Washington Square Park

What you need to know

Washington Square sits at the base of Telegraph Hill in North Beach. The grassy rectangle, bounded by Columbus, Filbert, Stockton, and Union, draws Italian residents, Chinese exercise groups, office workers, and tourists through the day.

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 at 666 Filbert, its twin white spires rising above the trees. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe posed for photographs on the church steps after their 1954 wedding, though they actually married at City Hall because DiMaggio was a divorcee and the church wouldn’t perform the ceremony.

By 7am, groups gather for tai chi on the grass. Elderly men claim benches for conversation and newspapers. Dog walkers make their rounds. The lawns fill on sunny afternoons with office workers from the Financial District, families with blankets, and people meeting before dinner at nearby restaurants. North Beach sits in one of the city’s sunnier microclimates, which keeps the park usable most of the year.

A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands at the center of the park, donated in 1879 by dentist Henry Cogswell. A separate statue honors the volunteer firefighters who protected San Francisco before the professional department was formed. Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who later funded Coit Tower on the hill above, was an honorary member of one of those volunteer companies.

Restaurants line the surrounding streets, including several long-running Italian spots. Caffe Trieste is one block east. City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum are two blocks south at Columbus and Broadway. 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 and surrounding streets in June. The Italian Heritage Parade passes through Columbus Avenue in October.