Holiday Markets in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA's holiday season features Exploratorium ($39.95), Oakland Ice Center ($15), Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square ($22), and San Francisco on Ice ($20-25). Check local event calendars for pop-up holiday markets and craft fairs that run weekends from late November through December.
Three floors of hands-on stuff. The fog chamber alone is worth the admission. Kids under 4 free.
Pier 15, San Francisco, CA 94111 · Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm. Closed Mon. · Ages 0+
Aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum under one roof. The four-story living rainforest dome is unreal.
55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118 · Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm · Ages 0+
Open every day of the year. SF residents get discounted admission. The Little Puffer miniature train is a guaranteed toddler hit.
Sloat Blvd & Great Hwy, San Francisco, CA 94132 · Daily 10am-5pm, last entry 4pm · Ages 0+
Kids make their own claymation movies and music videos. Not a look-don't-touch museum. Everything is hands-on.
221 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 · Wed-Sun 10am-4pm. Closed Mon-Tue. · Ages 1–12
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+
Walk through a 300-foot tunnel with sharks swimming overhead. Then go outside and watch the sea lions for free.
Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133 · Daily 10am-5pm, last entry 4:30pm · 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.
7.5-acre outdoor campus at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Built for ages 0-8. Worth crossing the bridge.
557 McReynolds Rd, Sausalito, CA 94965 · Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4pm. Closed Mon-Tue. · Ages 0–8
Indoor trampoline park in a converted Presidio airplane hangar. Grip socks required ($4). Closing Feb 2027 -- go before it's gone.
926 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94129 · Mon 10am-7pm, Tue-Fri 3-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-1pm · Ages 3+
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
Gymnastics, trapeze, parkour, breakdancing -- all in one spot. Classes start at 18 months. The circus arts are the draw.
639 Frederick St, San Francisco, CA 94117 · Mon-Fri 8:45am-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-2:30pm · Ages 1+
Sliding scale as low as $15/month. Kids' chorus is free. A real music school that doesn't price families out.
544 Capp St, San Francisco, CA 94110 · Mon-Sat, hours vary by class · Ages 4+
Indoor pool, lessons from 6 months up. Non-members welcome. The pre-swim team program is strong.
3200 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118 · Pool hours vary by day, family swim Sat-Sun 2-6:45pm · Ages 0+
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.
1,200-capacity concert venue from the 1960s psychedelic era. Crystal chandeliers, balconies, concert poster art on the walls. They hand out free posters as you leave. Ticket prices vary by artist.
1805 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115 · Show nights only, doors typically 7-8pm
700-capacity concert hall built in 1907. Marble columns, gilded balconies, frescoed ceilings. Rock, jazz, bluegrass, soul, and comedy. Standing room main floor, seated balcony.
859 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109 · Show nights, box office Wed-Fri 1pm-6pm
Seven floors of modern and contemporary art. Frida Kahlo, Warhol, Calder. Rooftop sculpture garden with city views. Free under 18. Late Thursdays open until 8pm. Federal employees free with ID.
151 Third St, San Francisco, CA 94103 · Mon-Tue 10am-5pm, Wed closed, Thu noon-8pm, Fri-Sun 10am-5pm
Hands-on science museum on Pier 15 with 650+ interactive exhibits on perception, physics, biology, art. Thursday evenings are adults-only After Dark (18+, $20) with cocktails and DJs. Under 3 free.
Pier 15, San Francisco, CA 94111 · Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Thu 6-10pm (After Dark, 18+), Sun noon-5pm, closed Mon
400-seat comedy club in North Beach with touring headliners and up-and-coming comedians. Good sightlines from every seat. Two-drink minimum. Plenty of Italian restaurants nearby for dinner beforehand.
915 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133 · Show nights, check schedule
Open since 1978, 182 seats. Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Ellen DeGeneres all came through here. Mix of established headliners and new talent showcases.
444 Battery St, San Francisco, CA 94111 · Show nights, check schedule
1922 Spanish Colonial Baroque movie palace, SF Historic Landmark #100. Wurlitzer organ still inside. Recently renovated, now hosts concerts, film screenings, comedy, and community events.
429 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114 · Event nights, check schedule
18,000+ works of Asian art spanning 6,000 years. China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Himalayas. Free first Sundays. Kids 12 and under always free. Open late Thursdays until 8pm.
200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102 · Thu 1pm-8pm, Fri-Mon 10am-5pm, closed Tue-Wed
2,743-seat home of the SF Symphony. Classical concerts, film score performances, special events. Student and teacher rush $25 on select concerts. Open rehearsal tickets ($55-65) Thursday mornings.
201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102 · Performance schedule varies, check calendar
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
500-capacity venue on Divisadero for indie rock, electronic, hip-hop, and folk. Good sound and sightlines from almost everywhere. Standing room with a small balcony. Where people go to catch bands before they blow up.
628 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117 · Show nights, doors typically 7-8pm
Fine arts museum in Golden Gate Park. American art from the 17th century on, textile arts, contemporary international. Hamon Observation Tower has free 360-degree city views. Free first Tuesdays. Japanese Tea Garden and botanical gardens nearby.
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118 · Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm, closed Mon
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
Music venue in a converted 1914 mortuary chapel in the Mission. 400-capacity room, indie rock, folk, electronic, world music. The upstairs restaurant and bar are good on their own. Tickets $15-40.
777 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 · Show nights, Mon-Sun 5pm+, box office Thu/Sat 12:30-5:30pm
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
Basement venue in the Castro, 250 capacity. Indie rock, folk, electronic, jazz, comedy. Low ceilings, good acoustics, good cocktails. Tickets $15-35.
2174 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114 · Show nights, doors typically 7-8pm
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
400-capacity venue in a converted TV studio. Indie rock, electronic, drag shows, comedy, themed dance parties. Good sound for the space. Tickets $12-30. Programming is all over the place in a good way.
155 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94102 · Show nights, doors typically 8-9pm
Tucked in a Financial District alley — 100+ wines by the glass, no attitude.
408 Merchant St, San Francisco, CA 94111 · Mon-Sat 5pm-12am, closed Sun
$16 admission, $6 skate rental. Year-round indoor rink in the middle of the city. Most people don't realize SF has a permanent ice rink.
750 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94107 · Daily 6am-10pm
$22 includes skate rental. The classic SF holiday rink. Drag on Ice nights in December. Open through mid-January.
333 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94108 · Daily 10am-11pm
Brand new for 2026. SF's largest outdoor rink at Fisherman's Wharf. Waterfront views. ~$20-25 including skate rental.
80 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133 · Daily 10am-11pm
$15 adults, $7 skate rental. Year-round indoor rink in downtown Oakland. Easy BART ride. Less crowded than anything in SF.
519 18th St, Oakland, CA 94612 · Mon-Sun, hours vary by day -- check website
$20 admission, $8 skate rental. The only permanent outdoor ice rink west of the Sierras. Open mid-October through April. Book online -- sessions sell out.
3009 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306 · Sessions vary by day -- Mon/Tue 3-5pm, Wed-Sun multiple sessions, check website