San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury

Lore & Background

The Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park on January 14, 1967, served as the prelude to the Summer of Love. Produced by artist Michael Bowen, this event featured Timothy Leary voicing his phrase "turn on, tune in, drop out," which shaped the counterculture's key ideas of experimenting with psychedelics and communal living. Approximately 30,000 people gathered at this event, helping to publicize hippie fashions. The term "Summer of Love" was popularized by media and events during that period, rather than originating from a specific council. Groups like the Family Dog commune and The Diggers, who established a Free Store and founded the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics on June 7, 1967, helped manage the anticipated influx of youth.

In Their Own Story

By spring break 1967, college students and runaways began streaming into the Haight. Mayor John F. Shelley's attempt to stop the influx after schools ended inadvertently drew more attention, with articles in the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle alerting national media. Hunter S. Thompson termed the district "Hashbury" in The New York Times Magazine. Newsweek published a four-page article titled "Dropouts on a Mission" on February 6, 1967, followed by Time's "Love on Haight" on March 17. By June 12, Newsweek declared "The Hippies are Coming." The San Francisco Oracle reported daily activities with a readership exceeding half a million. In August 1967, George Harrison visited the area, walking around strumming his guitar. He later described the environment as horrible and filled with bums.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to Haight-Ashbury in 1967 encountered a neighborhood that could not accommodate the influx of up to 100,000 young people from around the world. The scene deteriorated rapidly due to overcrowding, homelessness, hunger, drug problems, and crime. Essential services were provided by the Free Clinic for medical treatment and the Free Store, which gave away basic necessities without charge. The area was connected to other major events like the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, where attendance grew from 30,000 on day one to 60,000 on the final day. Bands such as the Who, the Animals, and Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin performed there, drawing large numbers of hippies to California.

Did You Know?

• Timothy Leary voiced the phrase "turn on, tune in, drop out" at the Human Be-In on January 14, 1967.
• The Haight Ashbury Free Clinics was founded on June 7, 1967, to provide medical treatment.
• George Harrison visited San Francisco in August 1967 but later described the environment as horrible and filled with bums.
• The Monterey Pop Festival saw attendance increase from about 30,000 on the first day to 55,000-60,000 on the final day.
• The San Francisco Oracle had a pass-around readership thought to have exceeded half a million people during the summer of 1967.