Golden Gate Park to celebrate 150th anniversary

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission is expected to approve an agreement between the Recreation and Park Department and the attraction’s operator, SkyStar Wheel, LLC.  This will be the first time an observation wheel of this scale has operated in San Francisco since Golden Gate Park hosted the Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, where the Firth Wheel was a major attraction, standing at 120 feet and carrying ten people per carriage.

“This 150th celebration provides an amazing opportunity to tell the story of Golden Gate Park — its past, present and future — and share all our park has to offer,” said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

The celebration of “Everybody’s Park” is being organized by the Recreation and Park Department and the San Francisco Parks Alliance. The anniversary events will bring together more than 150 cultural institutions and community groups to pay tribute to Golden Gate Park.

The yearlong celebration will include major events and attractions, including a free park-wide community celebration on April 4 — exactly 150 years after the California Legislature created Golden Gate Park. The celebration will unite thousands of San Franciscans and visitors to experience Everybody’s Park and all it has to offer for people of all ages and interests.

The wheel is roughly as tall as the de Young Museum’s observation deck. The 12-minute ride will be $18, or $12 for seniors and children under 13. Rides will be free during the April 4 parkwide celebration.

For more information about the event, visit www.goldengatepark150.com.