Seward Street Slides

Unique and worth visiting once. Bring cardboard

Guaranteed pleaser for all young-​at-​hearts. Bring your own cardboard.

When was the last time you went exploring around your neighborhood? What a cute gem in the middle of the Castro District! My boyfriend and I decided to go for a walk. He generally knew where these slides were located, but we wandered around for awhile before finally stumbling upon the Seward Street Slides. They’re so adorable and picturesque. It was raining when we went, so the mini park was empty and the slides were closed, but nevertheless it was a joyous experience. This definitely encouraged me to get out more!

Channel you inner kid or bring a kid of your own. Either way you will have a great time here. These slides have been here for nearly 30 years, and still, even SF residents do not know of their existence. Usually there is a piece of cardboard laying around that you can just grab. But if your taking a trip up here specifically to do this I would plan ahead. You wont spend a lot of time here as there is not much else to do at the park. So after a good 10 minutes or so you will probably be ready to leave. But there is so many other things to do around that this should just be one stop on any adventure. When it has rained recently there is usually a puddle at the bottom of the slide. Be warned. Just be sure to race side by side with whom ever you are with. Enjoy!

So fun! Manned with some cardboard the hubs and I were ready to slide! Unfortunately, for some reason the slides were closed. However, the hubby and I rode the half that was open and that was fun! I can’t imagine how much more fun it would be with the whole slide open.
I googled and googled hoping to give a good tip to Unilocalers about how to find out the current status of the slides to no avail. The only way to find out would to call someone nearby to check for you which of course is nearly impossible.
Warning: watch your footstep– My hubby stepped on poop while we were there. Seriously, pick up your doggies poop please!!!

I went here with my friend during my birthday just to check out and unfortunately, the slides were closed…
Even though I didn’t get the full experience, it was interesting seeing this park in the middle of this neighborhood. The houses were beautiful. The place was quiet.
I’d love to come back here again!

Pretty cool hidden gem in San Fransisco. Parking is horrible and it’s buried in a residential area so be prepped to walk. Bring Cardboard if you can because these slides will tear up clothing (jeans included) The slides are no joke fast so be prepared.

This was the highlight of the trip for our kids. We were lucky to find some parking because parking could be pretty tricky. This is some good old fashioned fun! I have never seen concrete slides like those before. You go down on cardboard, but the kids often lost the cardboard. Your pants can get pretty beat up so don’t wear ones that you would be upset to get holes in. If you want to go fast, wear waterproof slippery workout pants. One boy was flying down the slide because of those pants. Next time we are in San Fran we will stop again. Super fun!!!

Do not be scared to revisit the child in you, because trust me when I tell you that you’ll thank yourself for it later!
Seward Slides is such a simple joy.
You grab some cardboard, you walk up the hill, sit on the cardboard, & race your friend or any little human down the concrete slide!
You probably have a better chance of beating your friend. So I’d say leave the little humans to their own races and you to your races.
Good city favorite that can have you pass off as a local.
Hurry along, Unilocalheads.

NEVER GROW UP!
It doesn’t matter how old you are– get your bottom outside and go see these slides! They are such a fun, simple reminder to hold onto your playfulness and embrace your inner-​child.
We came by on a weekend and thought we would possibly have a wait to go down the slides, but we ended up being the only people there. For a while, at least. It was perfect!
Like the children we are, we grabbed some cardboard from a nearby recycling bin, and sprinted to the top of the slides. Be careful, though! It is a steep incline and somewhat slippery.
We went down the slides time and time again, and laughed every single time. It was silly and wonderful and exactly what we needed. It wasn’t too long before some other families came by with their literal children, so we got lucky in that we were able to enjoy it by ourselves for a while.
It is sandy at the bottom, so be prepared to have sandy shoes.
Anyway, this is a hidden gem of San Francisco, and I will always recommend this to people. Oh! There are also specific hours that the slides are closed down by the city. They will close the slides by putting a bar across them at three different points: top, middle, and bottom. So there is no way to go down them after hours. Just something to keep in mind.

This place can be hard to find since its in the middle of a residential area. We came around 5:10pm on a Saturday and they were already closed! Someone puts gates up at the top, middle and bottom of the slide so you really can’t ride it all the way. We still climbed in and rode it from the middle to the bottom, but I’m sure it’s not as fun as riding it from the top.
Will come again next time I’m in SF!

Whodathunkit?! Two concrete slides tucked away in a rather random place in SF, but I loved it. Went here with my wife and two kids and we ALL had a ton of fun. We stayed for about an hour or so and hung out with the other families that were there. Everybody was nice and everybody took their turn. I’d plan for an hour if you have any young kids. BRING A CARDBOARD BOX FOR YOUR SLED. Also, no bathrooms on site.
Pro Tip: Put wax paper on the bottom if you are fancy. We were there and a kid had done this and his slide was significantly faster than everybody else’s cardboard sleds.
Also worth noting that you should be good to the neighbors, as these slides are in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Price: FREE
Hours: 6am to 10pm
Address:
30 Seward St
San Francisco, CA 94 114
Accessibility: Limited Wheelchair Access
Parking: No
Restrooms: No
From the website:
Two long, steep concrete slides are the main attraction at this hidden gem. They’re not for tiny tots, nor for the faint of heart! If you decide to slide, please remember that the park closes at sunset and adults must be accompanied by children. Bring a piece of cardboard and wear sturdy pants!
Built in 1973 on a plot slated for development, the mini-​park also has a community garden and a nice collection of native plants. The slide was designed by 14-​year-​old Kim Clark, who won a competition put on by sculptor Ruth Asawa.

Oh how I love quirky SF! These are must ride if you’re in the area. A little, hidden gem in an adorable neighborhood. Be a kid again and ride down the slide! Use or bring cardboard with you to make you go faster and protect what your wearing. That little drop down in the middle will sneak up on you– watch out! Don’t tell anyone but we did break the rule of «No adults unless accompanied by children.» And to that I say, come and get me!

The simple things in life are the best. How can two concrete slides be so fun?
As other reviewers have said, they are hard to find. We took the muni to the Castro district, put the address «30 Seward St.» into our maps app, and it got us there. Lots of walking through a neighborhood, but looking at all the houses and details in the architecture was well worth it. It was also nice to see the residents bringing home groceries and fiddling around in their garages. Definitely not on most tourists’ agendas.
Its well deserved classification as a mini-​park holds true as all there is are the two slides. And that’s all there needs to be. Amazing.

This was one of the best things we did while in San Francisco. So much fun to act like a kid again. I recommend sliding down on a smaller piece of cardboard so you don’t get stuck half way down like some of the other «children» that visited the slides. Parking can be tough, but we were lucky to pull right up and find a spot.
If you don’t have cardboard to slide down on (we didn’t) there is some there, and sometimes other visitors will have some and let you use it. The walk up is steep, but worth the thrill!

What a great find totally hidden in a residential area! When you get there, the slides don’t look like much, but when you grab a piece of cardboard (and I suggest you do) and slide down, it’s actually really fun and you remember why you went to the park as a kid all the time. Protip: grab some sand with your cardboard, carry it up the slide, pour it on the slide, sit on your cardboard and you’ll be sliding down super fast! If you’re going super fast, jump off at the end otherwise you will end up with an awkward landing. Another protip: keep your elbows and arms close to your side. The slide is really narrow and made of concrete and you could scrap some skin off (take my word on this).
Overall though, it’s really fun! Definitely worth a stop when you get a chance!

SO FUN! On a recent business trip, my coworker and I needed a little break in the day. Seward Street Slides came up in our search, so we headed over.
SOOO fun to ride down these slides — literally in the middle of a neighborhood.
Previous sliders had left cardboard, so all we had to do was pick up a cardboard box, make our way to the top and sliiiiiiiiiide down!
Was the perfect break to the day — always fun to feel like a kid again — even if it only lasts for 10 minutes. (:

The gates were closed :(
The day we were here, the gates were up so you could not make the whole run. Boo
Out of nowhere, on a residential street, there’s a little park in the trees. Before you can even see it, the sound of children laughing and screaming can be heard bouncing off the houses. Though the sign warns this is a park for kids and you should not enter without one, I did not have one with me and renting one seemed like a bad idea. Offering a parent cash for their kid might work as their leaving Wal-​Mart but now in the quiet little hoods of San Francisco. Breaking the law, I entered.
What fun! The kids were having a blast on this so, not safe, concrete, winding slide. Sadly, the snake like side has gates built in, preventing riders to easily enter, embark, make a run and disembark. That did not stop the half dozen kids whose parent lifted them over the side. Good job bucking authority. I wanted my turn but the kids were having such a great time, I did not want to take that away from them.
I’m sure this is a 5 star adventure for it’s thrill seeking nature, hidden gem and that it’s free. But on my sad and kid free day (no, not free kids), it was closed. And for that, I give you a 3. I’ll be back to play again. Anyone have a kid they want to rent so I don’t get in trouble?

Once again, San Francisco shows what an awesome place it is, and how there are untold surprises lurking all over to be found.
A few months after I moved here, I heard the rumors… There’s a giant slide hidden around The City. Giant Slide, ya say? Huh? Sounds cool. I stumbled upon the slides over on the West-​side of Bernal Heights. Ehh… Nothing special. So, I thought I solved the mystery, and I moved on. Now, I probably could have Googled «Giant Slide in SF». I didn’t. So it wasn’t until I saw a Unilocaler check-​in that I realized I still hadn’t found these guys.
I had to go see these ASAP. Now, if you didn’t know where these slides are located, I doubt that you’d find it. They are tucked way up on the top of the hill on Douglass Street looking over Eureka Valley. It was a good thing I had Unilocal with me, because I could have walked right by.
As a thirty-​something guy, I really shouldn’t be afraid to go on a slide. Let’s just say that when you sit at the top, they’re a little daunting. This is no joke. And, from what I gather, if you are light and get a good amount of speed going, you can get some serious air on the mid-​section. You do want to sit on cardboard, which was plentiful on the day I went. If you soup it up and use glossy cardboard, and then lay down a little sand, you can really get going. I wouldn’t recommend wearing your nicest clothes since the slide is a bit dirty. The ride is fun. It seemed like the rides really varied from person to person — and again, the smaller/​lighter, the faster the speed.
Hours are limited, and they put up gates when the slides aren’t open. I wouldn’t mess around with trying to go down with the gates in place.

One of my favorite places in the city… Which is saying a lot, because it’s a pretty long list when I think of all the things I love in S.F.
Even though I’ve lived here forever (Southern Marin and San Francisco), I hadn’t ever gone down the slides until I was a mom and wanted to have a fun afternoon with my husband and fearless kid.
So awesome. We went late on a weekday afternoon and had the whole place to ourselves. We had forgotten to bring cardboard, but we were pleased to see a whole selection of different sizes and shapes of the stuff at the bottom of the slides!
I can’t recommend this highly enough for a fun, free and pretty darn exhilarating way to spend part of your day.