Best Family-Friendly Attractions
Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in San Mateo
San Mateo Central Park
Japanese gardens & an ice-skating rink. Vibrant, 16-acre park featuring Japanese gardens, a mini train ride, playground & ice-skating rink.
San Mateo Japanese Garden
Asian-inspired gardens with a koi pond. Spring blossoming Japanese gardens with a koi pond, pagoda & teahouse in a 16.3-acre city park.
Ryder Park
A playground, splash pad & picnic area. Neighborhood park with striking, modern picnic pavilions, BBQs, a playground & seasonal splash pad.
Seal Point Park
Bayfront windsurfing area with dog park. Waterfront area featuring windsurfing, a biking trail, dog park & outdoor classrooms led by rangers.
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.
CuriOdyssey
Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.
Mariners Island Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Paddock Park
Lawned local park with a playground. Small neighborhood park with a modern playground, lawns, picnic tables & restrooms.
Laurelwood Park
Hiking trails to Sugarloaf Mountain. The city's largest park (225 acres) offers trails leading to Sugarloaf Mountain & scenic picnicking.
Laurie Meadows Park
Large lawn with a path & a playground. Bordered by a path, this 7.5-acre park features a lawn with a softball backstop & a playground.
Village Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Junipero Serra Park
Park with impressive views of city & bay. Park offering picnic areas, a creek & walking trails plus scenic views of the city, bay & mountains.
Filoli Historic House & World-Class Garden
Historical estate & botanic garden. An early-20th-century country estate & botanic garden, open for docent-led tours.
Stafford Park
Open space for picnicking & play. Small community park with picnic tables, playground equipment & a separate play area for toddlers.
Frontierland Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sign Hill Park
Open space with short hiking trails. A 30-acre hilltop preserve featuring several short hiking trails & habitat for birds & butterflies.
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.
Alta Loma Park
Park with tennis & basketball courts. Open city park with a basketball & tennis court, playing fields & a playground.
Sam's Castle
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Flood Park
Oak-filled park with a baseball field. Green space with many oak & bay trees, plus a baseball field, tennis courts & several picnic areas.
Mussel Rock Park
Coastal park with scenic vistas & trails. Known for its rocky coastline, this park boasts sandy beaches, scenic ocean vistas & hiking trails.
The Museum of American Heritage
Exhibitions on inventions & technology. Charming museum in a 1907 home showcasing technology & inventions from the 1750s to the 1950s.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden
Public garden & historic home. A 2.5-acre plot encompassing herb & rose gardens, a historic home, a carriage house & a tearoom.
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
Hands-on science & nature exhibits. Child-oriented venue with animals like birds & turtles, plus interactive educational exhibits.
Rinconada Cultural Park
Public swimming, sports & playground. City's 19-acre park with live oaks & redwoods, hosting a swimming pool, playground & sports fields.
Oakland Aviation Museum
Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.
Kennedy Park
Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.
Billy Goat Hill
Hilltop natural area with views & trails. This modest neighborhood green space offers a small trail network & wildlife viewing opportunities.
Baylands Nature Preserve
Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.
Meek Park
Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.
Byxbee Park
Public park with earthworks & art. Birdwatching, cycling & walking are popular at this park with sculpted earth & conceptual art.
Mission Bay Kids Park
Purpose-built activity center for kids. Interactive play zones, climbing structures & sandboxes in a modern kids' park with picnic benches.
Hearst Grizzly Gulch
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Magical Bridge Playground
Play structures around a grassy mound. Slides, swings & climbing frames around an artificial hill, plus a treehouse & bridge.
San Francisco Zoo
100 acres of animals & more. Families come for the more than 2,000 animals, kids' zoo, steam train, carousel & special exhibits.
Union Point Park
Waterfront playground with harbor views. Green space with a nautical-themed playground & walking paths overlooking Alameda Harbor.
Japanese Gardens
Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.
Carlos Bee Park
Secluded spot for play & picnics. Small, tucked away park offering a playground, barbecue & picnic shelter with many tables.
Children's Creativity Museum
Interactive arts & technology museum. A place for kids to explore arts & technology by making music videos, animating short films & more.
Shoreline Park
Park with a golf course, lake & trails. Park with a golf course, a lake with boat rentals, walking/biking trails & a Victorian house museum.
Yerba Buena Gardens
Public park & cultural space. Several gardens share space with dramatic outdoor public art pieces, including a memorial waterfall.
Tenderloin Museum
Museum of this famous district. This museum tells the story of this area peopled by immigrants & iconoclasts, artists & activists.
Lakeshore Park
Waterfront area with fishing & trails. Spacious park surrounding a lake, featuring walking trails & fishing.
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.
Oakland Zoo
850+ native & exotic animals on display. Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.
Golden Gate Park
Gardens, trails, museums & festivals. The city's 1,017-acre oasis draws hikers, bikers, art lovers & music fans, plus gardens & museums.
Cable Car Museum
Vintage cable cars & mechanical displays. Antique cable cars on exhibit in the historic building that houses the cable-pulling equipment.
Garin Regional Park
Hills, fields, streams & farming history. This natural area with hills, fields & streams houses a seasonal visitor center on ranching history.
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum. Hundreds of interactive, educational exhibits & activities illustrating scientific principles.
Ina Coolbrith Park
Compact green space with urban views. This pint-sized, unassuming tract features a steep path & views of the city & bay.
Knowland Park
Undeveloped area with diverse wildlife. This open, largely undeveloped park is the habitat for many native plants & animals.
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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