Best Indoor Places for Kids in San Francisco
Karl the Fog loves to be out and about in San Francisco during the summer. Or really most times of the year. But don’t let the chilly weather put a damper on your time in San Francisco – there are plenty of fun indoor places in San Francisco where kids can play, explore, indulge in treats, and burn off energy. As a local mom, it’s definitely handy to have this list of indoor activity ideas in my back pocket for those days off from school when we wake up to gray skies and drizzle. From hands-on museums to aquariums and arcades in both the touristy and local neighborhoods of San Francisco, here are some local favorite indoor places to take kids in San Francisco when the fog rolls in.
Musee Mechanique
The Musee Mecanique is a quirky collection of vintage arcade games, pinball machines, and coin-operated musical instruments that is not your typical arcade. I remember going as a kid when it was tucked away near the Cliff House by Ocean Beach. Now it’s located at Fisherman’s Wharf, which is convenient for visitors hitting the tourist areas in the city. Instead of flashy graphics and fast-paced modern games, you’ll find hand-cranked animations, mechanical clowns, and old-school charm. It’s a fun, hands-on museum that kids (and nostalgic adults) can both enjoy when it gets too cold outside at Fisherman’s Wharf.
- Location: Fisherman’s Wharf, at the end of Pier 45
- Cost: admission to the museum is free, but pay to play each arcade game
- Hours: 10am-8pm every day
- Good for: all ages, even adults!
Aquarium of the Bay
The exhibits at the Aquarium of the Bay focus on the marine life found in San Francisco Bay. Its main highlight is an underwater tunnel where you can watch sharks and rays glide by overhead as you walk through the tunnel. While it’s not a massive aquarium, it’s an engaging place to spend a couple of hours getting up close with local sea creatures. It’s a great place for kids to warm up when it’s too cold to enjoy the rest of Pier 39.
- Location: Pier 39
- Cost: kids 3 and under free, 4-12 yo are charged the kids rate, 13-64 yo are charged the adult rate, check the website for the most updated prices
- Hours: 10am-5pm every day
- Good for: all ages, even adults!
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is an interactive museum that blends science, technology, and art. What makes it especially fun is that every exhibit is designed to be touched and tinkered with, so kids love the hands-on aspect of it. It’s especially great for elementary-aged kids and up, who can better understand the science behind it all. With hundreds of hands-on exhibits, you could easily spend hours here. I remember loving field trips here as a kid, and can’t wait to take our kiddo when he’s a bit older.
- Location: Pier 15
- Cost: kids 3 and under free, 4-17 yo are charged the youth rate, 18-64 yo are charged the adult rate, check the website for the most updated prices.
- Savings tip: Exploratorium participates in the ASTC Passport Program, so you can take advantage of discounted tickets through reciprocity if you have membership to a local museum that is part of the ASTC Passport Program.
- Hours: 10am-5pm every day
- Good for: probably best enjoyed by ages 7+
Children’s Creativity Museum
The Children’s Creativity Museum is another hands-on museum with exhibits that focus on encouraging creativity through arts and crafts. There is a music room, lego room, animation room, and a play room for younger kids, along with some other rotating exhibits. I would say the sweet spot for this museum is probably 4-8 years old, even though the website states the exhibits are designed for ages 2-12. The carousel outside is a hit with kids.
- Location: Yerba Buena Gardens at 4th Street in Downtown SF
- Cost: $20 for everyone age 1+
- Hours: 10am-4pm Thursday-Sunday
- Good for: ages 4-8 yo
Randall Museum
The Randall Museum is a hidden gem run by SF Parks and Rec, which means admission is completely free – though donations are welcome! It’s a hands-on museum with something for everyone: a train room, live animal exhibits, a woodworking studio, pottery studio, and even a small playroom for toddlers. For older kids and teenagers, the classes they offer on woodworking, robotics, and ceramics are such a great opportunity to get an introduction to these hobbies. Since it’s tucked away in a more residential neighborhood, this is one of the indoor places to take kids in San Francisco where you’re more likely to find locals than the museums in the touristy areas above.
- Location: Corona Heights Park, between the Castro and Haight-Ashbury
- Cost: free!
- Hours: 10am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday
- Good for: ages 2+
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is one of the favorite indoor places for kids in San Francisco for both locals and visitors. Younger kids can spend hours exploring the aquarium downstairs, while older kids and adults are drawn to the indoor rainforest filled with fluttering butterflies. There is also a soft playroom for the youngest kids and rotating exhibits so there’s something new to explore in every visit. This is a super popular place for local families to have play dates on wet days (even though in our experience, kids tend to run off in different directions once they get inside most of the time).
Check out our local’s guide to San Francisco with kids for some delicious kid-friendly restaurant recommendations near the Cal Academy!
- Location: Golden Gate Park
- Cost: kids 2 and under free, 3-12 yo are charged the child rate, 13-18 yo are charged the youth rate, and 19+ are charged the adult rate. Ticket prices vary based on the day of your visit and how early you purchase them, check the website for most updated pricing.
- Hours: 9:30am-5pm Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday
- Good for: all ages, even adults!
Round1 Bowling & Arcade
If you’re after a more modern arcade experience, Round1 Bowling & Arcade is a fun spot where kids can easily spend many hours and many dollars. This Japanese-style arcade has bowling, karaoke, tons of arcade games, and plenty of claw machines filled with stuffed animals. The lights and loud noises can be a bit of a sensory overload, but kids will definitely have fun.
- Location: Stonestown Mall
- Cost: free to enter, but pay to play for arcade games and activities
- Hours: 10am-2am every day
- Good for: all ages, even adults!
Indoor Playgrounds
Sometimes on a wet day you just need an indoor playground where your kid can run around and release all that pent up energy. Indoor playgrounds in SF may not be as big as the ones in the burbs, but kids can still spend hours jumping in the ball pits or running through the mazes and sliding down the giant slides. These indoor playgrounds also have separate play areas for smaller toddlers to play safely.
- Location: WOW Kids Playground (Nob Hill), Little Oceanauts (Ingleside), Peek-a-Boo Factory (Richmond)
- Cost: varies, check individual websites
- Hours: varies, check individual websites
- Good for: ages 2-12
Holey Moley Indoor Mini Golf
This indoor mini golf course is geared to adults since it’s a bar first and indoor mini golf course second, but it welcomes kids before 8pm. Don’t expect the usual windmills and castles at this mini golf course – this place is all pop culture, neon, and quirky fun. The course itself only takes about 30-40 min to play, but you can stay for the bar food and the vibes!
- Location: the Mission
- Cost: $14-27 per game, depending on how many holes and day of the week
- Hours: welcomes kids 2pm-8pm Monday-Friday, 11am-8pm Saturday-Sunday
- Good for: probably best enjoyed by ages 7+
House of Air
Becoming a mom has definitely made me more cautious, and while trampoline parks are a blast for energetic kids, it sounds like a terrifying place from a parent’s perspective. But for the more intrepid parents, House of Air is a great indoor trampoline park where kids can bounce non-stop. Trampoline access is for kids 5+, but they do have an indoor playground area with a ball pit for kids 2-4 yo.
- Location: the Presidio
- Cost: $15 per hour for the little kids playground, $28 per hour for trampoline access
- Hours: 2-6pm Monday and Wednesday-Friday, 10am-6pm Saturday-Sunday
- Good for: ages 2+
Walt Disney Family Museum
The Walt Disney Family Museum is dedicated to the life and legacy of Walt Disney. The museum has interactive exhibits, vintage cartoons, and hands-on animation stations. For kids, there is a dedicated kids’ scavenger hunt, a mini theater showing classic Disney films, and a special play area nearby outside. There’s a lot of display and not a lot of interaction at this museum, so might not be as interesting for little kids but Disney lovers will enjoy this behind the scenes look at how the world of Disney came to be.
- Location: the Presidio
- Cost: kids 5 and under free, kids 6-17 yo are charged the youth rate, 18-64 yo are charged adult rate, check the website for updated prices
- Hours: 10am-5:30pm Thursday-Sunday
- Good for: probably best enjoyed by ages 7+
San Francisco Public Libraries
As a bookworm for life, my love for the San Francisco Public Libraries knows no bounds. I have been taking my kiddo to the library to borrow books and enjoy story times since he was a baby. In the summers, they even give kids a free book (to keep) at every visit as part of their Summer Stride program. Most of the public libraries have a dedicated kids’ section. West Portal branch even has a separate kid’s room with some toys.
- Location: every neighborhood in the city!
- Cost: free!
- Hours: varies by branch
- Good for: all ages, even adults!
Fun Cafes
What kid doesn’t love a good snack break – especially when it comes with beautiful surroundings or furry friends?
At George’s Donuts & Merriment, the donuts are as fancy as they are delicious, and the elegant, Vienna-style dining room makes it feel like a special treat for grown-ups too.
KitTea Cat Lounge is a cozy cafe where you can sip tea or coffee while hanging out with friendly, adoptable rescue cats. It’s the perfect place when your kids are begging for a pet, but you’re not quite ready to bring one home.
- Location: George’s Donuts in West Portal, KitTea Cat Lounge in the Mission
- Cost: check website for prices
- Hours: check website for hours
- Good for: all ages at George’s Donuts, age 9+ at KitTea Cat Lounge
Ice Cream
Sure, it’s 55 degrees and drizzly outside, but that classic San Francisco summer weather is perfectly acceptable for indulging in some incredible ice cream. The city is home to some must-try artisanal ice cream shops known for their creative, unique, and seasonal flavors. Each spot has its own twist, so you’re never far from a scoop worth braving the fog for.
- San Francisco’s Hometown Creamery: our favorite for their rotating seasonal flavors and amazing cinnamon waffle cones. Located in the Inner Sunset.
- Salt & Straw: known for unique flavor combinations (like mashed potatoes and gravy, though they do have tamer flavors like balsamic strawberry and honey lavender). Located in Pacific Heights and Hayes Valley.
- Mitchell’s Ice Cream: known for Mexican, Peruvian, and Filipino flavors. Located in the Mission.
- Polly Ann Ice Cream: known for Asian ice cream flavors. Located in Outer Sunset.
- Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream: known for Asian gelato flavors. Located in Outer Sunset.
- Humphry Slocombe: known for experimental flavors, Secret Breakfast is the famous one. Located in the Ferry Building.
- Uji Time Dessert: known for Japanese soft serve in a taiyaki cone. Located in Japantown.
- Bi-Rite Creamery: known for small batch seasonal flavors. Located in Dolores Park.
- Smitten Ice Cream: known for using liquid nitrogen to churn each ice cream to order. Located in the Mission.
