Free Holiday Events in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA's free holiday events include Stern Grove Festival Association and Stern Grove Festival. Tree lighting ceremonies, holiday parades, and free outdoor concerts typically run late November through December.
Free. Golden Gate Bridge views from the playground. Climbing structures, sand play, water features. The best new playground in the city.
210 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94129 · Daily 9:30am-6pm
Oldest public playground in the country. The concrete slide is fast -- bring cardboard. Carousel is $1 for kids.
320 Bowling Green Dr, San Francisco, CA 94117 · Playground open daily sunrise to sunset. Carousel hours vary.
Free. Live animals, science labs, art studios. Small enough that a toddler won't melt down from overstimulation.
199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114 · Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. Closed Sun-Mon. · Ages 0+
Two big slides, climbing structures, swings. The park around it has the best skyline views in the city. Free.
19th & Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94114 · Daily 6am-10pm
Kids 17 and under always free. Free for everyone first Tuesday of the month. Saturday family art programs are legit.
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118 · Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm, Fri until 8:45pm. Closed Mon. · Ages 3+
Every branch runs free storytime. Baby, toddler, preschool, bilingual. Every single week. No registration.
100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102 · Main: Mon 10am-6pm, Tue-Thu 9am-8pm, Fri 12-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-6pm. Branch hours vary.
Free summer concert series in a eucalyptus grove. Kid Zone with face painting and instrument petting zoo. Bring a blanket.
19th Ave & Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132 · Gates noon, concert 2pm, Sundays mid-June through mid-August
Multiple public pools across the city. Swim lessons and open swim. Balboa Pool runs a solid summer program.
Multiple locations citywide · Hours vary by pool and season · Ages 0+
Free playground, ice skating rink, bowling, carousel -- all in one block downtown. The playground alone is worth the stop.
221 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 · Gardens open daily 6am-10pm. Carousel and rink hours vary.
1915 Beaux-Arts rotunda and colonnades built for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. Grounds and lagoon free to visit year-round. Indoor theatre (1,000 seats) hosts concerts, ballet, comedy, cultural performances.
3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123 · Grounds open daily; theatre hours vary by event
300+ coin-operated mechanical machines from the 1800s to 1990s. Free admission, machines cost a quarter or fifty cents each. Bring $5-10 in coins. The oldest machines in the back (fortune tellers, execution dioramas) are the best part. Open 365 days.
Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA 94133 · Daily 10am-8pm, 365 days a year
Free museum inside the actual cable car barn and powerhouse. Watch the massive winding wheels pulling 9.6 miles of cable at 9.5 mph from the mezzanine. This is the real system, not a replica. Three antique cable cars from the 1800s. Donations cash only. Wheelchair ramp on Washington St side.
1201 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94108 · Tue-Thu 10am-4pm, Fri-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon
Free museum about the science of sight, run by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. 38,000+ artifacts including antique surgical instruments, optical illusions, and exhibits on how vision works. More interesting than it sounds. Most people walk right past it on the way to Ghirardelli Square.
645 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94109 · Wed-Sun 11am-4:30pm, closed Mon-Tue
Free outdoor concerts in a natural eucalyptus grove amphitheater, running Sunday afternoons mid-June through mid-August since 1938. Classical, jazz, pop, world music. Reserve free tickets online in advance. Bring a blanket and picnic.
19th Ave & Sloat Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132 · Sunday afternoons, mid-Jun through mid-Aug, typically 2pm
Victorian-era saloon on Columbus Ave with free live jazz and ragtime most evenings from 8pm. No cover. Mahogany bar, pressed tin ceilings. Craft cocktails and small plates.
155 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133 · Tue-Sat 4pm-12am, closed Sun-Mon
Free monthly night market in Chinatown with 40+ vendors, food stalls, games, DJs. Typically one Saturday per month, 6-11pm. Check the schedule for dates.
Grant Ave & Clay St, San Francisco, CA 94108 · Monthly, typically one Saturday evening, 6-11pm