Conservatory of Flowers
A place for solitude, warmth and a whole bunch of flowers, the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco is a greenhouse located in the oldest building in Golden Gate Park. The popular facility continually ranks as one of San Francisco’s most photographed landmarks, a site you should consider visiting during your downtime in the city.
The construction of the Conservatory of Flowers almost didn’t happen. Found among the possessions of carpenter and land baron James Lick after his death in 1868, the Conservatory of Flowers was donated to Golden Gate Park in 1877.
And after a long battle with fires and damage, as well as a long stint of disrepair during the Great Depression and again in the 1990s, the building was finally restored to its original splendor and opened to the public permanently in 2003.
Today, the 60-foot white dome of Victorian gothic architecture rises above the attractive outside landscape, while the inside houses a collection true to its mission of “connecting people and plants in an exceptional place of beauty.”
This oldest glass and wood building in North America holds aquatic plants, potted florae, highland tropic and low altitude flowers, along with the largest collection of orchids in the world.
In total, $10 can show you more than 1,700 different species of plants.
Ranked as the best first date spot in San Francisco, the Conservatory of Flowers is a great place to escape the cold and fog to join solitude and tranquility. In other words, the small price you pay for entry goes a long way. You can check out their website to see what’s in bloom before you visit.
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How Do I Find the Conservatory of Flowers?
- The Conservatory of Flowers is located in the middle of Golden Gate Park. It’s on JFK Boulevard around the corner from the California Academy of Sciences.
- You can use public transportation routes 5, 7, 16ax, 18, 21, 28, 28L, 29, 31, 33, 37, 38, 43, 44, 71 and the N to reach Golden Gate Park. Once you’re inside the park, stroll to the Conservatory of Flowers along one of GGP’s many walkways.
- To reach the Conservatory of Flowers from Union Square you can ride bus 5R (the R stands for Rapid —less stops) and walk. The ride and walk should be around 45 minutes. You can also ride bus 71 to Haight Ashbury and walk to the Conservatory once your done browsing the Haight.
- Other notable attractions near the Conservatory of Flowers are the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Botanical Garden, Hippie Hill, Haight Ashbury and the rest of Golden Gate Park.
Orange Sky Co. says:
The Conservatory of Flowers was voted the number one spot for a first date. Although not the biggest building, $8 is not a large price to pay for browsing plant life from around the world. Make some time, grab a date and go check it out.
Location of the Conservatory of Flowers
