Nightlife in San Francisco, CA

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+

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.

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+

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.

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

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

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

Acoustic sculpture at the tip of a jetty. 25 PVC organ pipes make music from bay waves. Views of Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, and the skyline. Go at high tide for the best sounds; at low tide the pipes are basically silent. Full moon tides are loudest. 1.8-mile trail connects to Crissy Field.

83 Marina Green Dr, San Francisco, CA 94123 · Open 24 hours

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

163 tiled steps with a sea-to-sky mosaic, completed in 2005. Best photos before 10am or after 4pm. Take the N-Judah to 15th & Judah and walk up, or get dropped at the top. Tiles can be slippery. Grandview Park nearby for city views. Residential area, keep it quiet.

16th Ave & Moraga St, San Francisco, CA 94122 · Open 24 hours (residential area, visit during daylight)

Outdoor food truck park with trucks rotating from 200+ Bay Area operators. Free entry, food $10-18 per item. Fire pits, lawn games, bar. Weekday lunch has short lines; Fri/Sat evenings are packed. Dogs welcome. Check @sparksocialsf on Instagram for daily lineups.

601 Mission Bay Blvd N, San Francisco, CA 94158 · Mon-Thu 11am-3pm & 5-9pm, Fri 11am-3pm & 4-9pm, Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-5pm

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

$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