Exploring Nature with Kids at The San Francisco
Botanical Garden:
A Complete Parent's Guide
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The San Francisco Botanical Garden, which is located in the heart of Golden Gate Park, is a great, kid-friendly garden that is home to thousands of different types of plants from all around the world.
This local favorite tends to be a very popular destination for families that love fresh air, nature, plants, flowers, and it is especially fun for any curious child who loves discovering hidden, dirt paths, and trails. There are endless different walking paths to explore here!
What’s also great about the San Francisco Botanical Garden is that with its well-kept landscaping, meandering paths, and beautiful plant collection, this special place is provides families with a great escape from the bustling city, all without having to step foot outside the city borders.
In this blog post, we’ll first touch on the importance of exploring nature with kids. Then we’ll get information to help you plan your family trip to the garden. And finally, we’ll take a closer look at what makes the San Francisco Botanical Garden such a special place for families.
By the end of this post, you’ll be able to confidently plan your family visit to the Botanical Garden and also make the most out of your memorable time there.
Why kids need to spend time in nature
Exploring nature with kids is not only fun, but it is also really important for their health and happiness. Being in nature can do the following things for both adults and kids:
- help reduce stress
- improve mood
- helps kids focus better in school.
- teach kids to appreciate the natural world
- teach kids to care about the environment around us.
Like all parks and gardens, the San Francisco Botanical Garden gives its visitors a healthy dose of Mother Nature within the city’s border, so let dive into planning a visit to this diverse, city garden.
Plan a Trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
Before we get into all the fun details on what your family will get to experience during your trip to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, here is all the basic information you need to plan out your visit.
What hours is the San Francisco Botanical Garden open?
The garden is open daily at 7:30am
Last entry time to the garden varies depending on the season, so be sure to refer the the Botanical Garden for the most accurate information.
Is there parking at the San Francsico Botanical Garden?
There are a couple of parking options for the Botanical Gardens.
Paid parking: This underground lot is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and the entrance is located outside of the California Academy of Sciences
Free street parking: Free parking is available all throughout Golden Gate Park. The area in which the Botanical Gardens is a very popular spot, so arriving early in the day will give you the best chances of scoring a free parking space.
Where is the San Francisco Botanical Garden located?
The garden is located in the heart of Golden Gate Park, across the street from the Music Concourse.
It is within a short walking distance from other kid-friendly attractions like the Japanese Tea Garden and the California Academy of Sciences.
Botanical Garden Address:
1199 9th Ave,
San Francisco, CA 94122.
How much is admission to the Garden?
Adults: $12-$15 depending on the day
Seniors (65 and over): $7
Youth (12-17): $7
Children (5-11): $3
Children under 5: Free
Members: Free
San Francisco Residents: Free
Veterans: Free
When are free-admission days for the Garden?
Every day from 7:30 am to 9:00 am
Second Tuesday of each month
Thanksgiving Day (November)
Christmas Day (December)
New Years Day (January)
NOTE: Free admissions days tend to be some of the busiest days of the year, so be sure to arrive early and plan accordingly if you plan on going on these days.
Places to eat near the Botanical Garden:
The San Francisco Botanical Garden does not have its own cafe within its gates, but there are a couple of easily-accessible dining options nearby.
- Food trucks and carts: There are usually a small handful of food trucks and food carts in the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse, which is located right across the street from the Botanical Garden.
- Irving Street: This strip of kid-friendly restaurants and shops is a quick 5-minute walk south of the Botanical Garden and is another great option to grab a bite to eat.
Exploring the Garden with Kids
The San Francisco Botanical Garden spans across a whopping 55 acres, and is divided into several different section. Because of its size, figuring out which areas to explore first with the kids can be quite a challenge.
To help you with you planning, here are a handful suggestions for just some of the fun areas within the San Francisco Botanical Garden that tend to be most popular among visiting families with kids.
The Redwood Grove:
The Redwood Grove is a magical section of the San Francisco Botanical Garden is home to some of the tallest trees in the world – redwood trees!
It is one of the most peaceful spots in the entire garden!
Here, your kids will enjoy exploring all the little paths that lead them through a small forest of tall redwood trees. They might even see some cute squirrels hopping around or hear local birds singing from the treetops!
The Children’s Garden:
The name of this section of the Botanical Garden just speaks for itself. It’s a special part that was designed and designated specifically for kids.
It features a variety of kid-friendly things like interactive exhibits, an outdoor play space, and plenty of opportunities for them to learn and explore.
In this area, your kids can dig in the dirt, play in a pretend stream, and even walk through a small fruit orchard.
They’ll also learn about where your food comes from and how to compost food scraps, which can get the entire family motivated to move towards sustainable living.
The Moon Viewing Garden:
This section will make you feel like you’re an ocean away from San Francisco.
The Moon Viewing Garden is a very peaceful part of the Botanical Garden that’s inspired by traditional Japanese gardens.
In this area, your kiddos can walk along a winding, stone path all while being surrounded by tall bamboo and maple trees.
There is also, and a reflecting pool with a cool stone bridge that makes for a great spot for gorgeous family photos.
The Ancient Plant Garden:
This particular section of the Botanical Garden would be great for any dinosaur-loving kid.
As its name implies, this cool section of the garden features a collection of plants that have been around for a really long time. Some of them even since the time of the dinosaurs!
Some of the plants you and your family will encounter are gingko trees, cycads, and ferns, all of which have been around for many, many years!
The Garden of Fragrance:
This fun and interactive section of the garden is dedicated to the sense of smell!
In this small area of the Botanical Garden, you and your kids can explore the different scents that plants give off, like lavender, mint, and lemon.
To experience these wonderful scents, kids can either bring their curious noses directly to the plant or gently rub leaves between their fingertips and then smell the scent from their fingertips.
In this area, kids will also learn about how plants use these different scents to attract friendly pollinators and protect themselves from unwanted predators.
While it’s great to visit the Garden of Fragrance all year, the best time to visit this section is in the spring and summer when many of the plants are in bloom, thus creating a wonderfully fragrant space kids will love.
The Waterfowl Pond:
The Waterfowl Pond is probably the most iconic spot in the San Francisco Botanical Garden and is a spot you and your family will want to stop by on your visit. It’s such a lively part of the garden.
Most visitors to the garden enjoy stopping by this area to have a nice, little snack while watching the many animals that make the Waterfowl Pond their home, so feel free to do the same!
And while here, kids can sit on the bridge that crosses the pond, where they will enjoy watching the big fish swimming around in the water and the turtles sunbathing on stones.
It is also a popular spot for bird-watching! Local birds like ducks, geese, and herons visit this area to rest and eat, so be on the lookout for swimming and diving birds!
Other Things to Do with Kids at the
San Francisco Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden hosts a wide range of great family-friendly events throughout the year!
Here are just some of other fun things you can to at the Botanical Garden with your loved ones.
- Free guided tours
- Outdoor Yoga
- Free children’s storytime
- Bird Walks
- Summer Music Performances
- Art Exhibits
- Kids Arts & Craft
These activities are just a small handful of ways kids can enjoy the San Francisco Botanical Garden, so be sure to check their
events page for the latest events.
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Tips for a Successful Family Day at the
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Tips for a successful family day at the San Francisco Botanical Garden
Plan ahead:
Remember to check the Botanical Garden website for information on hours, admission fees, and special events. You can even take a look at the garden map to pick out what sections you’d like to explore first.
Dress for any weather:
San Francisco weather can often time be unpredictable, so be sure to dress in layers. Also wear comfortable shoes, since you’ll definitely be walking and exploring a lot. Finally, Don’t forget to wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and/or a sun hat, even when skies are overcast
Bring water and snacks:
The garden doesn’t have its own cafe, so it’s always a good idea to bring water and some snacks so little bellies don’t get too hungry.
Take your time:
The garden is really big and will require at least 1-2 hours to explore. Take your time, take breaks at one of the many park benches in the garden, and maybe even pack a picnic blanket to help you relax and take in the scenery.
Check the seasonal highlights:
The garden has a diverse collection variety of plants and flowers, which means that some plants are only in bloom during certain times of the year. Checking in with the garden’s website will help you take advantage of the special, seasonal highlights at the garden.
Respect the plants and the environment:
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a living plant museum, so it’s important to respect the area and all the plants. Please always stay on the paths, do not pick any of the flowers, and never, ever litter.
In Conclusion
The San Francisco Botanical Garden:
a Space for Kids to Explore Nature
All in all, the San Francisco Botanical Garden is a truly great place for families with children to explore and take in the wonders of the plant world.
Children will love exploring the numerous plant species from around the world as well as the countless walking pathways and hidden dirt walking paths.
The garden is the wonderful place for a family day out thanks to its well-kept landscaping, space for long walks, and a wide plant collection that makes for an easy escape from the bustling city.
With that said, I truly hope that this guide has inspired you and your family to visit the San Francisco Botanical Garden. It’s a fantastic place to establish life-long memories with your kids while also highlighting the importance of being outside with nature.
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