Your Event at the Gardens

San Francisco Botanical Garden offers the following rental options:

1 Hour Micro Ceremony

Ideal for elopements, intimate weddings and mini ceremonies with up to 20 people.

The 1-hour timeframe is for simple standing ceremonies only, with no set-up or deliveries required.

Ceremonies must end by 5:00pm

2 Hour Ceremony Only

Perfect for individuals or couples who want a short and simple ceremony and will be hosting a reception at another facility.

Maximum guest count is 50 (60 in Redwood Grove).

All events must end by 5pm.

The 2-hour time frame includes set-up, ceremony, and clean-up. No deliveries of any kind are permitted, and the ceremony requires minimal set-up or décor. Catering and the serving of alcohol is not permitted.

4 Hour Ceremony or Event Rental

Ideal for those who would like a seated ceremony, casual meeting, or a light cocktail-reception.

Available locations: Celebration Garden, Garden of Fragrance, Redwood Grove, Zellerbach Garden

All events must end by 5pm.

The 4-hour time frame includes set-up, ceremony, light cocktail reception if time permits, and clean-up. Delivery/pick-up service for rental equipment is permitted within rental time frame. Small pop-up tents or umbrellas only. Catering and the serving of alcohol is limited.

10 Hour Event Rental – Celebration Garden

For all after hour events, or those events that include tenting, full-service catering, multiple vendors, or event build-out required.

Maximum guest count is 400 seated, 600 standing

Rental time frame: All events must end by 10pm, including clean-up.

The 10-hour time frame includes setup and breakdown. Tenting and amplified sound requires prior approval and additional fees may apply.

Yes.

Yes, the following items are not permitted inside the Conservatory: outside flowers, cut flowers, other organic material, helium balloons, glitter, rice, confetti, bubbles. Some exceptions may be made in advance, speak to your Conservatory of Flowers contact.

No. Smoking is not allowed in any of the Gardens of Golden Gate Park.

Yes. The Conservatory has wheelchair access throughout. Please contact the Conservatory if you have guests with wheelchairs or limited mobility to arrange drop off and pick up.

The Botanical Garden has accessible pathways throughout the garden and our ADA accessible restroom is located next to the North Gate. We have a limited number of wheelchairs to lend on a first come first serve basis. The Conservatory is wheelchair accessible throughout. For more information, please view our Accessibility for Gardens Visitors Policy here.

Yes. Our pre-approved caterers are well-versed in our policies and procedures and are licensed and insured. If our pre-approved caterer cannot accommodate a dietary requirement, we will consider, and if appropriate, approve an outside vendor. An off-list catering fee may apply.

The Conservatory of Flowers provides on-site coordination to handle facility logistics related to the venue, vendor load-in, and site management, a month of coordinator is required for all events. The month of coordinator is required to stay through the entire duration of the event, including breakdown, and must be present onsite for all vendor load in and out. It is the responsibility of the renter to ensure that their coordinator is aware of this policy.

The Orchid Pavilion is our private event space, separate from the Conservatory. It is a blank canvas allowing clients to add their personal touches to their event. This space can accommodate up to 200 people standing, or 150 seated (100 with a dance floor).

The serving of food and beverages is limited in the Conservatory galleries. Seated dinners are accommodated in the Orchid Pavilion or open air on the Palm Terrace and Conservatory Lawns.

We highly recommend ride-sharing or the use of public transportation. If you would like to use a shuttle service, please let us know in advance to confirm a pick-up or drop-off location.

Please submit your event inquiry here. Once your inquiry has been submitted, our events team will reach out with additional information and to schedule a site visit.

Amplified sound is restricted.  A permit and sound monitoring by Park Patrol may be required and additional fees apply. For outdoor events, amplified sound must conclude by 10pm.

With the exception of the Celebration Garden at San Francisco Botanical Garden, we limit access into the gardens but do not guarantee complete privacy.

There is no dedicated WiFi within the Conservatory or Botanical Gardens. Depending on your phone carrier, cell service is accessible in most of the Gardens.

There is no access to electricity within the Botanical Garden. A generator is required. 

Limited street parking is available on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Nancy Pelosi Drive, and surrounding streets. The Music Concourse Parking Garage is within walking distance of the Conservatory and San Francisco Botanical Garden. For the hours and for additional information visit http://goldengateparking.com/. Valet service can be utilized with prior approval and permitting through SF Rec and Parks.

The Celebration Garden in San Francisco Botanical Garden is available for tenting. Depending on the tent and layout, up to 400 people can be seated on the main lawn. Additional setup and breakdown days may be required.

Your rental includes admission to the Garden for you, your guests and your vendors. They may enjoy the Garden during the hours that it is open to the public.

The Gardens are available for photography and filming. A permit through San Francisco Recreation and Parks is required for exterior commercial shoots, and large non-commercial shoots depending on the scope of the production. Commercial photography or filming is any photography or filming that will be used for commercial purposes, or for which the photographer or crew is being paid.

Conservatory of Flowers & Japanese Tea Garden:

For daytime interior shoots with a maximum of five people (including the photographer), a permit is not required. See General Photography Rules.

For afterhours film or photo shoots inside the Conservatory of Flowers please submit your request here for information and pricing. A rental agreement through the Gardens of Golden Gate Park is required.

To obtain a permit for the Conservatory Valley or any other areas in Golden Gate Park, please contact San Francisco Rec and Park at (415) 831-5500 or on their website.

General Photography Rules

As the Gardens are open to the general public and have narrow pathways, we have the following rules for daytime photography:

1. No tripods or free-standing equipment allowed in the Conservatory of Flowers, but allowed in the Botanical Garden and Japanese Tea Garden
2. All bags or equipment must remain on a person in your party at all times
3. No music or amplified sound
4. Bags or equipment cannot be left in pathways or on benches for any period of time
5. Shoes must be worn at all times
6. No nudity or lewd activity or behavior
7. No movement of plants or Gardens property allowed
8. No holding of crowd or prevention of other guests to roam freely
9. Doorways in the Conservatory must be kept clear with doors allowed to open in both directions, freely
10. Pathways must be kept clear at all times