San Francisco Date Ideas

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Open since 1978, 182 seats. Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Ellen DeGeneres all came through here. Mix of established headliners and new talent showcases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Two steep concrete slides built into a hillside, designed by a 14-year-old in the 1960s and opened in 1973. Choose the red slide or the yellow slide (steeper and faster). Bring cardboard to sit on — without it, the concrete friction slows you down and ruins your clothes. Locals grab flattened boxes from nearby stores. The slides are steeper than they look and the yellow one is legitimately thrilling. Hidden in a residential area and easy to walk right past.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Basement venue in the Castro, 250 capacity. Indie rock, folk, electronic, jazz, comedy. Low ceilings, good acoustics, good cocktails. Tickets $15-35.

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.

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.