While the aquarium across the way is the obvious draw for families with children, this park, with its charmingly intricate pathways and jungle gym of a bridge, will appeal to all ages and is the perfect place to let the little ones toddle around a bit. John McLaren, the man who began landscaping Golden Gate Park, hired Makoto Hagiwara, a wealthy Japanese landscape designer, to further develop this garden originally created for the 1894 Midwinter Exposition. It’s a peaceful, albeit sometimes crowded, place with cherry trees, shrubs, and bonsai, crisscrossed by winding paths and high-arched bridges over pools of water. Focal points and places for contemplation include the massive bronze Buddha (cast in Japan in 1790 and donated by the Gump family), the Buddhist wooden pagoda, and the Drum Bridge, which, reflected in the water, looks as though it completes a circle. After you’ve toured the garden, take some time for tea and traditional Japanese snacks at the tearoom.