Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids

Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Alameda

Pacific Pinball Museum

Pacific Pinball Museum

Historic & playable pinball machines. Museum displaying rare & vintage pinball machines, which are also playable, amid colorful local art.

Visit
Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove

Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove

Aquarium & marine life exhibits. Bayfront education center with an 800-gallon aquarium & interactive exhibits about marine life.

Visit
Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.

Visit
Children's Fairyland

Children's Fairyland

Storybook-themed amusement park standby. Vibrant, longtime amusement park pairing a storybook motif with rides & theatrical performances.

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Pyramid to Moses

Pyramid to Moses

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Joaquin Miller Park

Joaquin Miller Park

500-acre park & trails through the trees. Dog-friendly woodland park on 500 acres boasting rustic trails, meadows & picnic sites.

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Roberts Regional Recreation Area

Roberts Regional Recreation Area

Sports & picnicking amid redwoods. An 82-acre park in a stand of second-growth redwoods, popular for picnics & recreational sports.

Visit
Chabot Space & Science Center

Chabot Space & Science Center

All about outer space plus a planetarium. Big complex featuring interactive exhibits on outer space, a planetarium, a gift shop & more.

Visit
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt

Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt

Playground & creek amid redwood groves. Urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves.

Visit
Oakland Zoo

Oakland Zoo

850+ native & exotic animals on display. Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.

Visit
Habitot Children's Museum

Habitot Children's Museum

Hands-on learning lab for kids. Museum engaging kids ages 1-5 with interactive exhibits like a wind tunnel & face-painting table.

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Temescal Regional Recreation Area

Temescal Regional Recreation Area

Oasis for picnicking, swimming & more. Urban, lakeside retreat offering swim & picnic areas, a fishing dock, trails & playgrounds.

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Marina Park

Marina Park

Shoreline park with mile-long trail. 30-acre park along the shore with picnic tables, a mile-long workout trail & large group shelters.

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Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

Hiking & native plants in a wooded area. This 241-acre wooded preserve features a self-guided, botanic interpretive trail & restrooms.

Visit
Doyle Hollis Park

Doyle Hollis Park

Park with a playground & an amphitheater. Park featuring a playground & basketball, plus a fountain, picnic areas & an amphitheater.

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Knowland Park

Knowland Park

Undeveloped area with diverse wildlife. This open, largely undeveloped park is the habitat for many native plants & animals.

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Chabot Park

Chabot Park

Disc golf, fishing & forested hikes. Leafy nature area with a big lake, hiking trails & a disc golf course, popular for fishing & biking.

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Washington Manor Park

Washington Manor Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Berkeley Natural History Museums

Berkeley Natural History Museums

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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University of California Botanical Garden

University of California Botanical Garden

Sprawling collection of diverse plants. Established in 1890, this 34-acre garden features a collection of plants from around the world.

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Shorebird Park

Shorebird Park

Picturesque setting with a nature center. Scenic marina park offers picnic sites, play areas & a nature center with fish & wildlife displays.

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Adventure Playground

Adventure Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Virginia-McGee Totland

Virginia-McGee Totland

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Mission Bay Kids Park

Mission Bay Kids Park

Purpose-built activity center for kids. Interactive play zones, climbing structures & sandboxes in a modern kids' park with picnic benches.

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Lake Chabot Regional Park

Lake Chabot Regional Park

Scenic park for hikes, boating & fishing. Parkland featuring a 315-acre reservoir for canoeing & fishing, plus trails, picnic areas & a cafe.

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Codornices Park

Codornices Park

Rose garden, views, picnicking & hiking. Comprising the Berkeley Rose Garden plus areas for ball playing & hiking, picnicking & kids' play.

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Leroy King Carousel

Leroy King Carousel

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Children's Creativity Museum

Children's Creativity Museum

Interactive arts & technology museum. A place for kids to explore arts & technology by making music videos, animating short films & more.

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Exploratorium

Exploratorium

Hands-on science museum. Hundreds of interactive, educational exhibits & activities illustrating scientific principles.

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Meek Park

Meek Park

Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.

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Heart of San Francisco Series

Heart of San Francisco Series

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Chinatown San Francisco

Chinatown San Francisco

Famous neighborhood for Chinese culture. Iconic area with the largest assembly of Chinese eateries, shops & cultural events outside of Asia.

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Kennedy Park

Kennedy Park

Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.

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Tenderloin Playground

Tenderloin Playground

Indoor/outdoor recreational hub for kids. City-run recreational center & children's playground offering special events & classes.

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Helen Diller Civic Center Playground

Helen Diller Civic Center Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Aquarium of the Bay

Aquarium of the Bay

Waterfront museum with aquatic animals. Aquarium with creatures from local waters, including otters, sharks & jellyfish, plus a touch tank.

Visit
Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point

Scenic overlook at a nature park. Observation area with sweeping views & interpretive plaques, plus a parking lot & trail access.

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Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

Colorful maze of mirrors & archways. Arched doorways & columns form the basis for this colorful mirrored maze for adults & children.

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Musical Stairs

Musical Stairs

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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San Francisco Carousel at Pier 39

San Francisco Carousel at Pier 39

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Sea Lions

Sea Lions

Marina docks with sea lions galore. Docks off Pier 39 that are a favorite hangout of hundreds of sunbathing, barking sea lions.

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Sea Lion Viewing Area

Sea Lion Viewing Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Tilden Nature Area

Tilden Nature Area

Site for scenic hikes & wildlife views. Nature preserve featuring easy & challenging hiking trails with scenic views & wildlife sightings.

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Tilden Nature Area Environmental Education Center

Tilden Nature Area Environmental Education Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Helen Diller Playground

Helen Diller Playground

Play area with a climbing wall & slides. Climbing structures, sand boxes & swings in an adventure playground with a long, twisting slide.

Visit
Blake Garden UC Berkeley

Blake Garden UC Berkeley

Artful UC Berekely park for scenic views. UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design's green space with scenic views & diverse plant life.

Visit
Japanese Gardens

Japanese Gardens

Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.

Visit
Randall Museum

Randall Museum

Children's museum on 16-acre park. Museum with wild-animal exhibits & hands-on experiences for exploring science & the arts.

Visit
Round1 Bowling & Arcade Southland Mall

Round1 Bowling & Arcade Southland Mall

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center

Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center

Ecology center with exhibits & events. Ecology center offering exhibits, programs & activities relating to the region's estuary.

Visit
Koret Children's Playground

Koret Children's Playground

Large vibrant playground with a carousel. Lively playground featuring a variety of equipment, an old-fashioned carousel & ample grassy lawns.

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Marina Bay Park

Marina Bay Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences

Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Angel Island Immigration Station

Angel Island Immigration Station

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Angel Island State Park

Angel Island State Park

Island park with campsites & city views. Large island with campsites featuring hiking & biking trails plus panoramic views of San Francisco.

Visit
San Francisco Botanical Garden

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Green refuge with rare plant collections. 55 acres of serene gardens showcasing diverse plants from around the world & a magnolia collection.

Visit
Huntington Falls

Huntington Falls

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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CuriOdyssey

CuriOdyssey

Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.

Visit
Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area

Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area

Low-key park featuring eucalyptus trees. Quiet spot for picnics & other gatherings, with a rustic cottage, hiking trails & fragrant trees.

Visit
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline

Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline

Waterfront park with beach & rail museum. Waterfront space with a picnic area, beach, fishing pier, panoramic views & a model railroad museum.

Visit
Coyote Point Recreation Area

Coyote Point Recreation Area

Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.

Visit
Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Gardens, trails, museums & festivals. The city's 1,017-acre oasis draws hikers, bikers, art lovers & music fans, plus gardens & museums.

Visit
Fort Point National Historic Site

Fort Point National Historic Site

Civil War fortress. Fort from the Civil War era located under the Golden Gate Bridge offering cannon drills & tours.

Visit
Aardvark Beach

Aardvark Beach

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park

Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.

Visit
Tennyson Park

Tennyson Park

Play area, skate park & baseball field. Public green space with amenities such as a playground, skate park, lawn & baseball field.

Visit
City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary

City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Briones Regional Park

Briones Regional Park

Rolling hills, wildlife sightings & more. Pastoral, 6,255-acre park with rolling hills, wildlife viewing, campgrounds & other features.

Visit
Sugarloaf Open Space

Sugarloaf Open Space

Natural area with picnic spots & trails. More than 3,000 acres of woodlands, grasslands & chaparral with picnic areas & multi-use trails.

Visit
Safari Run, San Mateo

Safari Run, San Mateo

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Bay Area Discovery Museum

Bay Area Discovery Museum

Interactive kids' museum. Indoor/outdoor museum inspiring kid creativity via interactive exhibits, a play space & art classes.

Visit
Pogo Park #1 - Elm Playlot

Pogo Park #1 - Elm Playlot

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Civic Park

Civic Park

Green space with native gardens & gazebo. 10-acre park with gardens, picturesque views & a community center & gazebo used for weddings.

Visit
Washington Park

Washington Park

Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.

Visit
The Wave Garden

The Wave Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Jumpity Bumpity Daly City

Jumpity Bumpity Daly City

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Village Park

Village Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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San Bruno City Park

San Bruno City Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Tiburon Open Space Committee

Tiburon Open Space Committee

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Education center with 50+ animal species. Environmental education center housing 50+ species of live, nonreleasable California wildlife.

Visit

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