38 unmissable fun things to do in San Francisco with kids

Last updated on August 18, 2023

San Francisco is one of my favourite places on earth – a place where I feel inspired and simply excited to be there. I first visited when a child myself and have since been back as an adult and parent, including on our epic California road trip. There are endless fun things to do in San Francisco with kids, and here’s our pick of the best.

Your guide to the best of what to do in San Francisco with kids.

Many of these are in the fabulous Golden Gate Park, which should be number one on your list of places to visit with kids in San Francisco. You could spend a week exploring that alone!

Also see our guide to things to do in Los Angeles with kids and things to do in San Diego with kids. And a mega guide to things to do in California with kids.

For more inspiration worldwide, don’t miss our epic guide to bucket list family vacations.

We visited San Francisco as part of various California road trips, including the PCH and San Francisco to Seattle.

38 fun things to do in San Francisco with kids

Ride a cable car

San Francisco’s iconic cable cars are a big hit with kids. They get super crowded, but are worth the squeeze for the fun of riding up and down the city’s giants hills. Plus they’re a good way to get from A to B (there are three lines, two of which go to Fisherman’s Wharf).

You could also go to the Cable Car Museum on Nob Hill, which has a collection of historic cable cars and is a fun thing for kids to do in San Francisco

And, on the subject of impressive streets, also visit Lombard Street, San Francisco’s famous zig-zag road.

Go to the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is great for all ages (Otis enjoyed it even at 10 months) and one of the best things for kids to do in San Francisco. There’s an impressive four-storey rainforest, a planetarium and aquarium, all under one roof. Skip the ticket line and buy an advance ticket here.

Another good science museum is the Randall Museum, which has lots of hands-on exhibits for all ages. It’s also close to Corona Heights, which has amazing views of the city.

Visit one of the San Francisco’s amazing playgrounds

San Francisco playgrounds are some of the best you’ll ever find and certainly top the list of things to do in San Francisco for kids. Favourites include:

• Koret Children’s Quarter – the children’s playground at Golden Gate Park, complete with concrete slides, climbing walls, and a vintage carousel.
• Helen Diller Playground at Dolores Park – one of our favourite spots in San Francisco for the views and location in the creative Mission area. Playground highlights include a 38-ft slide, wooden boats and bouldering rocks.
• Julius Kahn Playground and Clubhouse – designed to be like to Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, with great views, and a fun sand play and climbing area for kids.
• Seward Street Slides – steep concrete slides designed by a 14-year-old. Bring some cardboard to slide on!
• Eureka Valley Recreation Center – cute playground if you’re in the Castro.
• South Park – featuring an interesting undulating play structure for all ages.
• In Chan Kaajal Park- another park in the Mission with a fun children’s play area and water play feature where you can cool down on hot days.
• Bernal Heights Park- there’s only a rope swing but the view means it’s the best swing in the city. It’s a 30-minute walk to the top.

All of these are really fun free things to do in San Francisco with kids.

Go to the Exploratorium

The Exploratorium in the Embaracdero is a brilliant interactive science museum that’ll entertain kids and adults alike. Step inside a tornado, build electrical circuits, and visit the mad scientists’ penny arcade. Skip the ticket line and book your ticket now. It’s a really fun place for kids in San Francisco.

Go to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf

It’s a tourist trap, but there are many reasons kids will love it, not least for being able to spot the sea lions jumping on and off the pier. It’s a sure hit on the list of things to do with kids in San Francisco. There’s also a carousel, mirror maze, the wave organ and 7D experience (a roller coaster meets 3D video game!).

Pier 39 is also home the incredible Aquarium of the Bay, which is rated as one of the best San Francisco kids attractions. It’s home to 20,000 marine animals, including sharks, rays, octopus, jellyfish and otters. Skip the line and buy an advance ticket here.

Also see the USS Pampanito, a WWII submarine turned museum and memorial.

Explore the street art

One of our favourite things to do in a city is explore the local street art and San Francisco is home to some of the world’s best. We particularly love the murals in the Mission District, especially the Women’s Building and Balmy Alley. This is a great thing to do with kids, exploring art in an informal setting and with parks and refreshment stops nearby.

Visit the redwoods

We’re big fans of absorbing our kids in epic nature and California’s redwoods are a must-see on a visit to SF. You can walk among the redwood grove at the botanical gardens in Golden Gate Park, or head north to Muir Woods on the other side of the bridge. Walking in Muir Woods feels a hundred miles from the city despite being just a short drive away.

Take a boat trip around the bay

For a different view of the city, take a cruise around the bay. There are lots of family-friendly options on offer.

Visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum

A must for younger kids in San Francisco (ages 6 months – 10 years) is the Bay Area Discovery Museum on the other side of Golden Gate Bridge near Sausalito. It has indoor and outdoor hands-on experiences, including a 2.5 acre area called the Lookout Cove, complete with tide pools and a shipwreck playground, all looking out onto the bridge.

Another good hands-on museum is the San Francisco Children’s Creativity Museum.

Hit the beach

San Francisco isn’t like some of its neighbours in terms of amazing beaches (looking at your Santa Cruz), but they are still pretty beautiful and good for a walk or picnic. The white sand of Ocean Beach is popular with families (although beware the water is cold and dangerous).

And Baker Beach is a good option for families wanting to picnic and build sandcastles – but you might want to avoid the northernmost end, which is a nudist beach!

Go to a gallery

San Francisco has some amazing art galleries. Good options for families include the De Young Museum (a fine art museum with an outdoor sculpture garden plus interesting galleries of warrior masks) and the Asian Art Museum, which has a kids’ explorer pack.

Hire a boat on Stow Lake

5.10.10 #gloriousday #nofilterneeded​ #goldengatepark

A photo posted by Thitawan D. (@thitawan) on Sun Oct 06 2019 15:50:39 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)

Another fun option in Golden Gate Park is hiring a boat on Stow Lake. Choose from pedal boats, electric boats and row boats.

Visit San Francisco Zoo

#sfzoo #giraffe #animal #sanfrancisco

A photo posted by Réne Rivers (@grumpyphotoguy) on Sat Aug 11 2018 01:40:28 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)

The 100-acre San Francisco Zoo near Ocean Beach is home to over 2,000 animals and one of the most popular things to do in San Francisco with kids. Animals include a snow leopard, gorillas, koalas and giraffes. And there’s also a dedicated children’s zoo, a tropical rainforest and aviary, and a cute miniature steam train that does rides around the zoo. It’s a classic San Francisco kids attraction.

Eat all the amazing food!

There are loads of great places to eat in San Francisco, and plenty can be enjoyed with kids. They’ll especially enjoy all the treat on offer. Some of our favourite treat spots are:

• Craftsman and Wolves, a modern patisserie that had my favourite cakes in all of San Francsico
• Tartine bakery (you have to try the morning bun)
• Humphry Slocombe ice cream (the secret breakfast flavour is incredible)
• Dandelion Chocolate for artisan chocolate products and rich hot chocolate
• and Loving Cup for frozen yoghurt.

More unique things to do with kids in San Francisco

A few more unique things to do in San Francisco with kids include:

• See the Yoda statue and Star Wars costumes in the lobby of Lucas Film at the Letterman Digital and New Media Arts Center.
• Pick up some kids’ activism and social justice books at the famous City Lights Bookstore. This could be a hit for teens interested in the Beat movement.
• Go to the Butterfly Joint where kids can learn about woodworking and joinery. Classes suitable for ages 2 and up. It’s a fantastic kids activity in San Francisco.
• At Christmastime, visit the giant gingerbread house at the Fairmont San Francisco.
• Go to Urban Putt for a round of fun miniature golf with many holes designed to look like famous SF landmarks.
• Visit the Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown where you can see the cokkies being made before your eyes.
• Visit the Walt Disney Museum, which is dedicated to the life of Walt Disney. More one for older kids who will appreciate the history and artform, rather than young Disney fans. They also show Disney films in their Fantasia Theatre.
• Chocolate lovers can see it being made at the Ghirardelli chocolate shop or Dandelion Chocolate.

Where to stay with kids in San Francisco

Staypineapple San Francisco

Staypineapple San Francisco is part of the fun Stay Pineapple chain, which has an emphasis on providing stylish and reasonably priced accommodation in coveted locations. It’s all bold and bright and includes nice touches like free cupcakes at 3pm, and what they call the Naked Experience, which includes lush bathrobes and bed linens so you need never leave your room.

But the location means that of course you do want to get out and explore, which is where the free bike hire comes in handy. Plus it’s proudly dog-friendly if you have a furry friend in tow. Rooms start from $150. Book your stay now.

San Remo Hotel

The San Remo Hotel is the definition of a hidden gem – a budget option in downtown San Francisco that brims with old-world charm. First opened in 1906, it feels like stepping back in time. The rooms have Victorian heirloom furnishings, the bathrooms are shared but spotless, and the attention to detail and customer service is delightful.

I was particularly impressed by all the thoughtful touches, like unlimited hot drinks, and helpful bathroom amenities, including mouthwash on tap and lots of fluffy towels. Prices start at $89 per night. Book your stay now.

How to get around San Francisco with kids

San Francisco is a city where you don’t really need a car. The public transport is excellent and we only used our car to get in and out of the city.

The SFMTA website is useful as you can track live progress of the bus/train/cable car you’re waiting for, and the Muni app is handy as it’s an easy way to buy tickets for your journey.

If you are parking in the city, be warned that you tend to be limited to a two-hour stay on residential streets, and also watch out for when street cleaning is happening as you mustn’t park during those hours (all this info is on the parking signs). We also found a really handy app called Best Parking, which tells you about free/cheap places to park in the city. 

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