When the rain (or a serious fog bank) rolls in, San Francisco still has plenty to do indoors. These are our go-to wet-weather plans, with prices and hours to help you pick. Several are free.
Free (or Nearly Free)
Randall Museum, Corona Heights
This free city museum has rescued live animals, a big model railroad, a toddler treehouse and drop-in art and science activities. It’s calm and compact, which suits little ones.
199 Museum Way · Free · Tue–Sat 10am–5pm · randallmuseum.org
Main Library: Fisher Children’s Center
The entire second floor of the Main Library is for kids, with a play-to-learn space, storytimes and a huge picture-book collection. Free, dry and a short walk from the Asian Art Museum.
100 Larkin St, 2nd floor · Free · Open daily (hours vary) · sfpl.org
Musée Mécanique, Fisherman’s Wharf
More than 300 working coin-operated machines, from 1900s fortune tellers and player pianos to vintage arcade games. Entry is free; a pocketful of quarters goes a long way.
Pier 45 · Free entry, machines 25¢–$1 · Open daily · museemecaniquesf.com
Big Museum Days
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, a four-story rainforest, a planetarium and a natural history museum under one living roof. You can easily fill an entire wet day; time your visit around the penguin feeding.
55 Music Concourse Dr · Adults about $49, kids 3–12 about $39–45, 2 and under free · Mon–Sat 9:30am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm · calacademy.org
Exploratorium
Hundreds of hands-on science and perception exhibits fill a waterfront pier, and touching everything is the point. Best for grade-schoolers and up, but little ones find plenty to poke at.
Pier 15 · Adults $39.95, youth 4–17 $29.95, 3 and under free · Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm · exploratorium.edu
Children’s Creativity Museum
Hands-on studios for stop-motion animation, building and storytelling, sized for preschool through early elementary. The carousel and playground are right outside when the rain stops.
221 4th St · $20 per person age 1+ · Wed–Sun 10am–4pm · creativity.org
Aquarium of the Bay, Pier 39
Walk-through tunnels put sharks, rays and schools of local fish right overhead, all native to San Francisco Bay. An hour or two here pairs easily with the sea lions at Pier 39.
Pier 39 · Adults about $28, kids 4–12 about $20 · Daily 10am–5pm · aquariumofthebay.org
The Walt Disney Family Museum, Presidio
Galleries tell Walt Disney’s story through early sketches, animation cels and a large model of Disneyland. Best for school-age animation fans.
104 Montgomery St · Adults $30, 6–17 $15, 5 and under free · Thu–Sun 10am–5:30pm · waltdisney.org
Asian Art Museum
Art spanning thousands of years across Asia, free for kids 12 and under every day and free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. Pair it with the library across the plaza.
200 Larkin St · Adults $20, 12 and under free · Thu 1–8pm, Fri–Mon 10am–5pm · asianart.org
Burn off Energy
Mission Cliffs (Touchstone Climbing)
A big indoor climbing gym with roped walls and bouldering, plus kids’ camps and lessons. A great way to burn off energy on a wet day; check the site for supervision rules.
2295 Harrison St · Kids 12 and under day pass $30 · Daily · Climbing with kids
Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling Center
San Francisco’s only year-round indoor ice rink, with a bowling alley under the same roof, so you can switch from public skate to a few frames without going back out in the rain. Reopened August 2026 under new management.
750 Folsom St · Check the site for sessions and prices · yerbabuenagardens.org
Prices and hours were checked in September 2026 and can change, so confirm before you go.
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Read the guide →Questions People Ask About Rainy-Day Things to Do in San Francisco with Kids
What is there to do in San Francisco when it rains?
The Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium are the two big indoor days out. For free, the Randall Museum, the Cable Car Museum and the main library’s children’s floor. For something different, the ice rink and bowling alley at Yerba Buena, or the warm tropical house at the Conservatory of Flowers.
Does it rain much in San Francisco?
Only between November and March, and the city averages roughly twenty to twenty-two inches a year. Summer is effectively dry; the grey you see in July is fog, not rain, and it usually burns back by the afternoon on the east side of town.
What should kids wear in San Francisco rain?
A hooded rain jacket rather than an umbrella, because the wind wins, plus waterproof shoes. Winter highs stay in the upper fifties, so it is wet rather than cold.
Which indoor attraction is best value on a rainy day?
The Randall Museum, because it is free, has live animals and a model railroad, and rarely gets crowded. If you are paying, the Academy of Sciences gives you the most hours under one roof.
More to Explore
Happening Soon
- Treasures of the Pharaohs Sat, Aug 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 · de Young Museum
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Sat, Sep 12 – Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza
- Heart of the City Farmers Market Sun, Sep 13 – Dec 31 · Fulton Plaza, Civic Center
- SF State Observatory Public Nights (Wed–Fri, through Dec 4) Thu, Oct 1 – Dec 4 · SF State Observatory, Thornton Hall
Places to Check Out
- Alta Plaza Park Parks & Playgrounds
- Angelo J. Rossi Playground Parks & Playgrounds
- Asian Art Museum Museums
- Bi-Rite Creamery Ice Cream & Treats
Cite this page: Project SF, “Rainy-Day Things to Do in San Francisco with Kids”, projectsf.com/guides/rainy-day-things-to-do-san-francisco-kids/ (updated ).