San Francisco Recreation and Park Fee Discounts for Veterans and Service Members

Ordinance 238-21, effective January 21, 2022, added veteran rates to Article 12 of the Park Code. Section 2.10 defines a veteran as a person currently serving in the active military, naval, air or space service, or one discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable as in 38 U.S.C. 101(2). So active-duty members count, and no rating is needed. Open to every veteran and service member. Admission is free at the Japanese Tea Garden (section 12.05), the Conservatory of Flowers (section 12.34) and the San Francisco Botanical Garden (section 12.46), where the Code's non-resident adult fee is $7 at each before the Controller's yearly adjustment. San Francisco residents already enter all three free, so the veteran rate matters to visitors. A Japanese Tea Garden wedding carries no hourly rate for a veteran, only the $300 reservation fee. San Francisco residents only. Ordinance 238-21 first limited every veteran rate to residents; since Ordinance 45-22, effective April 22, 2022, the limit covers only these (section 2.10(a)): Camp Mather: 50% off cabin and tent site fees (section 12.01) and off the adult day-use fee (section 12.02). Pools: the single recreation swim, lap swim and water exercise entry fees are waived (section 12.40); passes and scrip are not. Golden Gate Park Tennis Center: 50% off the weekday and evening or weekend court rates (section 12.41); leagues and tournaments pay the full rate. Park weddings: no hourly fee at the Chain of Lakes, Fuchsia Garden, Portals of the Past, Rose Garden, Chinese Pavilion, Queen Wilhelmina Garden, Shakespeare Garden or Palace of Fine Arts Rotunda (section 12.07); the reservation fee still applies. The residency limit ends if the Controller certifies a year's funding for non-residents (section 2.10(b)); the Code still prints it, so that has not happened. Coit Tower is not included: the Board struck its veteran rate from the ordinance before passing it, and the Code has none. The Recreation and Park Department's pages do not advertise any of these rates, so bring a DD-214, VA card or military ID and ask.