San Francisco is packed with 220 city parks and playgrounds beloved by locals, from the ancient Buena Vista Park, whose trails are lined with abandoned tombstones; to the tiny Jack Early Park, which has unbeatable views of the bay. But only the most perceptive San Francisco residents know about Cayuga Park, a sheltered neighborhood green space tucked under the I-280 Freeway at the edge of Cayuga Terrace. The 11-acre park is best known for its enormous collection of whimsical wooden sculptures and totem poles, and it’s a lovely place to spend an afternoon if you find yourself on that side of the city.
These mysterious sculptures are the work of Demetrio Braceros, who worked at Cayuga Park between 1986 and 2009. Braceros emigrated to SF from the Philippines in the ’70s, soon taking a position as a city gardener with SF Rec & Parks. When a tree fell or had to be removed, he would carve the discarded cypress pieces into fantastical works of art and display them on the park’s grounds.
“I scattered them everywhere,” Braceros told SFGATE in 2011. “I don’t even remember where I put them all.”
The SF Arts Commission once counted over 370 sculptures dotted around the park. During a $9.4M renovation in the early 2010s, SF Rec & Parks removed about a third of the works in order to clean, reseal, and reinstall them for future generations. They also commissioned the “Cayuga Portal,” a decorative steel entrance gate by Berkeley artist Eric Powell, which bears a similar style to that of the park sculptures.
Braceros’ colorful art pieces make for lovely additions to the ample trees and plants. Visitors can walk through this mysterious wonderland of hidden treasures, which are all united by Braceros’ distinct artistic style.
Don’t rush or you’ll miss dozens of eclectic works, including fanciful representations of people, animals, mystical creatures, and biblical figures. Some of the carvings bear cheerful messages of peace and unity.
Cayuga Park is an interesting site of peace, contemplation, and playfulness that contrasts bizarrely with the rush of BART trains and an interstate highway overhead. As the population of San Francisco surges through their daily commute, parkgoers wander unbeknownst through acres of leafy green trees and shrubs, merging with the landscape much like Braceros’ sculptures.
Will you visit this little pocket of magic in San Francisco?
📍 Location: 301 Naglee Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112 (Cayuga Terrace neighborhood)
🕜 Hours: Open from 6am-10pm daily