Seward Street Slides

What you need to know

The Seward Street Slides are two long concrete slides built into a steep hillside in Seward Mini Park, a small public park on the border of the Castro and Noe Valley. The park opened in 1973 after a decade of neighborhood resistance to development on the lot, including a 1966 sit-in. The slides were designed by 14-year-old Kim Clark, who won a design competition organized by sculptor Ruth Asawa. Clark drew inspiration from a slide at Playland at the Beach.

What to Expect

Riders sit on a piece of flattened cardboard (a pile is usually left at the bottom of the slides) and ride down. The slides are concrete, steep, and fast. The bottom run-out is short. Without cardboard, the concrete is too rough to slide on. Clothing picks up concrete dust.

The rest of the park has a small playground, a basketball half-court, and a community garden. The upper edge of the park has views over the Castro rooftops toward downtown.

Visiting

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Mondays. The slides close in wet weather.

Cost: Free

Best time: Weekday afternoons.

Accessibility: The slides are reached only by a steep staircase. There is no step-free route.

Getting There

From the Castro Muni Metro station (K, L, M, T lines), the walk is about 10 minutes uphill via Castro and 19th to Corwin. The 33 Ashbury/18th bus stops at 18th and Castro. Street parking in the surrounding blocks is limited.