Sunday May 31st, the San Francisco Botanical Garden is hosting a free, open community day to celebrate its 75th anniversary.*

Events are all open to the public and are designed to showcase the extensive gardens, which first opened in 1940 on a site initially (as shown above) leveled from sand dunes by horse-drawn plows and seeded with lupines and grasses.

The Garden in 1972, via SF Botanical Garden

Sunday's events are fully listed here, and feature Aztec and Chinese dance, a bird observation walk, various focused garden tours and family events, a library used book sale, and more. Additionally, in the way of other attractions and accommodations, there will be morning yoga and meditation, a photo booth, and Off the Grid trucks offering a panoply of food and beverage, of both the adult and non-adult variety.

Strybing Arboretum opened in 1940 with funding from Helene Strybing (after whom a variety of tea tree is named) and help from John McLaren, the park superintendent for more than 50 years. The garden now covers 55 acres and includes 8,000 species of plants and trees. Initial plans for the garden, though, were underway as early as 1890.

The garden is now home to a number of species from around the world that are extinct in their native habitats.

*Admission is always free for city residents with proof of residency.