Getting to Golden Gate Park

Muni, the free shuttle, bikes, and where to park

Golden Gate Park is three miles long and half a mile wide, so "getting there" really means getting to the part of the park you want. Most of the museums and gardens cluster in the eastern half, around the Music Concourse. The windmills, the Beach Chalet, and the bison are out west, closer to the ocean. Plan your route around where you're headed, not just "the park."

By Muni

More than a dozen Muni lines reach the park. A few of the most useful:

  • 44 O'Shaughnessy runs right through the park and stops on Music Concourse Drive, in front of the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young. It's the easiest way to the museums and the Japanese Tea Garden.

  • 5 Fulton and 5R Fulton Rapid run along the park's north edge on Fulton Street. Get off at 8th or 10th Avenue for the museums, or at Park Presidio for the Rose Garden.

  • N Judah streetcar stops at 9th Avenue and Irving Street, a block south of the park and about a 10-minute walk to the Music Concourse and the Botanical Garden.

  • 7 Haight/Noriega stops at Lincoln Way and 9th Avenue, near the Botanical Garden's main gate.

  • 28 19th Avenue crosses the park on Park Presidio and 19th Avenue, handy for Blue Heron Lake.

  • 7 and 33 stop at Haight and Stanyan, at the park's eastern edge near the Panhandle.

Routes and schedules change. Check SFMTA's trip planner before you go.

The free park shuttle

The free Golden Gate Park Shuttle runs every day of the year through the eastern half of the park, mostly along the car-free JFK Promenade between Haight and Stanyan and Transverse Drive. Stops include the Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young and Japanese Tea Garden, the Academy of Sciences, the Rose Garden, and the Blue Heron Lake Boathouse.

  • Weekends and holidays: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., about every 15 minutes

  • Weekdays: noon to 6 p.m., about every 25 minutes

The shuttle is especially useful if walking distances are a challenge. Several stops connect directly to Muni lines and accessible parking. Stops and the route map are on the Rec & Park shuttle page.

The car-free JFK Promenade

The eastern stretch of John F. Kennedy Drive, from Stanyan Street to Transverse Drive, is closed to cars every day. San Francisco voters made the JFK Promenade permanent in November 2022. It's now one of the best places in the city to walk, skate, bike, or push a stroller, and it runs past the Conservatory of Flowers, the Dahlia Dell, the Skatin' Place, the Music Concourse, and the Rose Garden.

If you're driving, this means you can't cross the eastern park on JFK. Use Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on the south side instead. Other roads close for concerts, races, and festivals; Rec & Park keeps a road closures page.

Parking

Parking near the museums fills up fast on weekends and holidays. Come early, or plan to walk a bit.

  • Music Concourse Garage: underground, beneath the Music Concourse, between the de Young and the Academy. Enter from Fulton Street at 10th Avenue or from Music Concourse Drive off MLK Drive. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Rates were about $5 an hour on weekdays and $6 on weekends as of October 2026; check SFMTA's garage page for current rates.

  • Street parking: available on MLK Drive, Nancy Pelosi Drive, and Blue Heron Lake Drive, and elsewhere along park roads that are open to cars. Read the signs: time limits vary, and the city has authorized paid parking on park streets.

  • Accessible parking: the Golden Gate Bandshell lot, on MLK Drive between Music Concourse Drive and Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, has 20 free blue-zone spaces. There is also accessible parking at the Blue Heron Lake Boathouse and on Nancy Pelosi Drive.

Car break-ins are common in San Francisco. Leave nothing visible in your car, including in the trunk.

By bike

Biking is one of the best ways to see the park. The car-free JFK Promenade and the park's paved paths make an easy ride, and the full loop of the park is a little over 7 miles. Bay Wheels bike-share stations are near several park entrances, and there are bike racks along Music Concourse Drive and near most major destinations.

Restrooms

Public restrooms are scattered through the park. Two reliable ones in the busy eastern half:

  • Conservatory of Flowers: on Conservatory Drive West, beside the Conservatory.

  • Bandshell Restrooms: 78 Music Concourse Drive, by the Golden Gate Bandshell, between the de Young and the Academy of Sciences.

Others, from east to west:

  • Kezar Drive: near the Koret Children's Quarter and the carousel.

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Drive: near the south side of the Botanical Garden.

  • Blue Heron Lake Boathouse: next to the boat rentals and a free shuttle stop.

  • Polo Field: in the western half of the park, at the Polo Field.

  • Golden Gate Park Golf Course: 970 47th Avenue, near the park's west end.

  • Beach Chalet soccer fields: on JFK Drive near the west end of the park.

Hours vary, and many restrooms close in the evening. The museums, the Botanical Garden, and the Beach Chalet also have restrooms for visitors.

This page is a guide, not an official source. For current information, see the San Francisco Recreation and Parks website.

This is an independent site about Golden Gate Park. For official information about the park, see the
San Francisco Recreation and Parks website.