A Tale of Two Parks

New York City’s Central Park and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park are two of the country’s most influential and beloved urban open spaces, boasting a combined 66 million visitors. Both have their roots in the mid-1800s, when they were created to be respites from their respective cities. In celebration of Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary, join us as we compare and contrast both marvels and then examine the role of big parks in growing cities and how they reflect emerging ideas about public space, social and racial equity, ecological functions and climate resilience. Part of the Golden Park 150th Anniversary Celebration.


The Virtual Library

Read some of our favorite books about Golden Gate Park and San Francisco, scroll through newspaper archives and see new book collections coming soon!


Top Picks

 
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San Francisco Public Library has put together a list of fantastic resources that tell the story of how Golden Gate Park came to be and what San Francisco was like 150 years ago.


Enjoy one of these fun books that celebrate parks, nature, and adventures in the great outdoors. All are available as ebooks from San Francisco Public Library.


Special Golden Gate Park 150th Books

Order your copies today!

 
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Right in time for Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary comes a picture book full of history and surprises about this beloved place. The book, written by local author Marta Lindsey, includes many of the most unique aspects of the park. Kids and grownups alike will love the gorgeous illustrations by local illustrator Michael Wertz, assistant professor at the California College of Arts. You can order a copy while also supporting a local business through Green Apple Books.

 
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Norfolk Press is pleased to announce our newest collaborative project with award-winning historian Christopher Pollock. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park will be celebrating its 150th Anniversary in 2020, and to commemorate this historic occasion we are publishing a newly designed edition of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, A Thousand and Seventeen Acres of Stories. Golden Gate Park has had many significant changes and upgrades since the initial publication was released 19 years ago. The updated design will include even more in-depth historical facts, along with new photos, maps and insights on what not to miss while visiting the park.


Celebrating 150 Years of Everybody’s Park

Click to download our souvenir brochure! It highlights exciting facts and stories about Golden Gate Park through its 150 year saga. Join us in celebrating this momentous milestone in San Francisco History.

Download now >



Historic Newspaper Collections

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Enjoy some stories we collected from the San Francisco Chronicle archives that provide a glimpse of life in Golden Gate Park throughout its history.

Read the Chronicle’s special Golden Gate Park 150th Anniversary Special Section.