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Happy 150th Birthday to Golden Gate Park

Bulbophyllum flowers, orchid flowers, unusual flowers, Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaFlower clock and Conservatory of Flowers, palm trees, Victorian glasshouse, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaDahlia flower, pom-pom dahlia, purple and white flower, Dahlia Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

x Chiranthomontodendron lenzii, Hybrid monkey's hand tree, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaPrickly Pear cactus with lots of fruit, Opuntia, Succulent Garden, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaBromeliad in bloom, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
Happy birthday, Golden Gate Park! It’s one of the most famous parks in the world, and it’s turning 150 years old. Formerly barren sand dunes, it’s now full of plants, animals, museums, statues, hiking trails, lakes, and meadows. It’s one of our favorite destinations. (Of course, much of it is shut down because of the COVID19 pandemic, so the birthday celebrations have turned virtual.) The annual Pacific Orchid Expo and Orchids in the Park events occur at the Hall of Flowers in Strybing Arboretum, all within the park. There are orchids to be found year-round in the wondrous Conservatory of Flowers, and also in the rainforest exhibit at the esteemed California Academy of Sciences. They’re all part of 1,017 green acres (412 hectares) that stretch from the middle of San Francisco to the waves of the Pacific.

Blue Morpho Butterfly, rainforest exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaStrawberry poison dart-frog, Oophaga pumilio, bright red and blue frog, blue jeans color morph, rainforest exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaMurphy Windmill, San Francisco Designated Landmark, western edge of Golden Gate Park near the ocean, San Francisco, California

Leucospermum Scarlet Ribbon, pincushion flower, large flower, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaRed-shouldered Hawk bathing in pond, Buteo lineatus, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaTree Fern Dell, multiple tree ferns, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

There’s so much to the park than it’s only possible to list big highlights, like the de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, antique carousel, Stow Lake paddleboats, Buffalo Paddock, Rose Garden, Fuchsia Dell, Dahlia Garden, Redwood Grove, AIDS Memorial Grove, and so much more. Whether it’s poison-dart frogs or Dutch windmills, the park has them. (Don’t worry, the poison-dart frogs live indoors at the California Academy of Sciences rainforest exhibit.)

Pond surrounded by trees and other plants, red Japanese maple, Japanese stone lanterns, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaTidy Tips, Layia platyglossa, yellow and white flowers, California native species, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaAloe polyphylla, Spiral Aloe, Succulent Garden, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

Below is a list of my past posts regarding the park. This doesn’t include any of the orchid shows, and I’m sure I’ve accidentally missed some others, but there’s plenty here to enjoy a virtual tour. Also check out this fascinating article by Curbed SF with “150 things you didn’t know about Golden Gate Park for its 150th anniversary.”

Explore posts in the same categories: Botanical Gardens, In the News, Misc, Photos

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 4th, 2020 at 7:13 pm and is filed under Botanical Gardens, In the News, Misc, Photos.

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