Did you know there are not one, but two historic windmills in Golden Gate Park? It’s easy to miss them with all the other sites found here. These historic windmills in Northern California were once in ruin until the city of San Francisco restored them. Now, they’re a must-see site in the park!
Located inside Golden Gate Park you’ll find two windmills– the Dutch Windmill and the Murphy Windmill.
Both windmills are located on the western side of Golden Gate Park. The Dutch Windmill is at the northern end and was built in 1903. The Murphy Windmill, located just a 10-minute walk south of the Dutch Windmill, was built in 1908.
The Dutch Windmill is the most well-known of the two. It’s surrounded by a tulip garden named after the Dutch queen, Wilhelmina.
Next to Murphy Windmill, you’ll find the Millwright Cottage, built in 1903 and restored in 2010. The windmill caretaker lived here while the windmills were in operation.
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When Golden Gate Park was planted on sand dunes in the last quarter of the 19th century, the Park Commission realized that the park would require a substantial amount of water. Rather than pay the local water company, these two windmills were built to pump groundwater for park irrigation.
The Dutch Windmill and Murphy Windmill pumped thousands of gallons of water into the park. However, electric water parks were soon implemented in 1913 and both windmills were no longer needed.
In the 1960s the San Francisco Citizens Commission of the Restoration of the Golden Gate Park Windmills was formed and they began to plan to restore the windmills. The Dutch Windmill was restored in 1981, and the Murphy Windmill restoration was completed in 2012.
Both windmills are on the San Francisco Designated Landmarks list. This list gives the city authority to protect landmarks from “inappropriate alterations”.
In late April, the Dutch community in San Francisco celebrates King’s Day at the Murphy Windmill. King’s Day celebrates the birth of the Dutch king, Willem Alexander van Oranje.
There is a lot to explore within Golden Gate Park’s more than 1,000 acres.
Plan a day to stroll through the park. If you don’t want to walk a long way, park at the Great Highway Parking Lot in front of Ocean Beach. From there it’s a short walk to the windmills.
There’s always something new to explore in Northern California! If you’re interested in San Francisco’s historic renovation projects, check out the San Francisco Public Works’ website of buildings currently undergoing restoration.
Have you visited both of these windmills in Northern California? Share your photos with us!
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