Washington Square Park

What you need to know

Washington Square sits at the base of Telegraph Hill in North Beach, a grassy rectangle bounded by Columbus, Filbert, Stockton, and Union.

What to Expect

The park was laid out in 1847, one of the oldest public spaces in San Francisco. Saints Peter and Paul Church stands on the north side, its twin white spires above the trees; Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe posed on the steps after their 1954 wedding, though they married at City Hall. By 7am groups gather for tai chi, and the lawns fill on sunny afternoons (North Beach is one of the city’s sunnier microclimates). A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands at the center, donated in 1879. Restaurants line the surrounding streets; Caffe Trieste is one block east, and Liguria Bakery on the northeast corner sells focaccia by the slab until it sells out, usually by early afternoon. The North Beach Festival takes over the park in June.

Getting There

City Lights and the Beat Museum are two blocks south at Columbus and Broadway. The 30 Stockton and 8 serve North Beach, and the Powell-Mason cable car stops a few blocks away.