10 Best Sights in San Francisco, California

With its native plant–covered living roof, retractable ceiling, three-story rain forest, gigantic planetarium, living coral reef, and frolicking penguins, the California Academy of Sciences is one of the city's most spectacular treasures. Dramatically designed by Renzo Piano, it's an eco-friendly, energy-efficient adventure in biodiversity and green architecture. Moving away from a restrictive role as a museum that cataloged natural history, the academy these days is all about sustainability and the future, but the locally beloved dioramas in African Hall remain.

It's best to look at the academy's floor plan to design your visit before you arrive. Here's the quick version: head left from the entrance to the wooden walkway over otherworldly rays in the Philippine Coral Reef, then continue to the Swamp to see Claude, the famous albino alligator. Swing through African Hall and study the penguins, take the elevator up to the living roof, then return to the main floor and get in line to explore the Rainforests of the World. You'll end up below ground in the Amazonian Flooded Rainforest, where you can explore the academy's other aquarium exhibits. The popular adults-only NightLife event, held every Thursday evening, includes after-dark access to all exhibits, as well as special programming and a full bar.

Considering the hefty price of admission, start early and take advantage of in-and-out privileges to take a break.

Whatever you do, be sure to at least drive by the Conservatory of Flowers—it's too darn pretty to miss. The gorgeous, white-framed 1878 glass structure is topped with a 14-ton glass dome. Stepping inside the giant greenhouse is like taking a quick trip to the rain forest, with its earthy smell and humid warmth. The undeniable highlight is the Aquatic Plants section, where lily pads float and carnivorous plants dine on bugs to the sounds of rushing water.

On the east side of the conservatory (to the right as you face the building), cypress, pine, and redwood trees surround the Dahlia Garden, which blooms in summer and fall. Adding to the allure are temporary special exhibits; a recurring holiday-season model-train display punctuated with mini buildings, found objects, and dwarf plants; night blooms; and a butterfly garden that returns periodically. To the west is the Rhododendron Dell, which contains 850 varieties, more than any other garden of its kind in the country. It's a favorite local Mother's Day picnic spot.

Hugging the park's western border, this 1925 Willis Polk–designed structure houses gorgeous Depression-era murals by Lucien Labaudt of familiar San Francisco scenes, while verses by local poets adorn niches here and there. Stop by the ground-floor Golden Gate Park Visitor Center to see the murals and gift shop on your way to indulge in a microbrew upstairs, ideally at sunset. The restaurant here, renovated in 2021 and with a refreshed menu that includes more seafood, is open for lunch and dinner. The ocean views are spectacular.

It seems that everyone in town has a strong opinion about the de Young museum: some adore its striking copper facade, while others just hope that the green patina of age will mellow the effect. Most maligned is the 144-foot tower, but the view from its ninth-story observation room, ringed by floor-to-ceiling windows and free to the public, is worth a trip here by itself. The building almost overshadows the de Young's respected collection of American, African, and Oceanic art. The museum also plays host to major international exhibitions; there's often an extra admission charge for these. The annual Bouquets to Art is a fanciful tribute to the museum's collection by notable Bay Area floral designers. On many Friday evenings in the fall, admission is free and the museum hosts fun events, with live music and a wine and beer bar (the café stays open late, too).

It may not pump water anymore, but this carefully restored windmill, built in 1903 to irrigate Golden Gate Park, continues to enchant visitors. The Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden here is a welcoming respite, particularly lovely during its February and March bloom. On the south side of the park at Lincoln Way and the Great Highway is the Murphy Windmill, the largest in the world when it was completed in 1908; swing by for an interesting comparison.

Founded in 1888 and impressively renovated, the country's first public children's playground has wave-shaped climbing walls, old-fashioned cement slides, and a 20-plus-foot rope-climbing structure that kids love and parents fear. Thankfully, one holdover from the park's early days is the beautiful, handcrafted 1912 Herschell-Spillman carousel. The lovely stone Sharon Building, next to the playground, offers art classes for youngsters. Bring a picnic or pick up grub nearby on 9th Avenue and you could spend the entire day here. Be aware that the playground, which has separate areas for toddlers and bigger kids, is unenclosed and sightlines can be obstructed.

This lush, serene 7-acre grove was conceived as a living memorial to the disease's victims. Coast live oaks, Monterey pines, coast redwoods, and other trees flank the grove. There are also two stone circles, one recording the names of the dead and their loved ones, the other engraved with a poem. Free self-guided tours are available to download on any mobile device.

One of the best picnic spots in a very picnic-friendly park, the 55-acre arboretum specializes in plants from areas with climates similar to that of the Bay Area. Walk the Eastern Australian garden to see tough, pokey shrubs and plants with cartoon-like names, such as the lilly-pilly tree. You don't have to go to Muir Woods to see the largest living things on earth: the botanical garden boasts a 4-acre redwood grove in the heart of the city. Kids gravitate toward the large, shallow fountain and the pond with ducks, turtles, and egrets.

As you amble through the manicured landscape, past Japanese sculptures and perfect miniature pagodas and over ponds of carp, you may feel transported to a more peaceful plane, especially after sampling a cup of meditative Japanese green tea. Or maybe the shrieks of kids clambering over the almost vertical "humpback" bridges will keep you firmly in the here and now. Either way, this garden is one of those tourist spots that's truly worth a stop (a half hour will do). And at 5 acres, it's large enough that you'll always be able to find a bit of serenity, even when the tour buses drop by. The garden is especially lovely in March and April, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Russian seniors feed the pigeons, kids watch turtles sunning themselves, and joggers circle this placid body of water, Golden Gate Park's largest lake. Early park superintendent John McLaren may have snarked that man-made Stow Lake was "a shoestring around a watermelon," but for more than a century visitors have come to walk its paths and bridges, enjoy a boat ride, and climb Strawberry Hill (the "watermelon"). Cross one of the bridges—the 19th-century stone bridge on the southwest side is lovely—and ascend the hill; keep your eyes open for the waterfall and an elaborate Chinese pavilion. Or head out on the lake in a pedal boat or rowboat.