If you’ve never wandered through the glory that is Golden Gate Park’s public gardens, now’s your chance! The City’s Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to lift entrance fees to the park’s gardens for all San Francisco residents.
The Conservatory of Flowers and Japanese Tea Garden are now joining the SF Botanical Garden in allowing free entrance for all SF residents.
According to KRON4, Mayor London Breed proposed the elimination of fees for residents back in January as the “Gardens of Golden Gate Park” plan. Now that it’s been approved, the new legislation will take place sometime in late April, allowing residents to visit the gardens without having to pay the $7 fees.
“Access to our city’s vibrant public spaces and cultural institutions is more important now than ever before,” Mayor Breed said. “As our city continues to reopen, providing equitable admission to historic attractions where residents can gather safely and engage in enriching activities is critical to the development of our city.”
According to SF Chronicle, however, the waiving of fees for SF residents will in turn increase the fees for non-residents who want to visit the gardens.
“At a time when we are trying to attract non-residents back to San Francisco ... this, to me, sends the wrong message,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin said. “I feel like if we’re even gonna go down this road, this is absolutely not the time to do it.”
Mayor Breed believes otherwise, though, and the new legislation will go into effect 30 days after she signs it.
Written by Alida Newson
