North America’s oldest wood-and-glass conservatory
The prefabricated glasshouse was bought from the estate of the San Francisco philanthropist James Lick and assembled in the park in the late 1870s. It survived fires, the 1906 earthquake and a 1995 windstorm that shattered much of its glass, then reopened in 2003 after a full restoration. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a California Historical Landmark.
The five galleries
The galleries start with the Lowland Tropics, a steamy jungle under the central dome where a towering Imperial Philodendron, a pygmy date palm from the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and ancient cycads grow among orchids and cacao pods. Highland Tropics is a cool cloud forest of high-altitude orchids; Aquatic Plants has carnivorous pitcher plants and giant water lilies; Potted Plants recalls Victorian plant collecting; and the West Gallery is a quiet room of ferns. A rotating special exhibition fills the remaining gallery. A visit takes 45 minutes to an hour.
Tickets and free days
The Conservatory is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last entry 4 p.m.) every day except Wednesday, when it closes for maintenance. San Francisco residents enter free; non-resident adults pay a modest fee, and everyone gets in free on the first Tuesday of the month. Children 4 and under and military veterans are also free. It closes for a short annual maintenance period, usually in late January.
Photosynthesis and the gardens outside
After dark, a free light show called Photosynthesis plays across the glass, starting about 30 minutes after sunset and running for roughly half an hour. Outside, the formal flower beds on the lawn and the Dahlia Garden to the east are free to wander; the dahlias peak from late summer into fall. The carousel and Hippie Hill are a short walk away.
Frequently asked questions
What day is the Conservatory of Flowers closed?
Wednesdays. It is open the other six days from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last entry at 4 p.m.
Is the Conservatory of Flowers free?
It is free for San Francisco residents, children 4 and under, and military and veterans, and free for everyone on the first Tuesday of each month.
What is Photosynthesis at the Conservatory?
A free light show projected onto the glasshouse each evening, starting about 30 minutes after sunset and lasting about half an hour.
