Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in San Francisco
Helen Diller Civic Center Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Tenderloin Playground
Indoor/outdoor recreational hub for kids. City-run recreational center & children's playground offering special events & classes.
Heart of San Francisco Series
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Children's Creativity Museum
Interactive arts & technology museum. A place for kids to explore arts & technology by making music videos, animating short films & more.
Leroy King Carousel
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Chinatown San Francisco
Famous neighborhood for Chinese culture. Iconic area with the largest assembly of Chinese eateries, shops & cultural events outside of Asia.
Randall Museum
Children's museum on 16-acre park. Museum with wild-animal exhibits & hands-on experiences for exploring science & the arts.
Helen Diller Playground
Play area with a climbing wall & slides. Climbing structures, sand boxes & swings in an adventure playground with a long, twisting slide.
Mission Bay Kids Park
Purpose-built activity center for kids. Interactive play zones, climbing structures & sandboxes in a modern kids' park with picnic benches.
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum. Hundreds of interactive, educational exhibits & activities illustrating scientific principles.
Aquarium of the Bay
Waterfront museum with aquatic animals. Aquarium with creatures from local waters, including otters, sharks & jellyfish, plus a touch tank.
Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze
Colorful maze of mirrors & archways. Arched doorways & columns form the basis for this colorful mirrored maze for adults & children.
Musical Stairs
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Koret Children's Playground
Large vibrant playground with a carousel. Lively playground featuring a variety of equipment, an old-fashioned carousel & ample grassy lawns.
Sea Lions
Marina docks with sea lions galore. Docks off Pier 39 that are a favorite hangout of hundreds of sunbathing, barking sea lions.
Sea Lion Viewing Area
Visit this great place for kids and families!
San Francisco Carousel at Pier 39
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Huntington Falls
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Golden Gate Park
Gardens, trails, museums & festivals. The city's 1,017-acre oasis draws hikers, bikers, art lovers & music fans, plus gardens & museums.
Fort Point National Historic Site
Civil War fortress. Fort from the Civil War era located under the Golden Gate Bridge offering cannon drills & tours.
Murphy Windmill
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Interactive kids' museum. Indoor/outdoor museum inspiring kid creativity via interactive exhibits, a play space & art classes.
San Francisco Zoo
100 acres of animals & more. Families come for the more than 2,000 animals, kids' zoo, steam train, carousel & special exhibits.
Angel Island State Park
Island park with campsites & city views. Large island with campsites featuring hiking & biking trails plus panoramic views of San Francisco.
Sausalito Boardwalk
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Angel Island Immigration Station
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Marin Headlands
Rugged coastline & wildlife haven. Stretch of coastal basalt headland & habitat for bobcats, coyote, deer & abundant birdlife.
Dunphy Park
Oceanside park with a gazebo & courts. Waterfront space featuring sand volleyball & bocce courts, plus a gazebo & benches.
Tiburon Open Space Committee
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
Aquarium & marine life exhibits. Bayfront education center with an 800-gallon aquarium & interactive exhibits about marine life.
Pacific Pinball Museum
Historic & playable pinball machines. Museum displaying rare & vintage pinball machines, which are also playable, amid colorful local art.
Jumpity Bumpity Daly City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Shorebird Park
Picturesque setting with a nature center. Scenic marina park offers picnic sites, play areas & a nature center with fish & wildlife displays.
Paradise Beach Park
Scenic spot for picnics, beach & fishing. Waterside park in a residential neighborhood, offering views, picnic lawns, a fishing pier & beach.
Adventure Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Doyle Hollis Park
Park with a playground & an amphitheater. Park featuring a playground & basketball, plus a fountain, picnic areas & an amphitheater.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
Children's Fairyland
Storybook-themed amusement park standby. Vibrant, longtime amusement park pairing a storybook motif with rides & theatrical performances.
Blackie's Pasture
Bayside park with trails & fields. Scenic waterfront park featuring grassy fields, a playground & paths for walking & biking.
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.
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt
Playground & creek amid redwood groves. Urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves.
Marina Bay Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Virginia-McGee Totland
Visit this great place for kids and families!
The Wave Garden
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Berkeley Natural History Museums
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Muir Beach Overlook
Well-known spot for sweeping ocean views. An iconic staircase leads down to this windy point with sweeping views of the ocean & Pacific coast.
Temescal Regional Recreation Area
Oasis for picnicking, swimming & more. Urban, lakeside retreat offering swim & picnic areas, a fishing dock, trails & playgrounds.
Codornices Park
Rose garden, views, picnicking & hiking. Comprising the Berkeley Rose Garden plus areas for ball playing & hiking, picnicking & kids' play.
San Bruno City Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pogo Park #1 - Elm Playlot
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Oakland Aviation Museum
Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.
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.
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.
Muir Woods National Monument
Picturesque, redwood tree-filled park. Scenic, forested park featuring giant redwood trees, long hiking trails, a visitor center & more.
Cascade Falls Trailhead
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bayfront Park
Waterside park for airport watching. Small bayside park next to the airport, with a walking trail & benches for watching the planes land.
Tilden Nature Area
Site for scenic hikes & wildlife views. Nature preserve featuring easy & challenging hiking trails with scenic views & wildlife sightings.
Tilden Nature Area Environmental Education Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Central Park
Sports field, tennis courts & playground. This 13-acre recreational area features tennis courts, a playing field, picnic spots & a playground.
Rockaway Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pyramid to Moses
Visit this great place for kids and families!
City of Burlingame Shorebird Sanctuary
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Steep hiking & biking to a sweeping view. Redwood groves plus hiking & biking trails that lead to sweeping views from a 2,571-foot peak.
Inspiration Point
Scenic overlook at a nature park. Observation area with sweeping views & interpretive plaques, plus a parking lot & trail access.
Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve
Hiking & native plants in a wooded area. This 241-acre wooded preserve features a self-guided, botanic interpretive trail & restrooms.
Joaquin Miller Park
500-acre park & trails through the trees. Dog-friendly woodland park on 500 acres boasting rustic trails, meadows & picnic sites.
Village Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Pacifica State Beach
Crescent-shaped beach known for surfing. Known for being a popular surfing locale, this crescent-shaped beach also offers trails & restrooms.
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.
Roberts Regional Recreation Area
Sports & picnicking amid redwoods. An 82-acre park in a stand of second-growth redwoods, popular for picnics & recreational sports.
Frontierland Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Trojan Point
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sánchez Adobe Park
Adobe home on a former mission outpost. This 19th-century adobe home on a former mission outpost offers tours & living-history programs.
Aardvark Beach
Visit this great place for kids and families!
CuriOdyssey
Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.
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.
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
Gerstle Park
Elegant historic estate on 2 acres. Historic estate with 12 ornate rooms & cottages in a 2-acre park setting used for community events.
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.
Other Things to See
Top Public Schools & School Districts
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Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes
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Music Lessons & Performing Arts Programs
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Things to Do with Kids at Night
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Best After-School Programs & Activities
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Language Classes for Children
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Best Sports & Fitness Activities for Kids
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Things to Do with Toddlers
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Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
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Best Parks for Outdoor Fun
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Top Private Schools for Kids
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Best Family-Friendly Attractions
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Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
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Best Camping Spots & Outdoor Adventures
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Best Kids Camps & Summer Programs
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Best Tutoring Centers & Academic Support
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Best Theaters & Live Shows for Kids
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Best Places for Birthday Parties
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Best Indoor Play Areas for Kids
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Top Amusement Parks & Fun Centers
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Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
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Best Science Centers & Discovery Zones
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Best Sports Leagues & Youth Athletics
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Best Water Parks & Splash Pads
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Best Zoos, Aquariums & Animal Encounters
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Explore More Activities
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