Shakespeare Garden

What you need to know

What’s There

A small walled garden in Golden Gate Park near the California Academy of Sciences, planted with species mentioned in Shakespeare’s works. Plant labels include the relevant Shakespeare passage for each species. The garden is roughly 100 feet long, walled in brick and low stone, and usually quiet.

A bronze bust of Shakespeare sits at the back behind locked metal doors. The bust was cast from a 17th-century original in Stratford-upon-Avon and donated by the mayor of Shakespeare’s hometown.

Visiting

Address: Golden Gate Park, near the California Academy of Sciences (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive)

Hours: Dawn to dusk daily. No gate.

Cost: Free

When to go: Spring and early summer for peak bloom. Weekday mornings for solitude.

What to know: The garden is unmarked from the main path. Look for the brick entrance and low stone walls near the Academy of Sciences.

Getting There

Transit: Muni N-Judah to 9th Avenue and Irving, then walk into the park. The 44-O’Shaughnessy stops near the Music Concourse.

Parking: Music Concourse garage (paid) or free street parking along Lincoln Way.

Walking: Steps from the California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum, and the Japanese Tea Garden.