A Gift of Wind and Water

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Deep in the southwest corner of Golden Gate Park stands a towering structure that looks like it belongs in the Dutch countryside. This is the Murphy Windmill. Built between 1905 and 1908 as a gift to the city from banker Samuel G.

Murphy, it's commonly believed to be the largest windmill of its kind in the world. But it wasn't just for show; the windmill actually helped pump water to transform the area's harsh sand dunes into the green oasis we enjoy today. It stands as a symbol of early twentieth-century engineering and the sheer will it took to create the park.

If you visit on a weekend or holiday, you might even see the sails spinning, catching the Pacific breeze just as they did over a century ago.

Updated June 2026