Lincoln Park
The Verdict
"Combine the Legion of Honor museum with a walk on the Lands End Trail for a full morning. The 18-hole golf course is public and affordable. Northwest corner of the city near the ocean. Free to enter the park itself."
What you need to know
A Park Built Over a Cemetery
Lincoln Park covers about 100 acres in the northwest corner of San Francisco, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate. It was dedicated to Abraham Lincoln in 1909. Before that, the land was the Golden Gate Cemetery, established in 1868, holding an estimated 10,000 graves including a Chinese burial ground and a potter’s field. Most graves were moved to Colma, but construction in the park occasionally still turns up human remains.
What Makes It Worth It
The park’s headliner is the Legion of Honor, a fine arts museum housed in a replica of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris. The building alone is worth seeing. The neoclassical facade overlooks the ocean with Rodin’s “The Thinker” in the courtyard.
Beyond the museum, the park has an 18-hole golf course (one of the most scenic municipal courses in the country), access to the Lands End Trail, and views that stretch from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. The western terminus of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road across the United States, is marked by a plaque in the park.
The cemetery history adds depth. The golf course was literally built on graves. The Chinese burial ground’s removal in the early 1900s is a dark chapter in the city’s treatment of its Chinese community. Occasional archaeological finds remind the park of what’s underneath.
Visiting
Address: Lincoln Park, Clement Street at 34th Avenue, Outer Richmond
Hours: Park open dawn to dusk. Legion of Honor: Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 AM-5:15 PM.
Cost: Park free. Legion of Honor: $15 adults. Golf: municipal rates.
Best time to go: Clear afternoons for the ocean views. Weekday mornings for a quiet walk.
What to know: The Lands End Trail starts from the parking lot near the Legion of Honor. The coastal winds can be fierce, so bring a jacket.
Getting There
Transit: Muni 18-46th Avenue to the Legion of Honor. The 1-California ends near the Lincoln Park Steps entrance.
Parking: Free lot at the Legion of Honor. Fills up on weekends.
Walking: Connects to the Lands End Trail, Sutro Baths ruins, and the Sea Cliff neighborhood.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Richmond. Explore the neighborhood →
