Things to do with kids in San Francisco
San Francisco is about an hour from Sunnyvale, so plan a full day and stack two or three stops close together. Golden Gate Park alone covers the California Academy of Sciences, the Koret Playground and carousel, and the SF Botanical Garden.
On the waterfront, the Exploratorium, the Pier 39 sea lions and a cable car ride make an easy loop, and Crissy Field has a beach and a huge lawn under the Golden Gate Bridge. Drive times here are from downtown San Francisco.
- 9 places
- 4 free
- 8 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
9 places
Drive times from San Francisco
SF Main Library (Fisher Children's Center)
5.0San Francisco · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Civic Center garage, about $3-4/hour
Ride Caltrain (Sunnyvale ↔ Mountain View / Palo Alto)
4.0Sunnyvale · 10 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Station parking about $5.50/day, free at some stations on weekends
Ride a Cable Car (Powell-Hyde Line)
4.0San Francisco · 10 min drive
2 h · carrier recommended
$$ · Parking: Best to park at a North Beach / Fisherman's Wharf garage and board at the Hyde Street turnaround
Pier 39 (Sea Lions + Carousel)
4.0San Francisco · 10 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: The Pier 39 garage is pricey ($40+/day); park farther away and walk, or take the F streetcar
Exploratorium
3.0San Francisco · 10 min drive
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Garages and meters along the Embarcadero near Pier 15, about $20-30
California Academy of Sciences
5.0San Francisco · 15 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Music Concourse underground garage about $6-8/hour; spots available if you go early
Golden Gate Park (Koret Playground + Historic Carousel)
5.0San Francisco · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free/metered street parking in the park; lots of road closures on weekends, so arrive early
SF Botanical Garden
4.0San Francisco · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Music Concourse garage or street parking in the park
Crissy Field (Beach and Lawn Under the Golden Gate)
4.0San Francisco · 15 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free East Beach lot; you can usually find a spot on weekend mornings
💡 Good to know
- Weekend parking near the Golden Gate Park museums fills early; Caltrain plus Muni avoids it entirely.