time and didn't make it all the way through the different sections. I'd definitely come again earlier in the day and bring a blanket to sit in the grass and enjoy the scenery with some drinks and food. The flowers and plants were amazing!

I had such a wonderful ramble through the botanical garden! I was there for roughly three hours and saw nearly every inch. I was so amazed at the variety - they had sections for different parts of the world. It was such a tour! The fragrance garden was so stimulating and I loved the paths through the beds; I felt like they added so much to the immersion factor.

A very vast space and very well maintained! You have plants and trees from across the world here. They charge non-SF residents $17 (including taxes) and also have maps in English, Mandrin and Spanish which gives you general information about the area. I went at a time where they had piano concerts happening in different locations inside the garden, it was a real treat to watch!

We went around 9am, and it was empty! Perfect place for a quiet walk. Residents get in for free and there are so many different sections that I could spend the whole day there if needed!

This place is amazing, but huge. It would take several hours to see everything.

It has an entrance fee. We chose to pay for a 3 day admittance to all the gardens for 56USD for 2 adults.

There are washrooms throughout as well as paved wheelchair paths. It was a very easy walk.

This place is magical. It relaxes you just entering. Volunteering today was great!!! Can't wait for the nursery to be up and running!!! Great staff and hard workers!!!

Absolutely beautiful place to come & have a picnic (which they allow). I wish I could've visited earlier in my trip to SF but from I did see it was abosolutely breathtaking. Even tugging along a 48lb suitcase it was enjoyable & gives way for lots of photos.

no complaints, nice garden! I really enjoyed the ancient plant walk and all the shade! sooo much stuff to see, even if you don't think you're interested in plants you'll still have a good time

Super chill spot in Golden Gate park :) The garden is super big and a nice stroll. Lots of different plants and flowers. It’s very clean, green and serene! I was in town for a couple days and only got to visit both this place and the Japanese garden. Hopefully, I’ll get to check out the rest of Golden Gate park!