Best Family-Friendly Attractions

Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in Albany

Indian Rock Park

Indian Rock Park

Rock climbing areas & panoramic views. This rock park offers scenic views of the San Francisco Bay & climbing areas of varying difficulty.

Visit
Cesar Chavez Park

Cesar Chavez Park

Kite flying, a dog run & bay views. Popular, 90-acre park featuring kite flying opportunities, a dog run, bay vistas & more.

Visit
Berkeley Rose Garden

Berkeley Rose Garden

Historic garden with thousands of roses. Huge garden with thousands of rose bushes plus views of San Francisco Bay & the Golden Gate Bridge.

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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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Adventure Playground

Adventure Playground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

Visit
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 Park Merry Go Round

Tilden Park Merry Go Round

Old-school carousel at a public park. Located at Tilden Regional Park, this classic ride built in 1911 features whimsical animals.

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The Lawrence Hall of Science

The Lawrence Hall of Science

A planetarium & an interactive museum. Science center at the University of California, Berkeley, with hands-on exhibits & a planetarium.

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Tilden Regional Park

Tilden Regional Park

2,000+ acres & recreational activities. A 2,000+ acre park with a carousel, botanic garden, lake swimming, picnic areas & steam train ride.

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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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Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park

Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park

Exhibits on civilians' role in WWII. Visitor center focused on women & men on the WWII home front, plus the Rosie the Riveter Memorial.

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.

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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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Pogo Park #1 - Elm Playlot

Pogo Park #1 - Elm Playlot

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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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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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.

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Exploratorium

Exploratorium

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

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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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San Francisco Carousel at Pier 39

San Francisco Carousel at Pier 39

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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PIER 39

PIER 39

Scenic pier with food & activities. Bustling bayside pier featuring scenic views, sea lion sightings, eateries, shops & entertainment.

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Refugio Valley Park

Refugio Valley Park

Play equipment, a pond & picnic areas. Park featuring a walking path around a duck pond, picnic tables, restrooms & 2 play structures.

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Coit Tower

Coit Tower

Landmark offering 360-degree city views. Storied 1930s-era building known for its WPA murals, 360-degree views & resident flock of parrots.

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Union Point Park

Union Point Park

Waterfront playground with harbor views. Green space with a nautical-themed playground & walking paths overlooking Alameda Harbor.

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Old St. Hilary's Preserve

Old St. Hilary's Preserve

Natural area with rare wildflowers. Windswept 122-acre natural area with rare wildflowers, a historic church & bay views.

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Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Museum for unusual & bizarre artifacts. Museum with kitschy oddities on display, including shrunken human heads & rare animal skeletons.

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Ina Coolbrith Park

Ina Coolbrith Park

Compact green space with urban views. This pint-sized, unassuming tract features a steep path & views of the city & bay.

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Cable Car Museum

Cable Car Museum

Vintage cable cars & mechanical displays. Antique cable cars on exhibit in the historic building that houses the cable-pulling equipment.

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Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Vast woodlands with trails & campgrounds. Sprawling forest featuring redwood groves & rare wildlife, plus trails, picnic areas & campsites.

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Yerba Buena Gardens

Yerba Buena Gardens

Public park & cultural space. Several gardens share space with dramatic outdoor public art pieces, including a memorial waterfall.

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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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Briones Regional Park

Briones Regional Park

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

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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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Tenderloin Museum

Tenderloin Museum

Museum of this famous district. This museum tells the story of this area peopled by immigrants & iconoclasts, artists & activists.

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Discovery Museum Lookout Tower

Discovery Museum Lookout Tower

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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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.

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Dunphy Park

Dunphy Park

Oceanside park with a gazebo & courts. Waterfront space featuring sand volleyball & bocce courts, plus a gazebo & benches.

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The Walt Disney Family Museum

The Walt Disney Family Museum

Exhibits on the life of Disney's founder. Presidio museum exploring the life of Walt Disney featuring hands-on exhibits & original artwork.

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Crissy Field

Crissy Field

Scenic field, beach & restored marsh. Grass field & sandy beach offering trails, a restored marsh & picturesque views of the Golden Gate.

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John Muir National Historic Site

John Muir National Historic Site

Hiking trail with peak & valley views. A 2.4-mile hiking trail loop that begins near the John Muir house, with scenic mountain views.

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Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline

Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline

Waterside park with trails & wildlife. Spacious park along the water featuring nature trails & opportunities for bird & animal viewing.

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Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

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

Visit
Dinosaur Hill Park

Dinosaur Hill Park

Hills, hiking & views of Mount Diablo. Hilly, 13-acre expanse featuring hiking trails & panoramic views of the valley & Mount Diablo.

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Rankin Park

Rankin Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Tank Hill Park

Tank Hill Park

Small hilltop park with city & bay views. Intimate spot with flower-lined paths & rocky outcroppings offering views of the city & the bay.

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Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

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

Visit
Martinez Museum

Martinez Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Billy Goat Hill

Billy Goat Hill

Hilltop natural area with views & trails. This modest neighborhood green space offers a small trail network & wildlife viewing opportunities.

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Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Oakland Zoo

Oakland Zoo

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

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China Camp State Park

China Camp State Park

Campgrounds with hiking & biking trails. Park with reservable picnic & camp sites, plus 15 mi. of hiking, biking & equestrian trails.

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Hidden Valley Park

Hidden Valley Park

Large recreational area with amenities. Basketball, volleyball & baseball facilities, plus playgrounds, jogging track & concession stand.

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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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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
Civic Park

Civic Park

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

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Glen Cove Waterfront Park

Glen Cove Waterfront Park

Spot for hiking, fishing & picnics. This green space where visitors can hike, fish & bike has picnic facilities & water views.

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Pleasant Hill Park

Pleasant Hill Park

Playgrounds, areas for sports & a pool. Sizable park with playgrounds, picnic spots & a pool plus areas for softball, basketball & bocce.

Visit
Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve

Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve

Nature preserve with hiking trails. Nature preserve overlooking Carquinez Bay featuring stunning landscape with native grasses & views.

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Explore More Activities

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