Two of Golden Gate Park's best fall foliage spots change their hours as November begins. Here's what to know, according to the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, which runs both.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Where: 1199 9th Ave.
- Hours: Opens daily at 7:30 a.m. and closes one hour after last entry. Last entry is 5 p.m. through the first Saturday in November, then moves to 4 p.m. starting Sunday, Nov. 1, through January.
- Free times: Daily from 7:30 to 9 a.m., the second Tuesday of every month, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Bay Area Parent says the 55-acre garden's ginkgos turn bright gold and its dogwoods go deep purple-red in fall, and recommends the Moon Viewing Garden for Japanese maples.
Japanese Tea Garden
- Where: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive.
- Hours: Opens daily at 9 a.m. Last entry is 5:30 p.m. from March through October and moves to 4:30 p.m. from November through February.
- Free hour: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10 a.m.
Bay Area Parent calls it the oldest public Japanese garden in the country and a good place to see changing Japanese maples against the pagodas and koi ponds.
Getting there
The gardens are served by Muni's N-Judah and several bus lines, and the free Golden Gate Park Shuttle runs weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Music Concourse Garage charges $5.25 an hour on weekdays and $6.25 on weekends. Food and drink aren't allowed inside the Tea Garden, and most of its historic landscape isn't wheelchair accessible.
The nearby Conservatory of Flowers, run by the same group, is closed Wednesdays. The group is also promoting Lightscape, which runs Nov. 20 to Jan. 3.