Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
1 day ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
2 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco Uncle John's Tree at McLaren Lodge

Uncle John's Tree at McLaren Lodge

San Francisco’s century-old Christmas Tree.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Tre
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Uncle John’s Tree   Ingrid V Taylar
Add Photos
Uncle John’s Tree   Ingrid V Taylar
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A single, massive Monterey Cypress stands in front of the McLaren Lodge, where it has stood for over 100 years. It is lovingly called “Uncle John’s Tree” in honor of the park’s most influential superintendent, John McLaren.

McLaren was an enthusiastic tree planter, responsible for the complete transformation of the landscape of Golden Gate Park from desolate dunes to an urban greenscape.

The Monterey Cypress is native to the California Central Coast and can be seen planted extensively around Golden Gate Park, including another beautiful individual specimen in the Strybing Arboretum. This particular tree dates to approximately 1880, during the reign of McLaren's predecessor, William Hammond Hall, who planted some 200,000 trees during his tenure.

The elegant Romanesque (with Arts and Crafts influences) building across the lawn from the tree, now housing Recreation and Park Department offices, was built in 1896 as McLaren's home. His portrait looks over the boardroom, visible through the windows at the north of the building.

In 1929, as part of the the Outdoor Christmas Tree Association of California, McLaren had the trees lit for the holidays along Fell St, adjacent to Golden Gate Park's Panhandle and close to McLaren Lodge, as a gift to the city's residents then enduring the scarcities of the Great Depression.

On his death bed, McLaren’s requested that the tree be lit with Christmas lights. His wish was granted and it is now the official Christmas tree of San Francisco.

Related Tags

Trees Christmas Plants

Community Contributors

Added By

Tre

Edited By

naturedude, Michelle Cassidy

  • naturedude
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

July 24, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.lightight.com/galleries/GGP/mem_images/Mem4P23.html
  • http://books.google.com/books?id=LupeGK7W1CwC&pg=PA369&lpg=PA369&dq=uncle+john%27s+christmas+tree+john+mclaren+dying&source=bl&ots=3t9LR5ddv2&sig=fEGcFGxc3RfjPF-qWAnzq20S_Sw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HfANUJX-LMW02AW4wICoAQ&ved=0CGQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=uncle%20john%27s%20christmas%20tree%20john%20mclaren%20dying&f=false
  • Christopher Pollock; “San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park - A Thousand Acres of Stories” 2001, West Winds Press
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McLaren_(horticulturist)
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_macrocarpa
  • Elizabeth May McClintock, "The Trees of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco"
  • http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/McLaren-s-tree-planted-in-S-F-history-2840349.php
Uncle John's Tree at McLaren Lodge
McLaren Lodge
501 Stanyan St
San Francisco, California, 94117
United States
37.771563, -122.454504
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Golden Gate Park Horseshoe Pitch

San Francisco, California

miles away

Alvord Lake Bridge

San Francisco, California

miles away

Janis Joplin Tree

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Golden Gate Park Horseshoe Pitch

San Francisco, California

miles away

Alvord Lake Bridge

San Francisco, California

miles away

Janis Joplin Tree

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 217
Stories 50

Related Stories and Lists

The Wonderful World of Christmas Trees

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Gubbio Christmas tree.

    Gubbio, Italy

    Mount Ingino Christmas Tree

    The world's largest "Christmas tree" is illuminated by hundreds of lights stretching 2,000 feet up the slope of Mount Ingino.

  • Chandler’s tumbleweed Christmas tree.

    Chandler, Arizona

    Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

    Every Christmas, one Arizona city makes the most of its dry climate by creating an arid desert tannenbaum.

  • Visalia, California

    Sequoia Legacy Tree

    Far out of its comfort zone, this sequoia was planted as a symbol of the connection between Visalia and its neighboring national park.

  • Tulare County, California

    Mark Twain Stump

    The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.

  • The Much Marcle Yew Tree

    Much Marcle, England

    Much Marcle Ancient Yew

    One of the oldest and most majestic living trees in Britain, thought to be over 1,500 years old.

  • Joan of Arc medallion

    Cedar Crest, New Mexico

    Sandia Medallion Trees

    Mysterious markers have been giving the public a lesson in dendrochronology for over a century.

  • The mulberry tree gushing water from its trunk.

    Dinoša, Montenegro

    Dinoša Mulberry Tree

    Water gushes from the trunk of this miraculous mulberry tree about once a year.

  • Calle Dr. Garcia Rogel street in Palmeral de Orihuela

    Orihuela, Spain

    Palmeral of Orihuela

    The second largest palm grove in Europe was planted during Moorish times and has been largely unchanged since then.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.