Quirky Free Museums & Exhibits That Kids Actually Love

1. Cable Car Museum: Best for ages 5-12

Peek inside the real powerhouse that keeps the cable cars running. With clanging wheels, giant cables in motion, and antique streetcars, it’s equal parts history lesson and sensory wonder.
Fun fact: This isn’t just a museum; the cables you see whirring below are actively powering the city’s cable cars. They are closed on Mondays, so plan ahead. 

2. Randall Museum: Best for toddlers to tweens

This hands-on, kid-centered museum features live animals, art studios, science experiments, and even a toddler treehouse. Admission is free, and kids can partake in classes like art and science on the weekends. 
Fun fact: Kids can see animals like snakes, bunnies, and tortoises up close on select days. 

3. San Francisco Railway Museum: Best for all ages

Small but mighty, this Embarcadero spot showcases the history of SF’s iconic streetcars. Kids can “drive” a vintage streetcar cab and learn how transit survived the 1906 earthquake.
Fun fact: It’s run by the nonprofit that still operates the vintage streetcars today.

Explore hidden gems in SF by cable car. Photo by Jan Helebrant via Flickr

4. Musée Mécanique: Best for 6 and up

While it costs quarters to play the games, wandering the rows of antique arcade machines is free fun in itself. From the creepy-cool fortune tellers and vintage pinball, kids will be asking, "Did you play that?" all day.
Fun fact: The museum has more than 300 coin-operated machines, making it the largest collection in the world.

5. San Francisco Fire Department Museum: Best for toddlers

Old fire trucks and gear tell the story of SF’s firefighting history, but this one is especially fun for kids in their “firefighter phase.”
Fun fact: Check out the hand-drawn fire engine from 1810.

Secret Outdoor Spaces & Natural Wonders

6. Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park: Best for all ages

Did you know there are actual bison living in the middle of San Francisco? These bison have called the park home since the 1890s, and spotting them seems like a slice of wilderness in the middle of the city. 
Fun fact: The current herd descends from Yellowstone National Park. 

7. Kite Hill: Best for all ages

Tucked in the Castro, this windy hill offers cool 360° views without the big crowds. Bring a kite or just enjoy the wide-open skies with a picnic lunch.
Fun fact: The park is named for its gusty winds, making it perfect for flying a kite!

8. Holly Park: Best for all ages

This Bernal Heights hideaway has a playground, sports courts, and trails, plus some of the best views in town.
Fun fact: Holly Park is one of SF’s oldest parks, even older than Golden Gate Park.

9. Sutro Baths: Best for ages 6 and up

Explore the haunting remains of what was once an enormous public bathhouse and museum. Kids love balancing along the stone walls and watching the waves crash below.
Fun fact: The Sutro Baths had seven pools filled with the Pacific Ocean's tides.

RELATED: Family-Friendly Urban Hiking Trails in San Francisco

Explore the Sutro Baths. Photo by Janelle Ingraham Dwyer

10. Wave Organ: Best for all ages

This acoustic sculpture on the Marina waterfront uses the motion of the tides to create eerie, otherworldly sounds. Go at high tide for the best “concert.”
Fun fact: The pipes were built from salvaged cemetery stone.

11. Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden & Dutch Windmill: Best for all ages

In the spring, hundreds of tulips bloom at the base of a giant Dutch windmill, making it feel like a mini trip to Europe tucked in Golden Gate Park.
Fun fact: In Dutch culture, tulips are a symbol of peace and reconciliation.

12. Shakespeare Garden: Best for all ages

A hidden garden where around 200 flowers featured across the garden are found in the pages of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets.
Fun fact: The garden is a popular wedding spot in the city.

13. Salesforce Transit Center Park: Best for all aes

A four-block-long rooftop park hovers above the Transit Center downtown, complete with play spaces, fountains, and free family programming.
Fun fact: The fountains are programmed to “dance” whenever a bus passes beneath.

Cool, Free Pop Culture & Movie Locations

14. Fort Point: Best for ages 7 and up

Hiding right under the Golden Gate Bridge, this Civil War-era fort is free to explore and offers bridge views best for older kids. 
Fun fact: Alfred Hitchcock's classic movie Vertigo used Fort Point as the site of one of its most memorable scenes.

15. Yoda Fountain and Lucasfilm Lobby: Best for all ages

A bronze Yoda welcomes visitors to the Lucasfilm campus in the Presidio. On weekdays, you can peek into the lobby to see props like lightsabers and costumes.
Fun fact: The Lucasfilm lobby, near the fountain, has life-size figures of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and other iconic characters.

16. Mrs. Doubtfire House: Best for all ages

The beloved Robin Williams film house in Pacific Heights still draws crowds of fans taking a quick photo stop.
Fun fact: The homeowners are used to visitors but ask that people stay on the sidewalk.

Secret Art and History Hiding in Plain Sight

17. Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line in the Presidio: Best for ages 5 and up

This flowing eucalyptus sculpture, designed by artist Andy Goldsworthy, invites kids to balance, climb, and explore. It’s part art installation, part natural playground.
Fun fact: It was built entirely from felled eucalyptus trees in the Presidio.

18. Balmy Alley Murals: Best for 6 and up

Every wall along this Mission alley tells a story about history, culture, politics, and the creativity that is San Francisco. The murals change often, making it a new experience every time.
Fun fact: The murals have received more publicity than any other community mural in San Francisco's history.

19. Peephole Cinema: Best for all ages

On a quiet Mission street on Orange Alley on 26th St., a tiny peephole in a brick wall plays looping short silent films on a mini screen. It's a cool San Francisco spot that you'll easily miss if you're not looking for it. 
Fun fact: The project has been running in San Francisco since 2013, with a sister installation in New York City as well. 

20. Cayuga Park: Best for toddlers

This tucked-away park is filled with whimsical wood carvings like animals, totems, and benches that have been turned into art and tucked under the I-280 freeway.
Fun fact: All the carvings were made by one man, Demetrio Braceros, over decades of care.

21. 16th Avenue Tiled Steps: Best for ages 5 and up

Climb this mosaic staircase with 163 steps decorated with handmade tiles forming an ocean-to-sky design, including animals, birds, and fish designs. 
Fun fact: The stairs were a neighborhood project, with over 220 neighbors designing the tiles and over 300 people helping to put them in.

22. Jack Early Park: Best for ages 8 and up

A tiny pocket park reached by hidden stairs in Telegraph Hill, this spot is small enough to miss but gives one of the best views of the Bay.
Fun fact: The park was hand-built by local activist Jack Early in the 1960s.

23. San Francisco City Guides Walking Tours: Best for ages 8 and up

Free, volunteer-led walking tours bring the city’s history to life, from the Gold Rush to hidden Victorians.
Fun fact: The guides are all local volunteers, and the program has been running for over 45 years.