Visiting Every Labyrinth in San Francisco

Yesterday I completed a side quest to walk every public labyrinth in San Francisco. It was surprisingly revelatory and joyful, and I recommend the practice for all spiritual seekers.

For those unfamiliar, the labyrinth is an ancient design element found across civilizations dating back thousands of years. Sometimes used interchangeably with the word “maze,” labyrinths can be “multicursal” (have many paths) or “unicursal” (with only one path.) Unicursal labyrinths are believed to have been used by different faiths for meditation and prayer. In the Middle Ages nearly 25% of all Christian cathedrals in Europe displayed some form of labyrinth. A more modern interest in labyrinths began in the US in the 1990s, led in part by Rev Dr Lauren Artress of Grace Cathedral in SF.

I was inspired to explore labyrinths by a spiritual discussion group I’ve been attending at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of SF. The discussion leader Rev. Laura Shennum tasked us in March with walking a labyrinth near us. A quick Google Maps search revealed that there were several in the city.

After experiencing nine of them, I’m impressed with the variety and creativity of these design forms. While I am new to labyrinth walking, I of course, have opinions. The best ones in my view are (1) beautiful to look at, (2) clearly laid out for ease of exploring, and (3) in a quiet, calm setting.

Here is my personal listing of them, from best to least best.

1. Grace Cathedral (Sanctuary)

Grace Cathedral is the grandmother of all of them, in some way. The church displays not one but two massive labyrinths. One is inside the main sanctuary right as you enter.

I love this labyrinth. It’s beautifully presented on the marble floor, based on a 13th century pattern at the Chartres Cathedral in France, and is quite massive. It took me quite a while to walk it when I was there, perhaps 25 minutes.

Being in this sacred space, slowly and intentionally walking this path took me to a very peaceful place in my heart. I was not alone in my journey, as others joined me while I was there. It was large enough to accommodate several of us easily.

2. Grace Cathedral (Plaza)

The second labyrinth at Grace Cathedral is in a small plaza just to the right of the main entrance. Walking a labyrinth outdoors in the fresh air is so pleasant. This one is exactly the same design as the interior one. Having just walked that one, I kind of wished the plaza labyrinth was a different pattern. Still, very pleasurable to walk.

3. Bernal Heights Park

There’s a lot to love about this labyrinth in Bernal Heights Park! It’s set in one of San Francisco’s best green spaces, with incredible views of the city. The design is very clever, with three interconnected spirals. And it’s very easy to get to from the street.

I’ll be returning to this one for sure.

4. Scott Street (Finger Labyrinth)

Hidden in a park near the corner of Scott Street and Waller, this site hosts two labyrinths. The best one is also easy to overlook — a finger labyrinth sculpted into a stone dias.

I love the design of this one. The tactile sensation of the smooth stone is very pleasurable and calming.

5. Scott Street (Plaza)

The larger of the two labyrinths on Scott Street is quite lovely. The inlaid, colored stones are a nice touch! Not very large, this would be perfect for a lunchtime break.

6. California Pacific Medical Center

There are probably more hospital related labyrinths in the city, but this is the only one that was listed on Google Maps. It’s at the California Pacific Medical Center at 2311 Buchanan Street.

This is another labyrinth that uses the Chartres Cathedral pattern from France. Since it’s near the entrance to the medical center, it’s a bit exposed and not very quiet. But I can see it being a calm break for staff, patients and visitors to the center.

7. McClaren Park

This was a tough one. I love the idea of a labyrinth hidden in a park, created with nearby stones and random objects in a little meadow. But its in rough shape and was pretty hard to negotiate when I was there.

With a bit of maintenance, this one would be a very pleasant place for a meditative walk.

8. Lake Street

This is one of the more hidden labyrinths in the city, which I only found because another member of my group mentioned it to us. It’s located in the small side garden alongside Saint John’s Presbyterian Church at the corner of Lake and Arguello.

While I appreciate the clever use of space, and incorporation of natural elements, it wasn’t very pleasant to walk. The tight and frequent turns made it hard for me to maintain a meditative state. And the red stone path was a rough surface to traverse.

9. Lands End

This should be number one, and would be if it still was there. Sadly, it has been demolished by inconsiderate visitors.

Still, I made the most of my visit to this site, walking an imagined labyrinth instead of a physical one. Perhaps I should organize a crew to re-create it once again.

Here’s what it looked like before.

Did I miss any that you know about? Have a favorite labyrinth to recommend? Let me know!