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Matteo Alvarez, 23 months old, gets a push from his mother, Alva Alvarez, at Kidpower Park in San Francisco.

S.F.’s best parks according to Google Maps: Golden Gate Park has most ratings, but this playground is No. 1

From Golden Gate Park to Mission Dolores, San Francisco is full of great parks. Ratings from Google Maps show the No. 1 park in the city is actually a little-known playground.

By Peter Hartlaub, Nami Sumida

Weather Forecasts
Here’s the weather forecast for the Hardly Strictly festival in S.F.’s Golden Gate Park
Newsroom meteorologist Gerry Díaz explains the weather ahead this weekend across the Bay Area and for the festival By Gerry Díaz
San Francisco
Here’s why giant Doggie Diner heads are popping up along JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park
As part of an effort to lure more people to use car-free John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, three giant dog heads from the old Doggie Diner chain have parked themselves. By Michael Cabanatuan
San Francisco
S.F. voters will decide fate of car-free JFK Drive, Great Highway in November election, campaign...
Supporters of a campaign to reopen Golden Gate Park’s John F. Kennedy Drive and the Great Highway to car traffic say they’ve gathered enough signatures to qualify their measure for the November ballot. By Ricardo Cano
San Francisco
Man remains hospitalized in San Francisco after car slams into pedestrians at a bus stop near...
According to a preliminary investigation, police said a driver rear-ended a vehicle which then crashed into pedestrians at a bus stop. By Jessica Flores
Bay Area
Bay Briefing: The No. 1 park in S.F.? It’s not Golden Gate Park or Mission Dolores in this...
Plus: California’s vow to crack down on NIMBY housing delays By Gwendolyn Wu
San Francisco
The fight over car-free JFK Drive isn’t finished, and it could be coming to S.F’s November ballot
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted to keep the eastern portion of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park closed to car traffic after years of contentious debate. Now a group wants to bring the issue to the voters. By Ricardo Cano
Bay Area
San Francisco’s roller-skate zone in Golden Gate Park gets a psychedelic makeover
This week the Skatin’ Place reopened with a large-scale mural painted on the asphalt, paying homage to its history as a meeting space for skaters since the ’80s By Ryan Kost
San Francisco
Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive will stay permanently car-free after S.F. supes vote following...
San Francisco will permanently keep cars off 1.5 miles of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park after months of intense public debate. By J.D. Morris
Membership Center
Chronicle Audio Tours: Secrets of Golden Gate Park
San Francisco Chronicle journalists know the city better than anyone. Now, they want to show you around. The San Francisco Chronicle has launched a series of audio walking tours that highlight the hidden corners and little-known histories of the...
San Francisco
San Francisco’s 4/20 celebration lights up Golden Gate Park
The celebrations for 4/20, an unofficial holiday beloved by tokers everywhere, returned to Golden Gate Park this year after back-to-back cancellations forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Andres Picon
San Francisco
Car-free JFK Drive: Where do San Francisco supervisors stand on the issue?
Neither proposal has secured an obvious majority, but the mayor’s plan to keep JFK Drive car-free appears closer to getting the six votes it would need to pass. By J.D. Morris
Bay Area
S.F. supervisor seeks to let cars back on part of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park
Supervisor Connie Chan wants to allow cars on part of John F. Kennedy Drive that Mayor London Breed is trying to keep open only for pedestrians and bicyclists. By J.D. Morris
San Francisco
Mayor Breed moves to close JFK Drive to cars permanently
Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced legislation that would permanently ban cars along 1.5 miles of John F. Kennedy Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. By J.D. Morris
San Francisco
Two gems of Golden Gate Park will be free for S.F. residents — and more expensive for tourists
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved Mayor London Breed’s legislation to waive conservatory and tea garden admission fees for local residents. By J.D. Morris
San Francisco
S.F.’s JFK Drive should remain car-free permanently, a city report recommends
A highly anticipated proposal by the Recreation and Park Department calls for permanently banning cars from Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive. By Ricardo Cano
Heather Knight
Car-free JFK Drive isn’t just for the young, wealthy and fit. That’s a myth its opponents want...
Opponents of San Francisco’s car-free streets say they exclude anyone who’s not young, wealthy and fit. But columnist Heather Knight viewed a new film featuring the older folks as well as those with disabilities and low-income people who love the... By Heather Knight
Bay Area
Parents rally in S.F.’s Golden Gate Park against school masks
About 200 parents and kids were out in front of McLaren Lodge in the noonday sun during a rally that drew supporters from Berkeley, Marin County and elsewhere. By Sam Whiting
San Francisco
Car-free JFK Drive compromise and possible ballot measure pushed by S.F. supervisor
Supervisor Connie Chan wants to convene a new working group to help determine the future of JFK Drive, which has been closed to cars for almost two years. By J.D. Morris
San Francisco
How the Great Highway, JFK Drive closures changed the way people experience San Francisco
Nearly two years after they were first implemented, San Francisco’s pandemic street closures are lauded for giving people more access to open spaces, and loathed for congesting neighborhood traffic. Residents say it’s changed their lives for good,... By Ricardo Cano
San Francisco
Hundreds attend Golden Gate Park rally to promote car-free JFK Drive
Weeks before the Board of Supervisors is to decide whether to keep a 1.5-mile stretch of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park permanently closed to cars, hundreds of people attended a march to show support for the idea. By Danielle Echeverria
Bay Area
Two big attractions in Golden Gate Park might become free for San Francisco residents
Mayor London Breed on Wednesday proposed legislation to make admission to the Conservatory of Flowers and Japanese Tea Garden free for San Franciscans. By J.D. Morris
Chronicle Podcasts
Listen: Secrets of Golden Gate Park!
Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight head to Golden Gate Park to announce their new audio tour of the park, "Secrets of Golden Gate Park: gunfire, graft and a 90-year-old fish." By Total SF
San Francisco
Man found dead in Golden Gate Park
The body of a man was found in Golden Gate Park on Thursday morning. Foul play is not suspected, but the medical examiner is investigating. By Michael Cabanatuan
San Francisco
A decision on Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive is coming. Here’s what’s at stake
Car access through San Francisco’s flagship park has long been the center of divisive debate. The closure of JFK Drive during the pandemic took the debate to a new level. By Ricardo Cano
From the Archive: Our S.F.
‘Shoot the tires’: The violent early history of cars in Golden Gate Park
When the first cars arrived in Golden Gate Park in the early 1900s, they were banned by park officials. That kicked off a battle involving lobbyists, violence and fierce and eerie parallels to the 2021 car-free JFK Drive debate. By Peter Hartlaub
Chronicle Podcasts
Disabled parking, rentable bikes and more: What JFK Drive’s car-free future could look like
On the “Total SF” podcast, hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight talk about what a potential car-free JFK Drive could look like. By Total SF
Heather Knight
After epic battles, S.F. poised to make JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park car-free for good
54 years after it was first closed to cars on Sundays, there’s finally a likely resolution for the JFK Drive debate: keeping 1½ miles of it permanently car-free. By Heather Knight
Bay Area
Flower Piano comes back after 26-month absence, crowding players and listeners into Golden Gate Park
Flower Piano is back — the first public program held at the Botanical Garden since the pandemic started — and people have been flocking to hear the outdoor music performances. By Sam Whiting
Bay Area
Golden Gate Park Band returns after pandemic hiatus, delights outdoor listeners
The band’s return delighted listeners, but its season is shortened this year because of financial problems. By Sam Whiting
Heather Knight
Fight over JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park continues despite new data showing closure isn’t an...
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton says a car-free JFK Drive “looks like the 1950s South.” By Heather Knight
Local
Will Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive reopen to cars? S.F. has taken its next step to find the answer
The potential closure of a portion of JFK Drive has become a hot-button item, with advocates for its closure preaching safety, and those against it pointing out congestion and access issues. By Ricardo Cano
Heather Knight
Golden Gate Park’s main drag has been closed to cars during the pandemic. The fight over its...
Part of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park has been car-free throughout the pandemic, but some supervisors are calling it segregationist and elitist. Its biggest champion, the Godfather of Skate, says that’s a ridiculous accusation. By Heather Knight
Local Politics
Will cars return to S.F.’s Golden Gate Park? Some supes say to keep it car-free is ‘segregationist’
Two San Francisco supervisors called to reopen JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to cars to make it more accessible to their constituents of color, to the immediate dismay of some advocates who shot down their arguments. By Mallory Moench
Local
Golden Gate Park SkyStar wheel will spin for 4 more years, S.F. supes decide
The SkyStar Observation Wheel in Golden Gate Park will spin for four more years, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted by a thin margin on Tuesday. By Sam Whiting
Local
I biked with my 86-year-old dad to Golden Gate Park. Please close JFK Drive to cars forever
A bike ride through the city with an 86-year-old shows that the bicycle infrastructure is more connected than ever — and that John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park should be car-free forever. By Peter Hartlaub
Bay Area
New $27 million Golden Gate Park tennis center opens Wednesday
Included in the new facility — which replaces the old center and its aging courts that were dimly lit and often in poor repair — are a lounge, recreation room, locker room, pro shop and a mural that says “Love” in giant letters. By Steve Rubenstein
Bay Area
Low-income families get free admission to 3 Golden Gate Park gardens
Disadvantaged families can now visit three of San Francisco’s cultural jewels for free: the gardens of Golden Gate Park, a trio of unusual outdoor museums within a short walk of each other. By Jason Fagone
Heather Knight
‘One happy story’: S.F. poet spins magic with his Golden Gate Park Ferris wheel marriage proposal
In a city desperate for good news, the spinning of the SkyStar Observation Wheel in Golden Gate Park has provided it. And a poet’s top-secret marriage proposal at the very top was like icing on the wedding cake. By Heather Knight
Native Son
Don’t call Golden Gate Park a civic asset. It’s so much more than that
An 18-year-old who was born and raised in the city has a strong scientific interest in the park and how it was created. By Carl Nolte
Bay Area
Once frozen by the pandemic, Golden Gate Park Ferris wheel finally goes for a spin
With six minutes to spare, a safety inspector said it was OK at long last to start running the giant Ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park. By Steve Rubenstein

The view looking out from the Conservatory of Flowers steps toward Sutro Tower inside Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021.

Runners make their way past the Conservatory of Flowers inside Golden Gate Park.

Pedestrians and cyclists share car-free John F. Kennedy Drive inside Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

A woman walks her dog past the site of the former Sweeny Observatory atop Strawberry Hill inside Golden Gate Park.

A statue of the late John McLaren is seen nestled among greenery along John F. Kennedy Drive near 6th Avenue inside Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Parkgoers ride a paddle boat at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park.

Bob Calonico leads the Golden Gate Park Band in the San Francisco park as they return for free summer concerns after a pandemic absence.

The California Academy of Sciences complete with living roof seen from the Hamon Observation Tower at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

A guide to Golden Gate Park’s best-kept secrets, from Sutro views to a 90-year-old fish

What makes Golden Gate Park so special? The serene oasis in S.F. is filled with a century and a half of heroes, villains and drama. All will be experienced in Secrets of Golden Gate Park, a new audio tour.

By Peter Hartlaub