Naga, The Sea Serpent, And Dahlia Dell: 2 Reasons To Head To Golden Gate Park This Summer

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Golden Gate Park, with its 1,000-some acres of paths, abundant trees, and cultural institutions such as the DeYoung Museum, is always a great place to visit. Two summer arrivals — an art installation and a flower bloom — only add to its appeal.

Say Hello to "Naga," located on the John F. Kennedy Drive Promenade, i.e. "The Golden Mile"

"Naga & the Captainess” is an art installation-in-progress but nevertheless deserving of an in-person stop-by during its assemblage at Rainbow Falls Pond.

The sculpture features an impressive 100-foot-long, 25-foot-tall sea serpent named Naga that initially appeared at Burning Man in 2024. Once it’s completed, it will be the largest public art installation in Golden Gate Park history, according to those involved in the project.

The finished sculpture will have 5,000 hand-forged, iridescent scales and will be illuminated, with the fun component of bubbles blowing from the serpent’s nostrils. Over 200 volunteers are helping to complete Naga by the end of July.

“We do this not because it is easy, but because it is difficult,” said Ben Davis, founder of Illuminate. “Thousands of hands and hearts have touched Naga. That sense of generosity, love, and shared purpose is what truly shines from the work.”

The San Francisco arts nonprofit Illuminate and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department joined forces to bring “Naga & the Captainess” to the park and “to life,” working with its creators, artists Cjay Roughgarden, Jacquelyn Scott and Stephanie Shipman, according to the installation team.

“We want this to be a space where people gather, linger, and dream,” said Shipman. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the city, the volunteers, and the entire park community.”

Next up will be the “Captainess” component of the installation, which consists of a 100-foot climbable shipwreck that will be positioned in front of Naga.

“The next chapter includes a sculptural shipwreck seating area and interactive treasure chests, and a watery street mural, designed to invite curiosity, connection, and imaginative play for people of all ages,” according to the installation team.

A crowdfunding page was created to raise funds to complete ”Naga & the Captainess” and ensure the all-women artistic team is paid for their efforts. As of Thursday, it’s achieved a total of $327,530 of the $400,000 goal.

More information is available here.

Take in the Dahlia Garden View at Pompei Circle, near the Conservatory of Flowers

The Dahlia Garden, also known as the Dahlia Dell, is a free public garden in Golden Gate Park that features over 700-named dahlia varieties. Peak bloom months for the dahlias are July, August and September, according to the Dahlia Society of California, whose members created the garden.

The group says that dahlias have been growing in Golden Gate Park for more than 100 years. They offer a fun, interesting dahlia-related vocabulary list, available here, that people can use as a guide when visiting the garden.