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Free things to do in San Francisco in winter

Official sources checked Oct 4, 2026

November to February is the rainy season, with storms that pass in a day or two and sharp clear days between them at 13 to 15°C. Nothing on this list closes for winter, but the bridge sidewalk locks at 6:30 pm and it is dark by 5. Keep the free museum floors and the Hamon Tower for wet days. Magnolias open in the Botanical Garden from late January.

San Francisco

Free events in winter2

  • Let's Glow SF

    Ten nights in early December. In 2026: December 4 to 13.

    Animated light projections cover downtown buildings each evening, including the Ferry Building and the Transamerica Pyramid. You watch from the street.

    Official page

  • Chinese New Year Parade

    A Saturday evening in February or early March. In 2027: February 20.

    Floats, lion dancers, firecrackers and a 288-foot golden dragon run from Market Street to Chinatown. Bleacher seats are sold, standing on the sidewalk along the route is free.

    Official page

Always free, and good in winter13

Illustration: Golden Gate Bridge walkFREE

Golden Gate Bridge walk

Presidio
Always freeGood with kidsViewsArchitecture

The 1.7-mile walk across the bridge on the east sidewalk, the side that faces the city and Alcatraz. Drivers pay a toll, people on foot pay nothing.

  • East sidewalk faces Alcatraz and the downtown skyline
  • Stand at the base of the south tower and look up
  • Cross-section of the main cable on display at the plaza
Free when
Always · East sidewalk 5 am to 9 pm from early March to early November, 5 am to 6:30 pm the rest of the year. Gates lock automatically.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h to 1h30 round trip to the first tower and back, 2h for the full crossing and return
How to get there
Muni 28 to the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza stop, or the free Presidio GO Downtown shuttle to the Presidio Transit Center and a 25-minute walk
Worth it? Yes.Walk to the first tower and turn around if you are short on time, the view barely changes after that. Bring a windproof layer even in August, and go before 10 am if you want the towers out of the fog less often than not.
Source: Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Fort PointFREE

Fort Point

Presidio
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistoryViewsArchitecture

A Civil War era brick fort sitting directly under the south arch of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can climb to the roof and look straight up at the steel.

  • Roof level puts you directly under the bridge arch
  • Granite spiral staircases in the corners of the courtyard
  • Surfers ride the break beside the seawall on swell days
Free when
Always · Thursday to Monday, 10 am to 5 pm. Roof closes at 4:30 pm. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Free for whom
Everyone, no entrance pass required
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min
How to get there
Walk 15 minutes downhill from the bridge toll plaza (Muni 28), or follow the Crissy Field promenade west to its end
Worth it? Yes.The best close view of the bridge and almost nobody plans for it. Check the weekday before you walk down, it is shut Tuesday and Wednesday.
Source: National Park Service · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Crissy Field promenadeFREE

Crissy Field promenade

Presidio
Always freeGood with kidsViewsNature

A flat waterfront path from East Beach to Fort Point with the bridge ahead of you the whole way. About 2.3 miles, mostly packed gravel and boardwalk.

  • Torpedo Wharf pier for the head-on bridge photo
  • Restored tidal marsh midway, with herons and egrets
  • Warming Hut benches at the west end, out of the wind
Free when
Always · Open every day, shoreline access is unrestricted
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h one way
How to get there
Muni 30 to Broderick St and walk 10 minutes north to the Marina Gate, or the free Presidio GO Downtown shuttle to the Presidio Transit Center
Worth it? Yes.The easiest way to get the bridge photo without a hill. Walk it east to west so the bridge is in front of you, and expect a stiff headwind after noon.
Source: Presidio Trust · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Lands End and the Sutro Baths ruinsFREE

Lands End and the Sutro Baths ruins

Outer Richmond
Always freeGood with kidsNatureViewsHistory

A clifftop trail on the northwest corner of the city, with the concrete remains of an 1890s swimming complex at the start and the bridge appearing through the cypress trees.

  • Sutro Baths ruins and the short cave tunnel beside them
  • Mile Rock overlook, with the bridge framed by cypress
  • Eagles Point at the east end, above the Sea Cliff houses
Free when
Always · Daily, 6 am to one hour after sunset
Free for whom
Everyone, no entrance fee
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h30 to 2h
How to get there
Muni 38 Geary to the end of the line at 48th Ave and Point Lobos, then 5 minutes on foot to the Lands End Lookout
Worth it? Yes.The best free walk in the city if the fog cooperates. Start at the Sutro Baths, walk the Coastal Trail east and come out near the Legion of Honor. Stay on the marked trail, the cliffs are not fenced.
Source: National Park Service · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Golden Gate Park and JFK PromenadeFREE

Golden Gate Park and JFK Promenade

Golden Gate Park
Always freeGood with kidsNatureLocal life

Three miles of park running to the ocean. The eastern 1.5 miles of JFK Drive are permanently closed to cars, and there is a bison herd at the western end.

  • Bison paddock on JFK Drive near 38th Avenue
  • Dutch Windmill and its tulip garden at the ocean end
  • Blue Heron Lake loop and Huntington Falls on Strawberry Hill
Free when
Always · Park hours 5 am to midnight, every day. JFK Promenade is car-free 24 hours a day.
Free for whom
Everyone. The gardens and museums inside the park charge separately.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
2h to half a day
How to get there
Muni N Judah to 9th Ave and Irving, 5 Fulton to 8th Ave, or 7 Haight to Stanyan St. A free park shuttle runs along JFK Drive.
Worth it? Yes.The park is bigger than it looks on a map, so pick an end. The east end has the museums and the promenade, the west end has the bison, the windmills and Ocean Beach. Use the free shuttle to link them.
Source: San Francisco Recreation and Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Twin PeaksFREE

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks
Always freeGood with kidsViews

Two bare hills near the middle of the city, 922 feet up, with a view down Market Street to the bay. The overlook at Christmas Tree Point is the usual spot.

  • Christmas Tree Point overlook looks straight down Market Street
  • Wooden steps climb both summits, Eureka and Noe
  • Go at dusk and stay until the street grid lights up
Free when
Always · Park hours 5 am to midnight, every day
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min to 1h
How to get there
Muni 37 Corbett to Crestline Dr, then a 10-minute climb on the signed trail
Worth it? Yes.Worth it on a clear day and pointless in fog, so look up from downtown before you go. If you cannot see Sutro Tower, skip it. It is cold and windy at the top at any hour.
Source: San Francisco Recreation and Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Palace of Fine ArtsFREE

Palace of Fine Arts

Marina
Always freeGood with kidsArchitectureHistory

A domed rotunda and colonnades around a lagoon, left over from the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. You walk straight in under the dome.

  • Stand dead center under the rotunda and look up
  • Weeping women sculptures on top of the colonnade
  • Swans and turtles on the lagoon, east side path
Free when
Always · Park hours 5 am to midnight, every day. The rotunda can close for a few hours for repairs or private events.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 min
How to get there
Muni 30 toward the Presidio to Broderick St, then 5 minutes on foot. 10 minutes on foot from Crissy Field East Beach.
Worth it? Yes.Bigger and stranger in person than in photos. Pair it with the Crissy Field walk, it is at the eastern end. Saturdays fill up with wedding shoots by midday.
Source: San Francisco Recreation and Parks · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: ChinatownFREE

Chinatown

Chinatown
Always freeGood with kidsLocal lifeFoodHistory

The oldest Chinatown in North America. Enter through the Dragon Gate at Grant Ave and Bush St, then leave Grant for Waverly Place, Ross Alley and the produce shops on Stockton St.

  • Dragon Gate at Grant Ave and Bush St
  • Painted balconies on Waverly Place
  • Card and chess games in Portsmouth Square
Free when
Always · Streets are open at all times, shops roughly 10 am to 6 pm
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h to 1h30
How to get there
10 minutes on foot from Union Square. Muni T Third to Chinatown-Rose Pak station.
Worth it? Yes.Grant Avenue is souvenir shops. Stockton Street on a Saturday morning is where people actually shop, and Portsmouth Square is where they play cards. Go before noon.
Source: San Francisco Travel Association · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers MarketFREE

Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Embarcadero
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsFoodLocal lifeArchitecture

The 1898 ferry terminal at the foot of Market Street, now a food hall, with a farmers market outside three days a week and the Bay Bridge off the back deck.

  • Saturday stalls wrap around to the bay side
  • Back deck benches face the Bay Bridge
  • The long skylit nave under the 245-foot clock tower
Free when
Always · Building open daily 6 am to 10 pm. Farmers market Tuesday and Thursday 10 am to 2 pm, Saturday 8 am to 2 pm.
Free for whom
Everyone. Browsing is free, the food is not.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min to 1h
How to get there
BART or Muni Metro to Embarcadero, one block. The F Market streetcar stops in front.
Worth it? Yes.Go on Saturday, when the market wraps around the whole building and stalls hand out fruit samples. On a non-market day it is a nice food court with a view, nothing more.
Source: Ferry Building Marketplace · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Cable Car MuseumFREE

Cable Car Museum

Nob Hill
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistoryLocal life

The working powerhouse of the cable car system. From a gallery you watch the huge wheels pull the cables that run under the streets, with three 1870s cars on display.

  • Mezzanine above the big winding wheels and their motors
  • Downstairs sheave room where cables leave under the street
  • Car No. 8 from 1873, from the first Clay Street line
Free when
Always · Tuesday to Thursday 10 am to 4 pm, Friday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Closed Monday, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 min
How to get there
1201 Mason St at Washington. 10 minutes uphill on foot from Chinatown along Washington St. Both Powell cable car lines stop at the door but cost a fare.
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum in the city for the time it takes. Go downstairs to the viewing room where the cables leave the building under the street. It is loud and smells of machine oil, which is the point.
Source: Friends of the Cable Car Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée MécaniqueFREE

Musée Mécanique

Fisherman's Wharf
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistoryLocal life

A warehouse on Pier 45 holding more than 300 coin-operated machines, from 1900s music boxes and fortune tellers to 1980s arcade cabinets, all in working order.

  • Laffing Sal, the cackling giant from Playland at the Beach
  • Hand-cranked mutoscopes and a carnival built from toothpicks
  • 1980s arcade cabinets and pinball along the back wall
Free when
Always · Every day of the year, 10 am to 8 pm
Free for whom
Everyone. Entry is free, each machine takes coins.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 min to 1h
How to get there
Pier 45 at the end of Taylor St. F Market streetcar to Jefferson and Taylor.
Worth it? Yes.The one thing at Fisherman's Wharf worth walking in for. Looking costs nothing, but you will want a few quarters, so set a limit before you go in with kids.
Source: Musée Mécanique · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Hamon Observation Tower at the de YoungFREE

Hamon Observation Tower at the de Young

Golden Gate Park
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsViewsArchitecture

The glass-walled ninth floor of the de Young's twisted copper tower, with a full circle view over Golden Gate Park to the ocean, the bridge towers and downtown.

  • Ninth floor, 144 feet up, glass on every side
  • West windows follow the park out to the Pacific
  • Free sculpture garden and James Turrell skyspace outside the cafe
Free when
Always · Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The tower closes 45 minutes before the museum. Closed Monday.
Free for whom
Everyone, no museum ticket needed
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
20 min
How to get there
Muni 44 to the Music Concourse stop on Tea Garden Dr, or 5 Fulton to 8th Ave and a 5-minute walk into the park
Worth it? Yes.Walk in the main entrance and take the tower elevator, nobody asks for a ticket. It is the only free indoor viewpoint in the city, useful when it is too cold for Twin Peaks.
Source: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: SFMOMA free public galleriesFREE

SFMOMA free public galleries

SoMa
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitecture

About 45,000 square feet of SFMOMA on Floors 1 and 2 need no ticket. That covers large installations made for the museum by both entrances and the rotating Bay Area Walls murals upstairs.

  • Bay Area Walls murals on Floor 2
  • Striped oculus above the atrium at the Third Street entrance
  • Wide wooden steps to sit on by the Howard Street entrance
Free when
Always · Monday and Tuesday 10 am to 5 pm, Thursday noon to 8 pm, Friday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Closed Wednesday.
Free for whom
Everyone. Visitors 18 and younger get free admission to the whole museum every day.
Reservation
Not needed for the free floors. Under-18 tickets can be reserved online.
Time needed
20 to 40 min
How to get there
151 Third St. BART or Muni Metro to Montgomery, or Muni T Third to Yerba Buena/Moscone.
Worth it? Depends.A decent rain stop and a fair sample of the building, but the collection is upstairs behind the ticket line. Travelling with teenagers changes the math, since they get in free.
Source: SFMOMA · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps

Free on certain days in winter6

Illustration: de Young Museum, free first Tuesday$20FREE

de Young Museum, free first Tuesday

Golden Gate Park
Free on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory

The city's main fine arts museum in Golden Gate Park, strong on American painting, textiles and art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas.

  • Ruth Asawa wire sculptures hanging at the base of the tower
  • American galleries with Bierstadt and Church landscapes
  • Oceanic and New Guinea galleries upstairs
Free when
First Tuesday of every month, 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Permanent collection galleries only, special exhibitions stay full price.
Free for whom
Everyone, no residency requirement
Reservation
Reserve a free timed ticket at famsf.org a few days ahead. Same-day tickets at the desk depend on capacity.
Time needed
2h
How to get there
Muni 44 to the Music Concourse stop on Tea Garden Dr, or 5 Fulton to 8th Ave and a 5-minute walk into the park
Worth it? Yes.This is the free day a visitor can actually use, since Saturdays are for Bay Area residents. Arrive at opening. The same morning the Conservatory of Flowers, a 10-minute walk east, is free too.
Source: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Legion of Honor, free first Tuesday$20FREE

Legion of Honor, free first Tuesday

Lincoln Park
Free on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitectureViews

European painting and sculpture in a colonnaded building on a bluff above the Golden Gate, with a cast of Rodin's Thinker in the courtyard.

  • Rodin's Thinker in the Court of Honor
  • Rodin galleries, including The Three Shades
  • Monet's Water Lilies in the Impressionist rooms
Free when
First Tuesday of every month, 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Permanent collection galleries only, special exhibitions stay full price.
Free for whom
Everyone, no residency requirement
Reservation
Reserve a free timed ticket at famsf.org a few days ahead. Same-day tickets at the desk depend on capacity.
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Muni 18 to the Legion of Honor stop, or 38 Geary to 33rd Ave and a 15-minute walk uphill through Lincoln Park
Worth it? Yes.Quieter than the de Young on free day and the setting does half the work. Combine it with the Lands End trail, which ends a few minutes from the door. Doing both museums the same Tuesday is possible but rushed.
Source: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Asian Art Museum, free first Sunday$20FREE

Asian Art Museum, free first Sunday

Civic Center
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory

One of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia, in the old main library facing City Hall. The jade and the Chinese bronzes are the strongest rooms.

  • Jade gallery on the third floor
  • Bronze rhinoceros wine vessel, the museum mascot
  • Gilded seated Buddha dated 338, the oldest dated Chinese Buddha known
Free when
First Sunday of every month, 10 am to 5 pm. General admission is free, special exhibitions cost $10. The date can shift when it falls on a holiday.
Free for whom
Everyone. Children 12 and under are free every day.
Reservation
Not needed, entry is first come, first served
Time needed
1h30 to 2h
How to get there
200 Larkin St. BART or Muni Metro to Civic Center, 5 minutes on foot.
Worth it? Yes.Start on the third floor and work down, the galleries run in geographic order from there. Family storytelling sessions make late morning the busiest time, so come at 10 or after 2.
Source: Asian Art Museum · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Conservatory of Flowers, free first TuesdayFREE

Conservatory of Flowers, free first Tuesday

Golden Gate Park
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsNatureArchitecture

A white Victorian glasshouse from 1879 with tropical plants, orchids and giant water lilies in five warm rooms.

  • Giant water lilies in the Aquatic Plants room
  • Cycads more than 100 years old
  • Carnivorous pitcher plants in the Highland Tropics gallery
Free when
First Tuesday of every month, 10 am to 4:30 pm
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 min
How to get there
Muni 5 Fulton to Arguello Blvd, then 5 minutes on foot into the park along JFK Promenade
Worth it? Yes.Small, so 40 minutes covers it. On any other day the outside and the flowerbeds in front are free and are honestly the better photo.
Source: Gardens of Golden Gate Park · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: San Francisco Botanical Garden, free early hoursFREE

San Francisco Botanical Garden, free early hours

Golden Gate Park
Free on certain daysGood with kidsNature

Fifty-five acres of plants arranged by region, including a redwood grove and a cloud forest collection that grows outdoors here because of the fog.

  • Redwood Grove, planted more than a century ago
  • Mesoamerican Cloud Forest, grown outdoors thanks to the fog
  • Magnolias in bloom in February and March
Free when
Daily 7:30 am to 9 am, enter before 9. Also free all day on the second Tuesday of every month, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Free for whom
Everyone during the free hours
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h to 1h30
How to get there
Muni N Judah to 9th Ave and Irving, then 5 minutes on foot to the main gate at 9th Ave and Lincoln Way
Worth it? Yes.Once you are in before 9 you can stay. Early morning is also when it is quietest. In February and March head straight for the magnolias.
Source: Gardens of Golden Gate Park · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: de Young and Legion of Honor, Free Saturdays

de Young and Legion of Honor, Free Saturdays

Golden Gate Park and Lincoln Park
Free on certain daysResidents onlyBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArt

Both Fine Arts Museums give free general admission every Saturday to people who live in the nine Bay Area counties.

  • de Young: Asawa sculptures and the American galleries
  • Legion of Honor: Rodin's Thinker and the Impressionist rooms
Free when
Every Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Permanent collection galleries only, special exhibitions stay full price.
Free for whom
Residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties. Bring a driver's license or a postmarked envelope with your address.
Reservation
Reserve a free resident ticket at famsf.org. ID is checked at the door.
Time needed
2h per museum
How to get there
de Young: Muni 44 to the Music Concourse stop or 5 Fulton to 8th Ave. Legion of Honor: Muni 18 to the Legion of Honor stop.
Worth it? Yes.No use to a visitor from outside the Bay Area, the ID check is real. If that is you, aim for the first Tuesday instead, or go up the free Hamon Tower.
Source: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps

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