31 with deals

Things to do in San Francisco

Museums, tours & cruises and family fun — 100 places to go in San Francisco, California. 12 free to enter · most admission $8 to $23. 31 have a verified saving right now.

San Francisco's attractions lean heavily toward museums and interactive entertainment venues. The California Academy of Sciences combines an aquarium, rainforest, planetarium, and natural history museum under one roof in Golden Gate Park. The Exploratorium at Pier 15 features over 650 exhibits exploring science, art, and human perception. Aquarium of the Bay showcases 20,000 aquatic animals at Fisherman's Wharf. For active play, the city offers climbing gyms like Benchmark Climbing and Dogpatch Boulders, escape rooms including PanIQ and The Escape Game San Francisco Downtown, bowling centers, trampoline parks, and ice skating rinks. Waterfront attractions range from Adventure Cat Sailing Charters operating catamarans on the bay to SkyStar Wheel's 150-foot observation wheel offering 360-degree views of Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. History-focused venues span from the Walt Disney Family Museum to the USS Pampanito submarine and Cable Car Museum. Smaller specialized museums explore everything from bookbinding to Italian American culture to Beat Generation history.

What this list covers

San Francisco has 100 places to go, mostly museums (42), tours & cruises (20), family fun (10).

61 of them publish an admission price, 66 publish opening hours, 7 have something dated on now, 31 are running a verified saving.

Every figure here was read on the attraction’s own website, most recently on September 23, 2026.

How we know these are real

Savings here are quoted from the attraction’s own website, word for word. This one, for example:

“admission for San Francisco residents with an EBT/SNAP or Medi-Cal card is just $3.”

Quoted from sfzoo.org · checked on

What’s on in San Francisco

7 places in San Francisco have something dated on, 10 listings in all, the 6 starting soonest below. Dates and wording are the venue’s own.

On nowSep 5 – 26Season

Randall Museum, San Francisco

Afternoon Art for September 2026

Saturday drop-in art workshops for families held from 1:00 to 4:00 pm throughout September at Randall Museum.

Checked September 15, 2026

“Repeating EventAfternoon Art for September 2026Saturday Drop-In Art Workshop for Families_1:00 pm - 4:00 pm_”

Quoted from randallmuseum.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

On nowSep 5 – 26Season

Randall Museum, San Francisco

Saturday Science for September 2026

Drop-in science workshops for families held on Saturday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 am throughout September at Randall Museum.

Checked September 15, 2026

“Repeating EventSaturday Science for September 2026Drop-in Science Workshop for Families_10:30 am - 11:30 am_”

Quoted from randallmuseum.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

This weekendSep 27Event

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

Chuseok Celebration

The museum hosts a Chuseok celebration on Sunday morning, free with admission, where families experience Korean harvest festival traditions.

From $10 per personFree $20

“SUN, SEPTEMBER 27 / 10:00AM”

Quoted from asianart.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Next weekendOct 2 – 9 · 5:00 pmSeason

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, San Francisco

Sunset Fridays

An after-hours family event runs on consecutive Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Playfield Lawn. Guests enjoy live music, outdoor bars, kid-friendly activities, and ambassador animals.

From $22 per personmilitary & resident rates
Pick tickets

“Sunset Fridays, an after-hours event for the whole family, will run on consecutive Fridays* through October 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.”

From the venue’s own calendar, sfzoo.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Next weekendOct 3 · 11:00 amEvent

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, San Francisco

Hispanic Heritage Celebration

A special celebration features Folklorico dance performances, bilingual storytimes in Spanish and English, keeper talks, and authentic foods. Families discover animals and the people who care for them.

From $22 per personmilitary & resident rates
Pick tickets

“Dates: October 3, 2026 at 11:00 am”

From the venue’s own calendar, sfzoo.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Museums in San Francisco42

All museums in California →

Tours & cruises in San Francisco20

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Family fun in San Francisco10

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Escape rooms in San Francisco6

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Parks & beaches in San Francisco4

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Shows & live entertainment in San Francisco4

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Bowling in San Francisco3

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Indoor climbing in San Francisco3

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Zoos & aquariums in San Francisco2

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Ice & roller skating in San Francisco2

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Adventure in San Francisco1

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Theme parks in San Francisco1

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Trampoline parks in San Francisco1

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Mini golf in San Francisco1

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Free in San Francisco

13 attractions in San Francisco get you in for nothing, in the venue’s own words.

All free things to do in California →

Common questions

How many attractions in San Francisco are running a deal?
31 of the 100 attractions in San Francisco currently have a verified saving, covering 77 offers in total. Each is quoted from the attraction’s own website.
How much do things to do in San Francisco cost?
Most admission in San Francisco runs $8 to $23 per person, and 12 places are free to enter. Published prices run from $7 to $210 — $7 at Imagination Playhouse, $210 at Movement San Francisco, across 12 attractions in San Francisco that publish their own. Each figure is that venue’s own price line for what it names, which is not always plain admission, and each attraction’s page carries the rest of its rates.
What’s on in San Francisco right now?
7 attractions in San Francisco have something dated running, 10 listings between them. Each carries its own dates and the venue’s own sentence, and nothing is listed once its dates have passed.
Is there anything free to do in San Francisco?
12 attractions in San Francisco say on their own website that admission is free. We only say free when the venue does, unqualified — a child rate priced at nothing is not a free attraction.
What kinds of attractions are included?
museums (42), tours & cruises (20), family fun (10), escape rooms (6), parks & beaches (4), shows & live entertainment (4), bowling (3), indoor climbing (3), zoos & aquariums (2), ice & roller skating (2), adventure (1), theme parks (1), trampoline parks (1), mini golf (1).
Are these deals guaranteed to still be available?
No. Every deal here carries the date it was last checked on the attraction’s own website and a link straight to the page it came from, so you can confirm it before you travel. Prices and offers change without notice.
What can we do on a rainy afternoon with young children?
American Bookbinders Museum offers hands-on activities for children under 10 free. Imagination Playhouse is an indoor playground with interactive play structures and obstacle courses. House of Air spans over 8,000 square feet of interconnected trampolines. Peek-a-Boo Factory features multi-level play structures with slides, tunnels, and bridges.
What's good for teenagers who want active experiences?
Benchmark Climbing and Dogpatch Boulders offer indoor rock climbing and bouldering across multiple routes and walls. Sandbox VR provides full-body virtual reality experiences with motion controls and headsets. PanIQ Escape Room and Palace Games offer puzzle-solving challenges within sixty-minute timeframes. Bay Area Smash Room lets visitors smash bottles and furniture in a controlled environment.
Are there things to do that don't require going indoors?
Adventure Cat Sailing Charters operates catamarans sailing San Francisco Bay with fresh air and waves on deck. Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest operating public Japanese garden in North America with maples, pines, azaleas, and cherry trees. San Francisco Botanical Garden spans 55 acres showcasing over 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world.