Buena Vista Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buena Vista Park |
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The view from Buena Vista Park
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| Type | Municipal (San Francisco) |
| Location | San Francisco |
| Area | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| Created | 1867 |
| Open | All year |
Buena Vista Park is a cool park located in the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco. It's super old, actually the oldest official park in the city! It was first opened in 1867 and was called Hill Park before getting its current name, Buena Vista. The park sits on a steep hill that reaches about 575 feet high. It covers a large area of 37 acres, which is like 28 football fields! The park is surrounded by streets like Haight Street and Buena Vista Avenue.
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Exploring Buena Vista Park
This park is built on a big hill made mostly of sand and a type of rock called San Francisco chert. These rocks formed millions of years ago! The park's design uses the steep hill to its advantage. This means you can find amazing views of the city from many spots.
Awesome City Views
At the very top of the park, there's a small grassy area. But you can find even more amazing views from other spots lower down. One special spot is called "The Window." It's on the western side of the hill. From here, you can see a huge view of Golden Gate Park and the big Pacific Ocean. On a clear day, you might even see the white cliffs of Drakes Bay far to the north!
Paths and History
As you walk along the paths on the west side of the park, you might notice something interesting. The gutters along the paths were built by workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. They used broken pieces of old headstones! These headstones came from old cemeteries in San Francisco that were moved to a town called Colma, California. Sometimes, you can even see parts of the words carved into the stones.
Fun Features in the Park
In the northeast part of the park, there's a staircase with a large peace symbol. It's made out of colorful flowers! It's a cool sight to see. A bit further south, you'll find a tennis court right inside the park. It's a great spot to play some games.
Nearby Points of Interest
Buena Vista Park is surrounded by interesting places.
Famous Buildings Nearby
Across the street from the south side of the park is a building at 355 Buena Vista East. It's a very famous building that even appeared briefly in the movie Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock! It was built in 1928 as a hospital but is now apartments. This building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Underground Tunnel
Did you know that the N Judah train line runs right underneath Buena Vista Park? It goes through a tunnel called the Sunset Tunnel. It's pretty cool to think about trains passing right below your feet while you're enjoying the park!
