Looking for the best things to do with kids in San Francisco? A top family city, San Francisco is home to a legendary hands-on science museum, a museum with an aquarium and rainforest under one roof, and cable cars. This local family guide covers San Francisco’s top kid-friendly attractions, museums, outdoor fun, and rainy-day options — plus how to find what local parents actually recommend.
Top things to do with kids in San Francisco
The Exploratorium at Pier 15 is a world-famous hands-on science playground kids adore, and the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park packs an aquarium, a planetarium, and a living rainforest under one roof. Fisherman’s Wharf delights families with the barking sea lions at Pier 39, the Aquarium of the Bay, and the vintage arcade games at the Musée Mécanique.
Kid-friendly museums & attractions in San Francisco
The Exploratorium and the California Academy of Sciences are two of the best family museums in the country, joined by the Children’s Creativity Museum at Yerba Buena and the San Francisco Zoo.
Parks & outdoor fun for families
Golden Gate Park is a family wonderland — with playgrounds, the Koret Children’s Quarter carousel, and paddle boats on Stow Lake — and riding the historic cable cars is a thrill, along with the beaches and Crissy Field. For more, see our guide to the best parks and outdoor spots in San Francisco.
Rainy-day & indoor options in San Francisco
On foggy or rainy days, the Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Children’s Creativity Museum are all excellent indoor destinations.
What local parents in San Francisco recommend
Kids’ favorites, new attractions, and which spots are worth it at each age change all the time — and local parents know the details that listings miss. On Neighborhood Nurturers’ San Francisco community, real San Francisco parents share what their kids genuinely love. For more ideas, see our guide to the best things to do in San Francisco. Join your San Francisco neighbors free and get real family recommendations →
The San Francisco angle
Family spots here range from playgrounds to hands-on museums, and locals know which hold up on a rainy day. Half the fun of a day out with the kids in San Francisco is stringing it together with the places nearby. Golden Gate Park is the landmark most people orient around, but neighbors will tell you the Ferry Building and Dolores Park are where the town really shows its character, with the Lands End Trail worth a look if you have the time. Use those as your reference points and this guide slots neatly into a day that feels like San Francisco, not a checklist.
Keep exploring San Francisco
If this was useful, these companion guides cover San Francisco from angles that pair naturally with it: Free things to do in San Francisco, Parks in San Francisco, Things to do in San Francisco. Together they add up to a full weekend without leaving town.
Ask a San Francisco neighbor
The best tips never make the guidebooks — they come from neighbors who know which spot is worth it this week. That is what the San Francisco community on Neighborhood Nurturers is for. Ask San Francisco locals what they would do, or join free and get honest answers from people who actually know San Francisco.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do with kids in San Francisco?
The Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences (aquarium, planetarium, rainforest), the Pier 39 sea lions, the cable cars, and Golden Gate Park’s carousel and playgrounds.
What can you do with kids in San Francisco on a rainy day?
Visit the Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences, or the Children’s Creativity Museum — all excellent indoor destinations.
What do local parents recommend in San Francisco?
SF parents share their kids’ genuine favorites and current tips by neighborhood in our community.