(Charles Cushman, via vintage.es)

#TBT: Fun in the SF Sun Since 1861 (Hint: There were waterslides in the Haight!)

Jul 13, 2017

It's not always sunny in San Francisco, but when it is, you can be sure we know how to enjoy it. See how locals have played outdoors since the late 1800s—and then ask yourselves, why oh why, can't we still have a waterslide in the Haight?

Woodward's Gardens(1861 to 1891) was amusement park, zoo, museum, aquarium, botanical garden, and art gallery all in one. Thousands of patrons would flock to the two-block locale bordered by Mission, Valencia, 13th and 15th Streets. Probably the most famous resident there was Monarch the Grizzly Bear, who became the model for the California state flag. (viaSan Francisco Public Library)

22 Places to Dine and Dance on New Year’s Eve in the San Francisco Bay Area

a brightly colored, two story bar with large windows onto the street

Escape to Havana (or Tokyo, or Mexico City, or Rio) at SF's First Permanent Pop-Up Bar, Long Weekend

29 Fun Things to Do This Week (12.15.25)

20 Bay Area Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve + Christmas Day

fireworks exploding over the lit up city of san francisco with golden gate bridge

22 Places to Dine and Dance on New Year’s Eve in the San Francisco Bay Area

View this profile on Instagram
7x7 (@7x7bayarea) • Instagram photos and videos

Neighborhoods

a holiday ice skating rink with a christmas tree and a large historic hotel lit up behind it

The Ultimate Christmas Staycation in Downtown San Francisco

Vibrant Chinese festival with a giant colorful deity figure and red lanterns overhead.

Chinatown’s Hungry Ghost Festival, the only one of its kind in the U.S., returns to San Francisco.

Street mural of a superhero with "Bay View Forever" text on an urban building wall.

Renaissance in Bayview-Hunters Point: Best Places to Eat and Things to Do Now in the Historic Neighborhood

From Our Partners

#TBT: Fun in the SF Sun Since 1861 (Hint: There were waterslides in the Haight!)

A multi-million-dollar renovation transforms the Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta into a dreamy escape.

22 Places to Dine and Dance on New Year’s Eve in the San Francisco Bay Area

23 Fun Things to Do This Week (12.22.25)

New bespoke hotel brand Appellation brings warm, unpretentious luxury to Healdsburg and beyond.

Fifty years ago, seven wineries put Napa Valley on the map. They'll be celebrating all year long.

9 Quaint & Quirky Western Towns to Live Out Your Hallmark Movie Fantasies

A Healthier Smile Starts Here: How the Invisalign Oral Health Scan Is Transforming Wellness in the Bay Area

Escape to Havana (or Tokyo, or Mexico City, or Rio) at SF's First Permanent Pop-Up Bar, Long Weekend

29 Fun Things to Do This Week (12.15.25)

20 Bay Area Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve + Christmas Day

22 Places to Dine and Dance on New Year’s Eve in the San Francisco Bay Area

23 Fun Things to Do This Week (12.22.25)

The Ultimate Christmas Staycation in Downtown San Francisco

Chinatown’s Hungry Ghost Festival, the only one of its kind in the U.S., returns to San Francisco.

A Healthier Smile Starts Here: How the Invisalign Oral Health Scan Is Transforming Wellness in the Bay Area

This Year’s Must-Have Holiday Drink Just Landed at Costco (and it’s a Bay Area Exclusive)

4 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with Clase Azul México in the Bay Area