16 Best Family Things to Do in San Francisco

Families with kids in San Francisco can head up to this interactive children’s museum for a day out filled with interactive arts and science exhibits. It’s right off Horseshoe Bay, at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and occupies around 7.5 acres of National Park land. Toddlers can enjoy the Tot Spot, a multi-sensory playground specially designed with stimulating outdoor tunnels, obstacles, and other explorative features. Older kids can join in on various STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities.

Active kids can jump and bounce to their hearts’ content at this indoor adrenaline and trampoline park that’s right next to the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Even mum and dad, or complete novices can join in the fun. House of Air hosts a good variety of activities in its massive indoor facility. There are trampoline jumping sessions, aerials, physical training on trampolines, trampoline dodgeball, trampoline basketball dunks, to other active sports such as rock climbing, ninja obstacles, and fitness classes.

Promoting an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception, Exploratorium is one of San Francisco’s great educational spots for families with kids. The interactive museum is at Pier 15, just a few minutes’ drive south from the Fisherman’s Wharf. Parents and kids can explore, play, and discover through the various exhibits that cover a wide range of topics, such as learning about light through making your own light paintings, generating electricity from light through photoelectricity exhibits, and test-launching model rockets with a launcher of your own design.

The Children’s Creativity Museum is an interactive science and technology museum that focuses on creativity and family collaboration. Younger kids can brainstorm to make their own spaceship designs at a DIY table, while older kids can create a series of clay characters, then bring them to life through stop-motion animation techniques. General admission is around $13 and it’s free for kids under 2 years.

You can find the California Academy of Sciences inside the eastern half of the vast Golden Gate Park. It houses the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison planetarium, the Kimball Natural History Museum, and is an actual institute where scientists conduct research projects. Take an inspiring stroll through the Osher Rainforest exhibit. This lush, 4-story rainforest teems with butterflies, exotic birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Check out the giant arapaima in the Amazon Forest tunnel, too. Tickets are around $40 for adults and $30 for kids aged between 4 and 11.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Marketplace is the home of San Francisco’s most famous chocolatier, located in the picturesque Ghirardelli Square. You can enjoy a range of decadent sweet treats here, including chocolate bars, shakes, cocoas and ice cream sundaes.

The Ghirardelli Marketplace isn’t just for your sweet tooth. It’s one of the best places to enjoy a view of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. Take in the view from your seat for the price of a piece of chocolate. This is also a good spot to stock up on tasty souvenirs that are sure to be appreciated.

This museum serves as a place where families can admire the history and understand the workings of the world’s oldest cable car system. San Francisco’s Cable Car Museum on 1201 Mason Street is free to visit. The working museum showcases exhibits that explain how the cable car system works. There are several old grip cars displayed as well as the cable car power house nearby, in which you can observe the pulleys and cables hard at work from its 2 viewing galleries above.

Stow Lake is the largest body of water within the Golden Gate Park, where families can rent a pedal boat and enjoy the placid and natural surroundings with the occasional sightings of turtles, ducks, and Canadian geese. The Stow Lake Boathouse also has row boats, electric boats, and passenger pedal boats that can seat up to 6 people. Boat rentals are from around $23 an hour. Some of the lakeside attractions that you can row to include Strawberry Hill Island, an artificial waterfall, and a beautiful Chinese Pavilion.

The San Francisco Zoo offers visitors the chance to walk around 100 acres of land populated by over 250 species of animals in their native habitats. The zoo hosts over 1,000 individual animals and is located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, nestled right up against the Pacific Ocean. 

This exciting attraction allows you to get up close to giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and grizzly bears, see lemurs leaping through trees, and view one of the largest Magellanic penguin colonies in captivity. It's a family-friendly attraction that also offers plenty of dining options and a gift shop for souvenirs.

Oracle Park is one of America's premier ballparks and a visit to San Francisco wouldn't be complete without attending one of its ballgames. Home to the 7-time World Series Champions San Francisco Giants, a game here is an unmatched experience partnered with epic waterfront views.

The duelling magnificent clock towers adorned with flags and the Willie Mays statues are the 2 exterior features you can’t miss. Once inside, check out the world’s largest baseball glove – a whopping 26 ft tall – and grab a beer at famed Peet’s Café. For the real baseball buffs, make sure to sign up for the 90-minute Behind-the-Scenes Tour where you get to sit in a Major League dugout and visit the press box. Tickets can be hard to come by on the day, so make sure to book in advance.

Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts is a contemporary arts centre that celebrates a wide variety of art expressed in exhibitions and performances. You'll find all sorts of exhibitions and programmes held here all year long led by locals and travelling acts alike.

Anyone who's looking to immerse themselves in artistic expression and the multitude of Bay Area communities on display here will enjoy a trip to this arts centre. Most visitors spend about 3 or 4 hours here, but you could spend even more time here depending on what kind of exhibitions they have during your visit.

Madame Tussauds San Francisco is where you should head to if you fancy a selfie with Elvis, Leonardo DiCaprio or Taylor Swift. Head on over to see your favourite actors, athletes, musicians, and world leaders up close. The wax sculptures are uncannily lifelike, and you're allowed to take photos next to them and even touch them if you like.

Plan on spending 1-2 hours here. The wax museum is located at the Fisherman's Wharf. That means that you can combine your wax adventure with some souvenir shopping, seal-watching, or enjoying a bowl of clam chowder at one of the waterfront restaurants.

Also referred to as the Golden Gate Park Carousel thanks to its centrepiece merry-go-round, the Koret Children’s Quarter is a longstanding family attraction in the southeast corner of the Golden Gate Park. Many San Franciscans recall part of their fun childhood playing in this park, and the carousel itself has been around since 1914. The children’s quarter was established back in 1888, making it one of the nation’s earliest known public playgrounds. Next door, the Sharon Art Studio offers art classes for both parents and kids.

This longstanding San Franciscan museum at the south-eastern base of the Corona Heights Park offers interactive natural science exhibits. Weekly agendas for families with kids range from Science Saturdays, when you can try out various experiments, to art-making classes. Live animal exhibits allow you to learn more about California’s diverse habitats and see native species such as coyotes, grey foxes, brush rabbits, California quails, and Gopher snakes. Toddlers can enjoy their dedicated learning space filled with carpeted climbing structures, as well as books and toys.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is a legendary bakery in Chinatown that has been predicting the future since 1962. Every day, up to 10,000 cookies are made here – by hand – using a secret family recipe. Cookie flavours are unique. You’ll find chocolate, strawberry, and even green tea.

Order a customised fortune cookie message as a thoughtful gift for a loved one – it will make their day! The shop is open every day of the week. If you want to enjoy the tour with fewer crowds, it’s best to visit the factory on a weekday. The tour is free, but you are welcome to leave a tip. You can reach the factory on public transport.

Officially referred to as the Spreckels Lake Model Yacht Facility, this manmade lake on the northern side of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is a major go-to for model boat enthusiasts. Boaters of all ages gather here to put their racing sailboats or powerboats to the test, while assessing their designs or improving their remote-controlling skills. Even though the lake’s manmade, Spreckels is a fine example of a naturalistically styled artificial lake. Access is free, and you and your kids can simply relax by the lakeside while admiring the showcase of the passionate model builds.