Japanese Tea Garden

The Japanese Tea Garden, at 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr inside Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, dating to 1894. The garden began as a display at the California Midwinter International Exposition and grew into a permanent landscape of winding paths, ponds, stone lanterns and carefully pruned trees and shrubs. Visitors cross a steeply arched drum bridge, pass a multi-tiered pagoda and walk among koi ponds, bonsai and a Zen-style rock garden. A tea house inside the grounds serves green tea and rice crackers, and a gift shop sells garden-related items. Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, usually around April, drawing the largest photography crowds of the year, while maples add color in autumn. The garden sits next to the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences along the Music Concourse, so it fits naturally into a day in the park. A visit generally takes about an hour, and the compact size means most paths can be seen in that time. The garden is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:45 PM from March to October and from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM from November to February, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Admission is about $14 (USD) for nonresident adults, rising to $16 (USD) on weekends, and San Francisco residents with ID enter free. Entry is also free for all visitors from 9:00 to 10:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, although those mornings can be busy. Weekday mornings generally avoid the heaviest tour groups, and weekends and spring blossom season are the most crowded. Muni bus 44 stops at the Music Concourse beside the garden.