Golden Gate Park is bigger than New York’s Central Park, and has over one million trees, nine lakes, several fly casting pools and a lily pond within its borders. Golden Gate Park is San Francisco's largest park, covering 1,013 acres, and is about 3 miles long and 1/2-mile wide.

The park was designed by William Hammond Hall, who was hired to prepare a survey and topographic map of the Golden Gate Park site in 1870. John McLaren, having apprenticed as a landscape gardener in Scotland, spent the next fifty years improving Golden Gate Park. One of his stipulations before taking the job was, "There will be no 'Keep off the Grass" signs." By corresponding with gardeners and botanists all over the world, McLaren was able to gather plants — and particularly trees — from every land but one, Bolivia.

Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is a 55 acre portion of Golden Gate Park that is open to the public, admission free, 365 days a year. The Japanese Tea Garden has a small entrance fee.

The California Academy of Sciences, Asian Art Museum and M. H. de Young Museum are all situated around the music concourse near the middle of Golden Gate Park.