Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is an urban park located in San Francisco. The park covers an area of 4.12 km2 and has a rectangular shape, the same as Central Park in New York, but larger in area. Golden Gate Park receives 13 million visitors per year and ranks third among the most visited parks in the United States, right after Central Park and Lincoln Park. In 1967, the park hosted the famous "gathering of the tribes" of hippies, which became the prelude to the "summer of love."
The city of San Francisco, named after St. Francis of Assisi, was founded in 1776 by the Spaniards, and with the beginning of the "gold rush" in 1848, it began to grow and develop rapidly. And the completion of the railway has made the city a major business center of the region. The population has a need for an active recreation area. The land allocated for this park was an uninhabited area covered with sand dunes. Many people worked on the creation of the park, but history remembers only two names directly related to the project – Scotsman John McLaren, the head and horticultural scientist, and William H. Hall, a civil engineer. These extraordinary people managed to combine two picturesque waterfalls, more than a dozen lakes and a huge Botanical Garden with a unique selection of space and terrestrial exhibits, including relict plants, artifacts, precious stones and rare minerals into a single complex.
Currently, more than one million trees have been planted, mainly eucalyptus, pine and cypress trees. Now Golden Gate Park is the main place of recreation and entertainment for the citizens of San Francisco and offers visitors the opportunity not only to relax, but also to explore many attractions, including buildings of unusual architectural design, numerous picturesque meadows and lakes, various museums and monuments, as well as public institutions. A variety of cultural events are held all year round in the Golden Gate Park.
One of the gems of Golden Gate Park is the Conservatory of Flowers. It is home to over one and a half thousand species of plants brought here from all over the world. The five grandiose galleries feature colorful, exotic-looking seaweed, tropical strawberries and guavas, the rarest chastukhovid starfruit, arboreal bamboo, rare alpine mosses, horseradish trees, and tree ferns.
Another of the most cozy and favorite places of the park is the "Japanese Tea Garden", it is always flooded with tourists. It is a complex complex of beautiful sculptures and bridges, paths and reservoirs. A magnificent Japanese garden with streams. Here you can buy tea, cookies and really relax, contemplating the rigor and beauty of the Japanese style.
In another corner of this quaint Golden Gate Park, it's like we're in Holland, with its windmills supplying water to the park. You can play soccer or just relax on the huge lawns. The mesmerizing lakes and ponds make you want to go fishing or just take a boat ride. Rowing boats can be rented on the northwest side of Lake Stow. An artificially made waterfall flows into the lake from the hill.
The music zone is an open-air venue where musical performances are held. The central element is the "Temple of Music". The playground is decorated with statues and elaborately planted trees.
In addition, Golden Gate Park has many other interesting areas, such as the Shakespeare Garden, the Bible Garden, the Chalet Park and others. Walking through the park you will meet not only a variety of statues and architectural compositions, but also representatives of the animal world.
A magnificent playground with attractions and entertainment programs. Bike paths and roller skating grounds where the necessary equipment can be rented. In the park you can not only relax, but also practice your favorite sports on specially equipped playgrounds: golf, basketball, tennis, handball. It has many museums, beautiful green spaces, and in addition, there are aviaries with animals and romantic corners for those who want to be alone with their thoughts.
Today, Golden Gate Park is the third most visited urban park in the United States. When you admire all the beauties of the park, you just can't believe that 300 years ago, there were sand dunes here that were not habitable.
