Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around San Francisco

The Bay Area's most popular places to take kids in 2026

Every summer, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. This page is where we showcase the 2026 list of winners for the Bay area. (Click here for the full list of nominees.)

Of course, there are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in our area, not just this year's winners! After you check out the list, make sure to find great things to do on our packed daily calendar, sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter, and visit our Everything That's Free page for lots more ideas.

2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids

San Francisco

 

Top 20 Ranking

Category Winners

1. Children's Creativity Museum 2. California Academy of Sciences 3. The Exploratorium 4. Bay Area Discovery Museum 5. San Francisco Zoo & Gardens 6. Oakland Zoo 7. Pier 39 8. Asian Art Museum 9. Chabot Space & Science Center 10. Lindsay Wildlife Experience 11. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 12. Charles M. Schulz Museum 13. The Walt Disney Family Museum 14. Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center 15. Children's Fairyland 16. de Young Museum 17. Steinhart Aquarium 18. USS Hornet - Sea Air and Space Museum 19. Aquarium of the Bay 20. Lemos Farm

Arts Educator: A.C.T. Young Conservatory Sports Educator: Super Soccer Stars: Year-Round Classes & Camps STEM Educator: Children's Creativity Museum Farm Attraction: Pronzini Christmas Tree Farms & Pumpkin Patch Museum: Children's Creativity Museum Nature Center: Aquarium of the Bay Outdoor Fun: Children's Fairyland Performing Arts: Marin Theatre Sports Team: Golden State Warriors

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