Lincoln Park

What you need to know

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 and used for burials of the indigent, unknown deceased, and victims of public health crises. About 29,000 people were buried there, including more than 4,000 Chinese residents and members of the Italian, French, Japanese, and Serbian communities. The city ordered the graves moved in 1908, but only some were relocated. An estimated 10,000 to 19,700 burials remain under the park today, and construction occasionally turns up human remains.

Legion of Honor

The Legion of Honor, a fine arts museum, opened in Lincoln Park in 1924. The building is a replica of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris. The neoclassical facade overlooks the ocean with a cast of Rodin’s “The Thinker” in the courtyard.

The Rest of the Park

The park has an 18-hole municipal golf course, access to the Lands End Trail, and views that stretch from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. A plaque marks the western terminus of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road across the United States.

Visiting

Address: Lincoln Park, Clement Street at 34th Avenue, Outer Richmond

Hours: Park open dawn to dusk. Legion of Honor: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 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.