It is administered by the city's Recreation and Parks Department and is the concert setting for the Stern Grove Festival, which has taken place annually since 1938.

The site, along Sloat Boulevard between 19th and 34th Avenues about two miles (3 km) south of the Golden Gate Park, was donated to the city in 1931 by Rosalie Meyer Stern.

The original Stern Grove landscaping and facilities were built by the Works Progress Administration.

In 2005, Stern Grove underwent a $15 million renovation, designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin.

[2] Since 1932, the Stern Grove Festival has presented weekly concerts and performances in the outdoor amphitheater during the summer months.