past posts from the thicket
search by subject
overstory (links)
Tag Archives: golden gate park history
Golden Gate Park fly-fishing club celebrates 85th anniversary
‘Back in the 1960s, when Armando Bernasconi first walked past the three sparkling blue pools tucked away in Golden Gate Park, he thought he had found a swimming spot that just never had any swimmers. But Bernasconi soon discovered that … Continue reading
Metson Lake
Metson Lake, south-east of the Polo Field, is an out-of-the-way gem in Golden Gate Park. Built in 1908 and intended as a reservoir to hold irrigation water for the park, it opened in conjunction with the Murphy Windmill, a … Continue reading
Groovy ‘Phototaxis’ Adds Fuel To San Francisco’s Summer Of Love Celebration | HuffPost
San Franciscans have never been known to hold back from artistic expression or for being valiant crusaders of civil rights for that matter. However something truly groovy emerged this month in Golden Gate Park to honor the 50th anniversary of … Continue reading
The Rustic Bridge, Stow Lake
The “Rustic Bridge” at Stow Lake cries out “paint me,” to watercolorists like me. No other spot in Golden Gate Park evokes the English rustic tradition quite so picturesquely as this bridge. Designed by Arthur Page Brown in 1892, it … Continue reading
the apple press sculpture in golden gate park
For some reason I always assumed this sculpture was about wine. That muscled, bare-footed figure evokes for me a beautiful Greek god (Dionysus, Greek god of wine?). Even on a typical foggy day in the park, he conjures a warm day in late … Continue reading
Posted in arts, de young museum, health and safety, history, people
Tagged art in golden gate park, golden gate park, golden gate park history
7 Comments
Last weekend, on the monthly bird walk in Golden Gate Park (meets at the main gate of the Botanical Garden at 8 a.m. on the first Sunday of every month), my favorite sighting was four ravens lined up sociably on a branch … Continue reading
water in golden gate park: name that pond
A lovely pond just inside the Friend Gate in the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park is frequented by ducks and seagulls, stocked with large carp and home to turtles that particularly delight small children who were running around the verges and keeping … Continue reading
Recollections of a 50-year love affair with Golden Gate Park
I can’t resist posting this lovely recollection of Golden Gate Park written by Roselyn Rich Smith, printed in the Marin Independent Journal on June 6, 2024 (to see the original article follow the link at the end). “I have bicycled through some … Continue reading
Posted in history, people, recreation
Tagged bicycling, golden gate park, golden gate park history, urban parks
Leave a comment
pedestrian underpass in Golden Gate Park avoids cars and serves as impromtu bandshell
A pedestrian underpass beckons like an intriguing cave opposite the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, offering a vehicle-free means of traversing JFK Drive. On a sunny day, the sunlit steps on the other side are an invitation to enter and the reward … Continue reading
Posted in arts, concerts, history, infrastructure
Tagged concert in the park, golden gate park, golden gate park history, music in the park, urban parks
2 Comments
the conservatory of flowers in golden gate park
The Conservatory of Flowers is the emblem and pride of Golden Gate Park. With its elegant symmetry, white-washed glass panes and delicate wooden fretwork it commands an imposing prospect overlooking formal flowerbeds and gracious green lawns. More than anything else, the Conservatory establishes the park’s nineteenth century pedigree, … Continue reading
golden gate park: views from the thicket 