Koret Children's Playground

If you ask a San Francisco parent to name their favorite free playground in the city, Koret Children's Quarter in Golden Gate Park comes up constantly — and for good reason. This playground has earned its 4.8-star rating across over 1,100 reviews by being genuinely excellent in a city that has plenty of options.

The star attraction is the 60-foot cement slide built into the natural hillside. This is not a plastic molded slide — it's a real concrete chute embedded into the earth that goes fast when kids use cardboard to slide on (bring a flattened cardboard box; pizza boxes work great). The slide has been delighting SF kids for generations and remains the kind of analog adventure that outperforms most $30-per-child paid attractions.

Beyond the slide, the Koret playground has a large main play structure with climbing elements for multiple ages, a separate toddler play area with age-appropriate equipment, and a sandpit that keeps the youngest set occupied for extended periods. The natural hillside setting means the whole playground is embedded in Golden Gate Park's beautiful landscape, with mature trees providing shade and a green backdrop that beats any urban playground with manufactured scenery.

Being free and in Golden Gate Park means Koret is endlessly combinable with other park activities. The Japanese Tea Garden is a 10-minute walk. The Conservatory of Flowers, Bison Paddock, and de Young Museum are all nearby. A Koret morning followed by a picnic lunch in the park and an afternoon at the Japanese Tea Garden is a perfect low-cost San Francisco family day.

Restrooms are on-site. Parking in Golden Gate Park is free on weekdays and metered on weekends. The neighborhood around the playground in the Inner Sunset/Park Presidio area has excellent coffee if you need it.