San Francisco Botanical Garden, a 55-acre garden in Golden Gate Park formerly known as Strybing Arboretum, developed from plans first proposed in the 1880s by John McLaren but delayed for lack of funding until Helene Strybing’s 1927 bequest made construction possible. Planting began in 1937 with Works Progress Administration support, and it opened in May 1940. Today it contains nearly 9,000 kinds of plants, especially magnolias, palms, conifers, and cloud forest species, arranged in geographic and thematic collections. Shaped by San Francisco’s mild climate, it stands out for cultivating many plants outdoors and remains supported by a partner society founded in 1955.