Starts In 14 Days
- When
- Thu 26 Nov 2026, plus the long weekend to 29 Nov
- Where
- San Francisco; Turkey Trot at the Polo Field, Golden Gate Park
- Cost
- SF Botanical Garden is free on the day
- Getting There
- BART Sunday service 8am-midnight; Muni weekend schedule
Checked 6 Nov 2026 on the organizers' own pages.
On Thanksgiving Day the Botanical Garden is free from 7:30am and the Turkey Trot runs from the Polo Field at 8am, while four museums are closed: SFMOMA, the Exploratorium, the Legion of Honor and the de Young. BART and Muni run Sunday-style schedules.
Live Update
Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026. Museums are closed, the Botanical Garden is free and BART and Muni run Sunday-style service. Organizer pages last checked 6 November 2026. The Union Square tree has no 2026 lighting date announced yet.
Last updated:
Thanksgiving in San Francisco is quieter than you might expect: the big museums close for the day, BART and Muni slow down, and a lot of the city heads to Golden Gate Park. Then the long weekend flips straight into the holiday season, with the light shows, the ice rink and the first holiday shows all running. This is what is actually open and on for Thursday 26 November 2026 and the weekend around it, checked against each organizer’s own page.
Thanksgiving Day: Thursday 26 November
| What | When | Cost | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Turkey Trot | 8am Kids Gobbler Chase (100 m, ages 10 and under); 8:40am 5-mile run and 3-mile walk | $57 + processing fee; kids’ dash free for children of registered adults | Polo Field, Golden Gate Park (JFK Drive at 36th Avenue) |
| San Francisco Botanical Garden | Opens 7:30am; last entry 4pm; closes an hour after last entry | Free all day on Thanksgiving | 1199 9th Avenue, Golden Gate Park |
| Photosynthesis light show, Conservatory of Flowers | Every night, from about 30 minutes after sunset; about 30 minutes long | Free | Outside the Conservatory, 100 John F Kennedy Drive |
| Lightscape | Evenings, 20 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Adults from $32, ages 5–17 from $20, 4 and under free | San Francisco Botanical Garden |
The Turkey Trot is run over grass, dirt paths and trails rather than paved paths, so wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy. The race benefits the Lowell High School track and field team.
Unconfirmed The $57 adult entry came from the Turkey Trot’s own entry page on 6 October. Its registration listing now says only “see price at registration”, and the race’s own site prints no price today. Do this: Check the price on the registration page before you sign up. Source: Turkey Trot registration · Checked 6 November 2026.
Turkey Trot schedule and registration
What Else Is Open on Thursday?
The Golden Gate Bridge walk is the easy one. Walkers can use the east sidewalk from 5am to 6:30pm in winter, and the bridge lists no separate Thanksgiving hours. The sidewalk can close early for work or events, so check the bridge alerts page that morning. Source: Golden Gate Bridge: Bikes and Pedestrians · Checked 7 November 2026.
For everything else, check first. None of these places has printed Thanksgiving hours for 26 November that we could find.
Check These Before You Go
Each place is open on a normal day. Whether it is open on Thanksgiving is the part we could not confirm.
- Conservatory of Flowers UnconfirmedNormally open Thursday to Tuesday, 10am to 4:30pm, closed Wednesdays. The Gardens’ hours page lists no Thanksgiving closure, but one local guide says it is closed that day.Do this: check the Gardens’ hours page the week before, or call.Source: Gardens of Golden Gate Park: Admissions and Hours · Checked 7 November 2026.
- PIER 39 and the Aquarium of the Bay UnconfirmedOn a normal day the shops are open 10am to 8pm, restaurants 11am to 9pm and the Aquarium 10am to 5pm. Neither site prints Thanksgiving hours, so do not plan your day around them yet.Do this: call PIER 39 at 415-705-5500 or the Aquarium at 415-623-5300.Sources: PIER 39: Address and Hours, Aquarium of the Bay · Checked 7 November 2026.
- Chinatown shops and restaurants UnconfirmedWe found no single holiday schedule. Each shop and restaurant sets its own hours.Do this: check the restaurant’s own page, or call, before you head over.No published schedule found · Checked 7 November 2026.
- Union Square department stores UnconfirmedUsually closed on Thanksgiving. We have not confirmed 2026 hours.Do this: check the store’s own page before you go.Not confirmed for 2026 · Checked 7 November 2026.
What Is Closed on Thanksgiving Day?
| Museum | Thursday 26 Nov | Friday to Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| de Young | Closed | Open 9:30am–5:15pm |
| Legion of Honor | Closed | Open 9:30am–5:15pm |
| SFMOMA | Closed | Open 10am–5pm |
| Exploratorium | Closed | Open; it also opens on Monday 23 November, 10am–5pm, for Thanksgiving break |
| California Academy of Sciences | No Thanksgiving closure listed on its hours page when we checked; confirm on its daily calendar | Open 9:30am–5pm (Sunday from 11am); peak pricing applies in November |
If you are looking for something indoors on the Friday, see our free museum days and rainy-day ideas with kids.
The Long Weekend: Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November
| What | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Dickens Christmas Fair | Friday 27 Nov (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and weekends 21 Nov – 20 Dec, 10am–6pm | Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City (on the SF city line) |
| Hook in Concert, SF Symphony | Friday 27 Nov, 7:30pm; Saturday 28 Nov, 2pm | Davies Symphony Hall |
| ODC/Dance: The Velveteen Rabbit | Opens Saturday 28 Nov, 11am; Sunday 29 Nov, 2pm (free pre-show talk at 1pm); runs to 6 Dec | Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA |
| Lightscape | Nightly from 20 Nov | San Francisco Botanical Garden |
| Union Square ice rink | Open from 4 Nov | Union Square |
| PIER 39 holiday season | From 23 Nov to 10 Jan | PIER 39 |
The Dickens Fair sells tickets online only, through its producer Red Barn Productions. Early Bird tickets, on sale 16 to 31 October 2026 and valid only on 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 November, are $40 for ages 13 and up and $25 for ages 5 to 12; general admission from 1 November is $50 and $30; children under 5 are free (all before ticketing fees). The fair says there are no authorized resellers and no box office on site. Parking at the Cow Palace is $20 per vehicle. The Velveteen Rabbit, danced to a narrated storybook, is in its 40th year and is aimed at families; the weekend performances offer a “Very Important Bunny” package with a gift bag and a cast selfie.
The Weekend Before: 20 to 22 November
If you are in town early: Lightscape opens on Friday 20 November, West Coast Craft fills Fort Mason Center on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, and the Dickens Fair’s first weekend is 21–22 November.
Shopping for gifts that weekend? Our San Francisco holiday markets guide lists every market from mid-November to Christmas, with dates checked on each organizer’s page.
Plan Around This Event
Thanksgiving Day runs on a slow schedule, so a little planning decides whether the day is easy. Everything below links to the section above or to our own pages.
Getting There
- Thursday 26 November: BART runs Sunday service (8am to midnight) and Muni runs its weekend schedule. See the BART holiday schedule and the table in the section below.
- Golden Gate Park (Turkey Trot, Botanical Garden, Conservatory): the Gardens list the N Judah and the 5, 6, 7, 21, 28, 29, 33, 43 and 44 buses. Source: Gardens of Golden Gate Park · Checked 6 November 2026.
- Turkey Trot start: Polo Field, JFK Drive at 36th Avenue. The race runs on grass and dirt paths, so wear shoes that can get muddy.
- Parking and Muni basics: Parking in San Francisco, Muni one-pager.
Where to Eat Nearby
- Restaurant hours on Thanksgiving Day itself vary, and we have not confirmed any single restaurant’s hours for 26 November. Unconfirmed Holiday hours are set by each restaurant. Do this: call or check the restaurant’s own page before you go.
- Planning the day after? The Ferry Building eat guide and Fisherman’s Wharf eat guide cover where to eat near those sights.
- More: Where to Eat in San Francisco.
What to Expect
- A quiet city on Thursday: the big museums are closed (see the closed list above) and transit is slower, so allow extra time.
- Friday to Sunday flips to holiday-season crowds: Lightscape, the Union Square ice rink and the Dickens Fair all run. Book timed tickets early.
- Dress for park weather: wet grass and cool mornings are normal at the Polo Field.
- Access and seating: Accessibility in San Francisco. Weather: What to wear in San Francisco.
Last Year (2025)
- Last year’s Thanksgiving Day schedule is not on this page. Unconfirmed We did not save an official 2025 record of Thanksgiving Day hours, so we show none rather than guess. Do this: use the 2026 table above, which was checked on the organizers’ own pages this month.
If It Rains or Sells Out
If it rains
- Free museum days and indoor picks: free museum days and rainy-day ideas with kids.
- Thursday is the hard day for indoor plans, because most museums are closed. Friday is much easier.
If it is sold out
- Dickens Fair and Lightscape sell by date. If your date is gone, try a nearby weekend, or see the holiday lights guide.
- Only buy through the organizer. See official tickets for sold-out events.
Getting Around on Thanksgiving
| Day | BART | Muni |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 26 Nov | Sunday service, 8am–midnight | Weekend schedule: Metro subway opens at 8am; early-morning Metro buses 5–8am; routes 1X, 5R, 8AX, 8BX, 9R, 28R and 714 do not run |
| Friday 27 Nov | Not on BART’s 2026 holiday list (weekday schedule) | Weekday schedule, without school-day extra service |
Muni says its holiday schedule is subject to change and posts a detailed travel update before each holiday. For the Botanical Garden and the Conservatory, the Gardens list the N Judah and the 5, 6, 7, 21, 28, 29, 33, 43 and 44 buses; see Muni, BART and cable cars with kids.
Not Announced Yet
- The Union Square tree-lighting date for 2026 (date not announced yet; last year it was lit 10 or 11 November; checked 6 November 2026). (PIER 39’s own page lists its tree lighting on Thursday 3 December but prints no year; 3 December is a Thursday in 2026.)
- Ticket prices for The Velveteen Rabbit (not shown on ODC’s show page when we checked).
- Muni’s detailed Thanksgiving travel update and any parking changes.
We will add them here as they are published. Meanwhile: San Francisco holiday lights 2026, SF Ballet’s Nutcracker (from 4 December), every November event, day by day, and a full day in Golden Gate Park with kids.
Correction, 1 October 2026: this guide said Dickens Fair tickets go on sale on 1 October. The fair’s own site says Early Bird tickets go on sale on 16 October 2026. The Dickens Fair, PIER 39 and Union Square ice rink details were re-checked on their own sites on 1 October 2026.
Where Everything Is
Pin positions are approximate. Tap a pin for the page and directions. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- SF Turkey Trot start: Polo Field, Golden Gate Park
- SF Botanical Garden: free on Thanksgiving, Lightscape from 20 Nov
- Conservatory of Flowers: Photosynthesis light show
- Union Square: ice rink, Great Tree (date not announced yet)
- PIER 39: holiday season from 23 Nov
- Cow Palace, Daly City: Great Dickens Christmas Fair
Update History
6 November 2026: read the organizers’ own pages again. Still matching this guide: the Dickens Fair (five weekends 21 November to 20 December plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, 10am to 6pm), BART (Sunday service 8am to midnight on 26 November) and SFMTA’s holiday list (Thanksgiving Day weekend schedule on 26 November, weekday non-school schedule on 27 November). The Turkey Trot’s own site prints no price today (see the note above). Added the Other Places That Are Usually Open list, the map and this history.
Re-checked on 6 October 2026: the Turkey Trot’s own entry page (now dated 26 November 2026) and its registration listing, the Dickens Fair’s ticket page (Early Bird and general-admission prices added), ODC/Dance, the California Academy of Sciences’ hours page (still no Thanksgiving closure listed) and PIER 39 (its tree-lighting date still shows no year).
Checked on 27 September 2026 against the San Francisco Turkey Trot’s own site and its registration page, Gardens of Golden Gate Park (hours and Lightscape), the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, SFMOMA, the Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences, the San Francisco Symphony, ODC/Dance, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, the Union Square ice rink, PIER 39, BART and SFMTA. We re-check this guide before Thanksgiving week.
Re-checked on 15 October 2026 on the organizers’ own pages: the Dickens Fair (dates 21 November to 20 December plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, Early Bird on sale 16 to 31 October, general prices, Twilight entry after 3pm at $35 adult and $20 child, parking $20), BART and Muni holiday schedules, and PIER 39 (tree lighting Thursday 3 December, holiday season 23 November to 10 January; its page still prints no year). The Union Square tree-lighting date was still not announced.
Re-checked on 24 October 2026 on the organizers’ own pages: the Turkey Trot’s registration listing (Thursday 26 November, Golden Gate Park; Kids Gobbler Chase 8am, run and walk 8:40am), the Dickens Fair (21 November to 20 December plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, 10am–6pm), the de Young (closed on Thanksgiving) and the Exploratorium hours page. Not re-confirmed on 24 October: the $57 Turkey Trot price (the registration listing says only “see price at registration” and the Turkey Trot site printed no price that day), the ODC Velveteen Rabbit dates (ODC’s page showed no show details that day) and the Union Square tree-lighting date, which is still not announced.
Re-checked on 1 November 2026 on their own sites: the Dickens Fair (21 November to 20 December plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, 10am to 6pm, $20 parking, 2026 tickets on sale), the Union Square ice rink (opens 4 November), PIER 39 (holiday season from 23 November; its tree-lighting date on the events page still has no year) and the California Academy of Sciences hours page. Not re-checked on 1 November: the de Young, Exploratorium (both blocked our check), SFMOMA, BART and Muni schedules, the Turkey Trot and the Velveteen Rabbit. The Union Square tree-lighting date is still not announced.
Re-checked on 7 November 2026: rewrote the list of other places open on Thursday. The Golden Gate Bridge walk hours come from the bridge’s own page. The Conservatory of Flowers, PIER 39 and the Aquarium of the Bay, Chinatown and Union Square are now listed as not confirmed for 26 November, because none of them prints Thanksgiving hours.
Questions People Ask About Thanksgiving 2026 in San Francisco: What’s Open, What’s On
What is open in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day 2026?
The San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park is open and free all day on Thanksgiving (from 7:30am; last entry 4pm in late November). The SF Turkey Trot runs from the Polo Field that morning, the Conservatory of Flowers’ free Photosynthesis light show runs every night from about 30 minutes after sunset, and Lightscape, the ticketed light trail at the Botanical Garden, runs from 20 November.
Are San Francisco museums open on Thanksgiving?
Mostly not. The de Young, the Legion of Honor, SFMOMA and the Exploratorium all list Thursday 26 November as closed. The de Young and Legion reopen Friday at 9:30am and SFMOMA at 10am. The California Academy of Sciences’ hours page did not list a Thanksgiving closure when we checked on 27 September; check its daily calendar before you go.
Is there a Turkey Trot in San Francisco?
Yes. The San Francisco Turkey Trot, in its 24th year, starts at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park on Thanksgiving morning: a 100-meter Kids Gobbler Chase at 8am, then a 5-mile run and a 3-mile walk at 8:40am. Adult entry is $57 plus a processing fee; the kids’ dash is free for children 10 and under of registered adults.
Do BART and Muni run on Thanksgiving?
Yes, on reduced schedules. BART runs Sunday service (8am to midnight) on Thursday 26 November. Muni runs its weekend schedule on Thanksgiving Day, so the Metro subway opens at 8am and the weekday-only routes 1X, 5R, 8AX, 8BX, 9R, 28R and 714 do not run; on Friday 27 November Muni runs a weekday schedule without school-day extras.
What is on the day after Thanksgiving in San Francisco?
The museums reopen, the Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace (Daly City, on the city line) opens for its Friday-after-Thanksgiving date from 10am to 6pm, and the SF Symphony plays Hook with a live orchestra at 7:30pm (again on Saturday at 2pm). Lightscape and the Union Square ice rink are both open.
When do the holiday lights start in San Francisco?
The Union Square ice rink reopens on 4 November, PIER 39’s holiday season runs from 23 November, and Lightscape at the Botanical Garden runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Union Square tree-lighting date had not been announced when we checked on 1 October 2026; PIER 39 lists its tree lighting on Thursday 3 December without printing a year. Our holiday lights guide has the full list.
What is open in San Francisco on Thanksgiving besides the Botanical Garden?
The Golden Gate Bridge walk has regular posted hours you can plan around: walkers use the east sidewalk from 5am to 6:30pm in winter, and the bridge lists no separate Thanksgiving hours. We could not confirm Thanksgiving hours for the Conservatory of Flowers (one local guide says it is closed), PIER 39 and the Aquarium of the Bay, Chinatown's shops and restaurants, or Union Square's department stores (usually closed). Check each place's own page or call the week before.
More Guides
San Francisco Holiday Lights 2026: Lightscape, the Bay Lights, Union Square and What Is Free
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Read the guide →More to Explore
Happening Soon
- San Francisco Botanical Garden Free Thanksgiving Day Thu, Nov 26 · San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Lightscape Fri, Nov 20 – Jan 3 · San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Union Square Holiday Ice Rink Wed, Nov 4 – Jan 18 · Union Square
- Hook in Concert Fri, Nov 27 – Nov 28 · Davies Symphony Hall
- West Coast Craft: Winter Sat, Nov 21 – Nov 22 · Fort Mason Festival Pavilion
Places to Check Out
- Alta Plaza Park Parks & Playgrounds
- Angelo J. Rossi Playground Parks & Playgrounds
- Aquarium of the Bay Attractions
- Balmy Alley Murals Attractions
Cite this page: Project SF, “Thanksgiving 2026 in San Francisco: What’s Open, What’s On”, projectsf.com/guides/thanksgiving-weekend-san-francisco-guide/ (updated ).