Every year we eagerly await the return of the beautiful cherry blossoms, and they are indeed starting to bloom now at Golden Gate Park’s famous Japanese Tea Garden, which is the oldest public Japanese garden in the US. Be sure to visit soon and catch these beautiful flowers through the beginning of April.
General admission is $14, and SF residents with ID can enter the garden for free. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, youth, and children. The garden also participates in Museums for All, meaning that free general admission is available for those receiving food assistance who present a valid EBT card upon entry.
The famous garden is one of Golden Gate Park’s most iconic destinations, and for good reason. The tea house, or ochaya, dates back to 1894, making it the oldest ochaya in the United States. Take a stroll through the pagodas, stepping stone paths, native Japanese plants, and more.
The Japanese Tea Garden was originally created in 1894 as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the California Midwinter International Exposition. Japanese landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara and Golden Gate Park superintendent John McLaren arranged for the garden to remain permanently, and Hagiwara maintained the space until 1942.
At that point, he and about 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly evacuated to internment camps during World War II. The Hagiwara family was not allowed to return after the war ended. Many of their treasures were removed and new additions were made to the garden in subsequent years. Read our article about the Japanese Tea Garden to learn more about its history.
