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- The Story of Haight-Ashbury: The Summer of ‘67, the Painted Ladies, and the Hippie Movement
The Story of Haight-Ashbury: The Summer of ‘67, the Painted Ladies, and the Hippie Movement
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by Barry Hirsch in San Francisco
30 Jun 2020
45min
 1mi
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About the audio tour
You’ll be amazed at how many fascinating sites, stories, and personalities intersect at San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury. We’ll begin our walk at the Golden Gate Park and end across the street from the Hippie Temptation House that was featured in a 1967 TV documentary of the same name. Along the way, San Francisco’s hippest neighborhood will come alive to you. In fact, by the end of the tour, you’ll be tempted to flash the peace sign to people passing by and put a flower in your hair.
On this tour around Haight-Ashbury, we’ll visit and chronicle the following major sites:
• Golden Gate Park, where you’ll learn about its 19th century beginnings and the contributions of gardener and landscaper extraordinaire John McLaren
• The Haight grounds, where 20,000 people watched professional baseball in the 19th century
• The stomping grounds of rock legends the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane
• A row of some of the finest Victorian houses in San Francisco, including the famous "Four Seasons"
• The home of infamous mass murderer Charles Manson
• The townhouse where legendary ballet dancer and Soviet defector Rudolf Nureyev was busted for possession of marijuana
These are just some of the highlights that you can look forward to on our tour. Your trip to San Francisco won’t be complete until you experience the groovy Haight neighborhood.
Peace and love be with you.
Major Landmarks
Among other highlights in this fascinating historical, artistic and cultural journey, you will visit the homes of, and explore the lives of, many rock legends, including The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. But the Haight has so much more to explore. We’ll learn about iconic Golden Gate Park, the rich history of baseball in Haight-Ashbury, the famous (Rudolf Nureyev), and the infamous (Hell’s Angels, Charles Manson). And, of course, what would a tour of Haight be without visiting several “Painted Ladies” (San Francisco style Victorian homes) and discussing what makes them so charming? Throw in a brief but fascinating history of Haight-Ashbury, and you’ll have an experience to tell your friends about when you go home. You may even find yourself saying words like “groovy” and “right on.”
Directions to starting point
The west corner of Haight and Stanyan, at the entrance to Golden Gate Park. Normally, there is a bike rental business here, but as of this writing, the area is under construction but it is accessible.
Tips
Places to stop along the way:
There are many fascinating retail shops and restaurants in the area.
Best time of day:
Any time during daylight hours.
Precautions:
The area is normally very busy with vehicular traffic, construction, and pedestrians. Also watch out for uneven walking surfaces.
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