San Francisco is an expensive city, but the gap between a costly family day and an affordable one is entirely about which activities you choose. The free options here are genuinely excellent — not fallback options. Here's exactly what you'll spend at every category of activity, with real numbers from verified listings.
Free Activities in San Francisco
San Francisco's free activity roster is one of the strongest of any major American city.
Golden Gate Park is /bin/zsh to enter. The park has its own ecosystem of free sub-attractions: Koret Children's Playground with the famous 60-foot cement slide, Bison Paddock with real bison, Moon Viewing Garden, Garden of Fragrance, and Regional Parks Botanic Garden (free admission for all visitors). A full day in Golden Gate Park with a packed lunch realistically costs /bin/zsh.
Visitacion Valley Greenway Children's Play Garden is a free nature-inspired community play space — /bin/zsh, rarely crowded, and one of the highest-rated playgrounds in SF at 5.0 stars.
Outpost Playground at Presidio Tunnel Tops: /bin/zsh admission with some free Presidio parking options. Mountain Lake Playground: /bin/zsh with street parking. McLaren Redwood Playground: /bin/zsh in a beautiful redwood grove setting.
Neighborhood playgrounds are all free: Helen Diller Playground near Dolores Park, Joe DiMaggio Playground Park in North Beach, Alamo Square Playground near the Painted Ladies, Mission Bay Kids Park, Yerba Buena Children's Garden, Crane Cove Park in Dogpatch. All /bin/zsh.
Tilden Nature Area in the Berkeley Hills: /bin/zsh park entry, free parking. The adjacent Little Farm is also free.
Budget Picks (Under for a Family of 4)
Leroy King Carousel — – for a family of 4. Rides are – each. The most affordable ticketed activity in the dataset. Great as a standalone treat or add-on to a SoMa day.
Conservatory of Flowers — – for a family of 4. Adults pay –, children under 5 are free. SF residents get discounted admission. Beautiful Victorian greenhouse in Golden Gate Park — 1–2 hours.
Japanese Tea Garden — – for a family of 4. Adults , ages 5–17 , under 5 free. One of the most photogenic paid attractions in the park.
Explorit Science Center — – for a family of 4. Significantly more affordable than Bay Area science museums. Worth it if you're passing through Davis.
HaPPi Hands — – for 2 children. Parents typically free for open play. Bay Play — – for 2 children + 2 adults, adults often free or reduced.
University of California Botanical Garden — – for 2 adults + 2 kids. Children under 3 free. Thursdays are free for UC Berkeley affiliates.
Mid-Range Activities (– for a Family of 4)
Peek-a-Boo Factory SF — –. Popular indoor playground in the Richmond District. Memberships available for SF families.
WOW Kids Playground — –. Indoor playground in Polk Gulch, stroller-friendly with nursing room. Kiddo Adventure Indoor Playground — – in San Mateo.
Half Moon Play — –. Coastal indoor playground, 2 kids at – each plus adult fees. Weekday sessions cheaper than weekends.
Penguin Island / SF Zoo — –. Full zoo admission covering all exhibits including the Insect Zoo and Hearst Grizzly Gulch. Zoo membership pays for itself in 2 visits.
Children's Fairyland — –. Classic Oakland attraction, open since 1950. Best for ages 3–8.
CuriOdyssey — –. Strong value for a combined science museum and live animal facility.
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose — –. Full hands-on museum experience. Members get free admission with reciprocal benefits.
Bay Area Discovery Museum — –. Worth it. Membership pays for itself in 3 visits.
Splurge-Worthy Experiences (Over )
Great Big Game Show Fisherman's Wharf — –. Perfect 5.0 stars across 1,598 reviews. Worth every dollar. A live hosted game show your family participates in. This is the one experience in SF that justifies a splurge on pure novelty and family memory value.
Immersive Gamebox — –. Also 5.0 stars. Floor-to-ceiling immersive gaming rooms. Book directly on their website rather than third-party sites to save.
Osher Rainforest / Cal Academy of Sciences — –. The membership pays for itself in 1.5 visits. SF residents under 18 get free admission. This is the top-tier museum experience in the city.
Museum of 3D Illusions — –. Book online for discounts. Less than 90 minutes but high-impact for photos.
Aquarium of the Bay — –. Walkthrough Bay shark tunnels. Solid 90-minute visit at Fisherman's Wharf.
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park — –. Full-attraction pass for the whole package — trampolines, climbing, warrior course. 2–3 hours of energy expenditure.
Money-Saving Tips for San Francisco Families
- Golden Gate Park is your savings engine. Between Koret Playground, Bison Paddock, Botanic Garden, Moon Viewing Garden, and Garden of Fragrance, you can fill a full day for /bin/zsh admission.
- Cal Academy membership pays for itself in 1.5 family visits. SF residents under 18 get free museum admission — always worth verifying.
- Bay Area Discovery Museum membership (–/year) includes reciprocal benefits at children's museums nationwide. Pay for itself in 3 SF visits.
- Thursdays at UC Botanical Garden are free for UC Berkeley affiliates — check employer/alumni status.
- SF Zoo membership: Covers all exhibits and pays for itself in 2 visits. Penguin Island, grizzly bears, and the Insect Zoo all included.
- Book Activate and Immersive Gamebox on weekdays for lower pricing. Weekend sessions sell out and sometimes command premium rates.
- National Parks Pass (/year): Covers Presidio and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Pays for itself fast if you're visiting multiple NPS sites.
- Bring food: Fisherman's Wharf food prices are the highest concentration of tourist markup in SF. Pack lunch or eat one neighborhood removed.
What a Typical Family Spends
Budget day (maximize free options): - Golden Gate Park (Koret Playground + Bison Paddock + Botanic Garden): /bin/zsh - Japanese Tea Garden: – - Packed lunch: – - Total: – for a family of 4
Splurge day (best paid experiences): - Great Big Game Show: – - Aquarium of the Bay: – - Fisherman's Wharf lunch: – - Total: – for a family of 4
Realistic 2-day trip combining both: - Day 1 (Golden Gate Park + Japanese Tea Garden + Bay Area Discovery Museum): – - Day 2 (Great Big Game Show + Osher Rainforest/Cal Academy): – - 2-day total: – for a family of 4, not counting hotels or transportation
The bottom line: San Francisco rewards families who plan ahead. The free options genuinely compete with paid experiences in other cities — the difference is knowing where they are.