Play all audios:
San Francisco packs a plethora of green and glorious parks into its compact 47 square miles. Golden Gate Park is a 1,017-acre walker’s paradise, housing the elegant Japanese Tea Garden (free
before 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday), the steamy Conservatory of Flowers, and the tranquil and flower-filled Shakespeare Garden. The delightful diversity of San Francisco is on
full display at Mission Dolores Park, where all ages and ethnicities gather to spread blankets on the grass, throw Frisbees in the air, and sigh at the sight of the heart-plucking skyline.
Hundreds of walking tours are available, from history to food to architecture. Food lovers salivate over Foodie Adventures’ 3.5-hour tours of the Mission, North Beach and Chinatown. Wild SF
Walking Tours feature Haunted SF, Radical SF and Free Love (Haight-Ashbury) tours as well as a pay-what-you-want Free SF Tour. On the Level San Francisco Walking Tours specializes in
excursions for older adults and mobility-impaired travelers. WAYS TO SAVE: Check out the more than 80 free walking tours offered by San Francisco City Guides. Ranging from “Alfred
Hitchcock’s San Francisco” to “West Side Whimsy Walks,” they are led by local volunteers who share their passion for the city’s history, legends and lore. Fourteen tours are especially
recommended for wheelchair users. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Maybe it’s the dramatic setting on the edge of the continent, or maybe it’s the intoxicating allure of instant wealth — from the 1849
gold miners to the 2018 tech disrupters — but for whatever reason, San Francisco has long embraced drama. The city’s first theater, the California Theatre, opened in 1869. San Francisco
today hosts a cornucopia of live performances: traditional to avant-garde theater and dance, opera, music from classical to jazz to rock to hip-hop, lectures, improv, stand-up and more. The
historic Club Fugazi is now the place where death-defying acrobatics meet awe-inspiring choreography on stage. Other notable venues for both classical and contemporary theater include the
Orpheum, Curran and A.C.T. Geary Theatre, the San Francisco Playhouse (ADA compliant) and Magic Theater. Opera and ballet reign at the majestic War Memorial Opera House, and symphony takes
center stage at elegant Davies Symphony Hall. Both are wheelchair accessible and provide assisted listening devices. San Francisco is also home to many diverse music venues, such as the
SFJAZZ Center, the first performing arts center in the country completely dedicated to jazz. Among many other unique spots: Cafe du Nord, in the basement of the Swedish American Hall, is an
iconic speakeasy with a full calendar of diverse musicians. WAYS TO SAVE: Theatre Bay Area, a nonprofit arts service organization, sells half-price tickets from a booth in Union Square.
Many theater box offices also sell discounted rush tickets on performance day. If you’re visiting in summer, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival presents free outdoor performances in city
parks; the festival staff reserves space for wheelchairs. SF Ballet offers $32 rush tickets for adults 65 and older from the Opera House Box Office up until one hour prior to curtain or by
calling. Finally, with some advance planning, you may be able to volunteer to usher at the opera, symphony or ballet, and view the performance for free.