Muni to Golden Gate Park 

The #44-O'Shaughnessy bus stops across from the Academy at the Music Concourse on Tea Garden Drive (southbound) and in front of the Academy on Music Concourse Drive (northbound).

The #5-Fulton and #21-Hayes stop at 8th and Fulton Streets, just outside the park. From 8th Avenue, go into the park and turn right on John F. Kennedy Drive. Then turn left onto Music Concourse Drive.

The N-Judah Muni Metro streetcar, which is wheelchair-accessible, stops at 9th Avenue and Irving Street. To reach the Academy, travel north on 9th Avenue into Golden Gate Park.  9th Avenue becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Keep going on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. until you reach Music Concourse Drive, then turn right and continue to the Academy entrance.

From City Hall/Civic Center

You have three options:

• Take the N-Judah from Muni Metro station at Van Ness Avenue and Market Street.
• Take the Muni #5-Fulton bus at McAllister and Polk Streets, or
• Take the Muni #21-Hayes bus at Hayes and Larkin Streets.

From Ferry Building

Take the N-Judah from the Embarcadero Muni Metro station at Market and Main Streets.

From Fisherman's Wharf

Take the Muni F trolley to Market Street. Transfer to the N-Judah at Embarcadero Station.

From Union Square/Downtown

Take the N-Judah from the underground Muni Metro station at Powell and Market Streets.

From CalTrain Depot

Take the N-Judah from 4th and King station.

From BART

Transfer from any downtown BART station (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, or Civic Center) to the Muni N-Judah OR transfer from Glen Park station to Muni bus #44-O'Shaughnessy.

Market Street Alternative Route

If you prefer not to take the N-Judah streetcar from Market Street, you can take the #21-Hayes bus.

From the North Bay/Golden Gate Bridge

From the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, take the 19th Avenue/Park Presidio Boulevard exit and go through the tunnel to Park Presidio Boulevard. Go two miles 7 blocks to Cabrillo Street. Turn right on Cabrillo, then right again on 14th Avenue. Proceed one block north to Balboa Street and turn right. Cross Park Presidio Boulevard turn right onto to 8th Avenue and continue on 8th into Golden Gate Park.  Once in the park make a right turn and then an immediate left  the Academy will be to your left. For surface access to the Academy, turn right on 8th Avenue across Fulton Street to JFK Drive. For direct access to the Concourse Parking Facility, from Balboa turn right on 10th Avenue and continue on 10th into the parking garage then left on 10th Avenue. 

From the South Bay/I-280 North

At Daly City, take Route 1 North toward 19th Avenue/Golden Gate Bridge. Just past the entrance to Golden Gate Park, turn right onto Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard.  At the 2nd stop sign Turn left onto Music Concourse Drive.

From the East Bay/I-80 West

Weekdays: Continue on I-80 through San Francisco for about one mile, then bear right, following signs for Golden Gate Bridge/US101 North. Follow signs for Octavia Street and Fell Street. The freeway ends at Market Street. Cross Market Street and go four blocks, then make a left turn to Fell Street. Go 1.5 miles on Fell Street. For access to the Music Concourse Parking Facility, just beyond Shrader Street bear right and turn right to Stanyan Street. Go two blocks and make a left turn to Fulton Street. Take Fulton to 10th Avenue and turn left into the parking facility. For surface access to the Academy, continue on Fell Street and just after Shrader Street, bear left to Kezar Drive. Bear right to JFK Drive.

Alternate Route Weekends

Take the Fremont Street exit from the Bay Bridge and turn left to Fremont Street. Go 0.3 miles and turn left to Pine Street. Take Pine Street for 2.7 miles past Presidio Avenue and bear left to Masonic Avenue. Follow Masonic Avenue for 0.8 miles and turn right to Fulton Street. Follow Fulton for 1.3 miles to 8th Avenue to the Academy or to 10th Avenue for direct access to the Concourse parking Structure.

Please note that John F. Kennedy Drive is closed on Sundays from Transverse Drive to McLaren Lodge. Tea Garden Drive remains open for pick-up and drop-off, accessible via Concourse Drive from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The Concourse Parking Facility is open seven days a week. 

Parking

Street parking is located throughout Golden Gate Park and the neighboring areas. If coming from the north, the Concourse Parking Facility is located on Fulton Street and 10th Avenue.  From the south, enter the park from 9th Avenue and Lincoln Street then take a right on Music Concourse Drive to enter the garage. Please note that on weekends and holidays, the garage often fills to capacity early in the day. Public transportation is highly encouraged during these times.

Accessible parking is available in the Music Concourse Parking Facility.  There are 15 wheelchair accessible spots near the elevator.  The front entrance to the museum can be accessed from the garage by elevator.

Alternative Parking

A real-time capacity report of the parking garage is available on your mobile phone to further facilitate your parking experience. Visit m.calacademy.org to find out whether the Academy's parking garage has additional capacity or is currently full.

Millberry Union Public Garage
Weekends Only
500 Parnassus
San Francisco, CA 94122
Rates: $3.00 per hour
Distance from the Academy: 1.1 miles
Nearby Public Transportation: N-Judah Streetcar
http://www.parking.ucsf.edu/transportation/parking/public/parnassus/ »

Kezar Stadium Parking Lot
755 Stanyan St
San Francisco, CA 94117
Rates: $2.50 hour
Distance from the Academy: 1.2 miles
Nearby Public Transportation: 71 Noriega Bus

Street Parking
(Note: Although street parking is free of charge, many of the spaces are limited to 3-4 hours.)
Martin Luther King drive
Middle Drive East
John F. Kennedy Drive

Safety Advisory

A message from SFPD Richmond District Police Captain Richard Corriea

Automobile break-ins continue to be a problem for visitors to Golden Gate Park. Police officers patrol regularly in an effort to prevent crime and apprehend offenders; however, we need your help. In nearly every break-in there were items of value left visible in the passenger area of the victim’s car. Criminals target cars that contain items that have a potential for profit. If your car’s passenger compartment is empty, the odds are that the thief will go elsewhere. So, please don’t leave anything inside the passenger compartment of your car when it is unattended. This includes CDs, coins and even empty paper bags.

Items most often reported taken include: GPS devices, lap-top computers, brief cases, luggage, purses, coins, cigarettes and empty packages of all types.

The San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco SAFE want to help reduce the chance of vehicle break-ins and vehicle theft.

Here are some tips to minimize the chance of being targeted:

• Don’t leave ANY personal or valuable items inside a vehicle.
• Lock all valuables inside the trunk before arriving at your destination. If your vehicle has a passenger compartment trunk release, items in your trunk are at risk.
• Doors should be locked and windows rolled up.
• Use anti-theft devices like "The Club" or an alarm system.
• Removable stereo systems should never be left in a vehicle.
• GPS mapping devices – dash or windshield mounted – should never be left in a vehicle.
• Report break-ins and thefts to the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-0123, at any district police station, or online at www.sfgov.org/police.
• Call the police if you see someone tampering with a vehicle.

To report a crime in progress call 9-1-1.

Bike Racks

Bike racks are located on Music Concourse Drive to the left and right of the drop-off areas outside the Academy and also on Middle Drive East to the right and left of the bridge.

Download San Francisco Bike Map »

In order to provide better access to our guests visiting us in Golden Gate Park, the Academy has partnered with the de Young Museum and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to provide the following shuttle services:

Golden Gate Park Shuttle

On Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays there is shuttle service throughout Golden Gate Park. Stopping at many convenient locations, this service allows you to access free parking at Ocean Beach and transportation to not only the Academy, but many other attractions throughout the park. The shuttle is $2/person for an all-day, round trip pass. Exact change is required. Children under 3 and those with ADA needs ride for free. The shuttle runs between 9 am and 6 pm every 15-20 minutes.

Click here to download route map and shuttle details »

Downtown to Golden Gate Park Shuttle

This summer, roundtrip shuttle service is available on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and on Labor Day (Monday, September 7th), from various locations in downtown San Francisco to the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park, just outside of the Academy. The shuttle is $2/person for an all-day, round trip pass. Exact change is required. Children under 3 and those with ADA needs ride for free. The shuttle runs between 9 am and 6 pm every 30 minutes.

Click here to download shuttle schedule and pick-up details »

Please note, the $2.00 fare to these shuttles cannot apply to a transportation rebate at the California Academy of Sciences or the de Young Museum.