MUSEUMS

Aquarium of the Bay

The Aquarium of the Bay provides unforgettable encounters with marine life. Stroll through 300 feet of clear acrylic tunnels holding 700,000 gallons of Bay water, touch tide pool animals, and delight in viewing playful river otters up close.

Asian Art Museum

Located in the Civic Center neighborhood, this stately museum is home to one of the world’s most diverse collections of art and objects from across the Asian continent. Spanning 6,000 years of human history, visitors can enjoy beautiful paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles and armour, among other objects, originating from Turkey, China, India, Japan, the Philippines and other Asian cultures.

California Academy of Sciences

Home to an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and world-class research and educational programs, the California Academy of Sciences is one of San Francisco’s must-see destinations. From the splashing penguins in the African Hall to the wildflowers on the roof, the building is bursting with life. A four-story rainforest and awe-inspiring coral reef ecosystem delights visitors of all ages, while immersive planetarium shows transports you through space and time for a new perspective on our planet. The Academy is also topped by a 2.5-acre living-roof, which is a crucial part of its eco-friendly design and operations in Golden Gate Park.

California Historical Society

The California Historical Society has been preserving the rich and fascinating history of California for more than 140 years. Enjoy informative exhibits in their downtown location near the Contemporary Jewish Museum and MoAD, or catch one of their citywide exhibits at one of San Francisco’s many museums and libraries.

Children’s Creativity Museum

For families traveling with kids to San Francisco, the Children’s Creativity Museum is a fun way to spend a day. In Yerba Buena Gardens, the Children’s Creativity Museum is filled with interactive exhibits that teach kids about animation, music, digital media and other creative pursuits. Don’t miss a ride on the historic, hand-carved Leroy King carousel that makes a perfect companion to a day at the museum.

Contemporary Jewish Museum

Located in downtown San Francisco near the Museum of African Diaspora and the California Historical Society, the Contemporary Jewish Museum presents dynamic exhibitions and educational programs, exploring contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history and ideas. Drop-In Art Studios and Textile Lab Gatherings are offered year-round, free with museum admission, and are programs that are fun for the whole family!

de Young Museum

Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the de Young’s collection exceeds 27,000 works and is renowned for its American art from the 17th through 21st centuries, modern and contemporary art, photography, international textiles and costumes, and art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Be sure to visit the ninth-floor Observation Level of the de Young’s Hamon Tower and enjoy breath-taking 360-degree views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean.

Exploratorium

Located in a pristine new facility on Pier 15 on the Embarcadero, the Exploratorium is an interactive museum inspiring creativity in people of all ages. Explore more than 600 hands-on exhibits and enjoy breathtaking views of the city and bay in the spectacular glass-and-steel Bay Observatory. Ignite your curiousity as you step inside a tornado, walk across a fog bridge, and crawl through total darkness in the Tactile Dome using your sense of touch as your only guide through the maze.

Legion of Honor Museum

Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful neoclassic building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge. The museum’s collection features more than 4,000 years of ancient and European art and also houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, one of the largest collections of works on paper in the country. Don’t miss a performance on the Skinner pipe organ and enjoy the impressive sound of 4,500 pipes playing everything from Bach and Gershwin to great film scores.

Museum of African Diaspora

MoAD showcases the history, art and the cultural richness that resulted from the dispersal of Africans throughout the Africa Diaspora. MoAD connects all people through shared African heritage and detailed, immersive exhibits. Throughout the year, they offer special programs that bring together people of all ages through dance, music, art talks, and more.

Museum of Craft & Design

A non-collecting institution, the Museum of Craft and Design is one of North America’s few institutions dedicated to contemporary practices in craft and design. The museum’s mission is to explore the active roles craft and design play in everyday life through original and traveling exhibitions, collaborations with museums from around the world, and hands-on opportunities to learn how to make your own crafts.

SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Founded in 1935 as the first West Coast museum devoted to modern and contemporary art, a transformed San Francisco Museum of Modern Art re-opened on May 14, 2016. The Snohetta-designed expansion includes 170,000 square feet of new and renovated galleries, enabling SFMOMA to display more of its 33,000 modern and contemporary artworks and an entire floor dedicated solely to photography. Free access to 45,000 square feet of ground floor galleries and visitors 18 and younger make SFMOMA more welcoming and connected to the city than ever before.

The Walt Disney Family Museum

Dedicated to the life and work of Walt Disney, creator of some of America’s most beloved animation including Mickey Mouse, this museum is housed in a historic building in the Presidio. Contemporary interactive galleries and state-of-the-art exhibits are narrated in Walt’s own voice, and feature early drawings, cartoons, movies, music, listening stations, more than 200 video screens and a spectacular model of Disneyland. While you’re there, enjoy daily screenings of Disney movie classics.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Located in the heart of Yerba Buena Gardens, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents cutting-edge, contemporary visual art, performances, film/video and community engagement programs that celebrate innovation and experimentation by local, national and international artists working today. Distinguished by its support for contemporary artists from around the world, YBCA is also recognized for the important role the organization plays in the San Francisco Bay Area arts ecology and in the community at large. Artistically, YBCA is decidedly “cutting edge,” presenting and exhibiting work by artists who are pushing the boundaries of their art in form and/or content.

MARKETS

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Hosted by a non-profit organization, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market offers diverse, local products in front of the Ferry Building. Head to this market to purchase high-quality ingredients for your dinner. When your bags become too heavy to carry, drop everything off at the Veggie Valet, a free service that holds your purchases until you’re finished. If you have more questions, look for the attraction’s info booth in front of the building, where you can also buy merchandise like aprons and canvas shopping bags.

Alameda Flea Market, East Bay, Alameda Island

The monthly Alameda Point Antiques Faire is by far the best place to buy antiques in the San Francisco Bay Area. Schedule a day to explore the huge fairgrounds on Alameda Island in the East Bay! We recommend going there early to dodge the traffic jams and the influx of fellow treasure hunters. Alameda Flea Market is one of few markets in the area with a strict focus on authentic vintage and antiques!

Treasure Island Flea Market (TreasureFest), San Francisco Bay

TreasureFest, formerly known as Treasure Island Flea Market, is a colorful monthly festival with live music, food trucks, arts & crafts and a sizeable portion of vintage merchandise. Visitors come for the great entertainment and some of the best panoramic vistas of the Bay. Treasure Fest is held on the last weekend of the month, except for December.

Alemany flea market, San Francisco, Bernal Heights

Much smaller than the Alameda Antiques Fair, the Alemany flea market is open every Sunday. Its vendor rules are not as strict, but it is still a great place to shop for vintage and antiques. The market is centrally located in the Bernal Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco. It is a great option for those looking for a Sunday flea market in the centre of San Francisco.

Berkeley flea market, East Bay / Oakland

The Berkeley flea market is also known as Ashby flea market, due to its location at the Ashby BART station. The weekly market is rather small, with only around 40 sellers. It is one of the most popular markets in the East Bay / Oakland area and known to be a fun place to hang out. Berkeley Flea Market is particularly famous for its drum circle and spontaneous dancing. Expect arts & crafts, multicultural vibes, and African artisanry. All in all, the market is not very vintage or antique, but as Berkeley as it gets! Every Saturday and Sunday.

De Anza College Flea Market, Cupertino

De Anza Flea Market in Cupertino is the largest college flea market in the Bay Area with over 800 sellers. This classic flea market takes place every first Saturday of the month and is the perfect place to go bargain hunting in search of hidden treasures. There is a wide variety of second-hand goods and junk being sold, but with a little persistence, you can find nice little vintage knick-knacks and collectibles.

Inner Sunset Flea Market, San Francisco, The Inner Sunset

The Inner Sunset Flea is held in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, not far from the Golden Gate Park (800 Irving Street). From May to November, the Inner Sunset Flea Market takes place on the Second Sunday of the month from 10 am – 4 pm. The family-friendly market is a colorful community event and offers not only handcrafted art and vintage finds but also food stalls and kids activities. Residents sell second-hand items at Inner Sunset Flea, but there are also artisans and makers as well as professional flea market vendors to be found.

Silicon Valley Electronics Flea Market, Sunnyvale, South Bay

The monthly Electronics Flea Market in Sunnyvale caters to all those hobbyists who can’t resist repairing their broken electronic appliances. It is a niche flea market, where Silicon Valley’s electronics enthusiasts and collectors of vintage electronics meet up at dawn. The market takes place every second Saturday of the month, rain or shine, March until September.

Solano Way Swap Meet / Concord Flea Market, Oakland

Another market in Oakland, the Solano Swap Meet, is also known as Concord Flea Market due to its location. As the name states, this market is a swap meet but also hosts a first-class farmer’s market at the same venue. The flea market itself is a fairly large, garage-sale-style event with around 500 vendors. Many second-hand and lots of new items are sold at the Solano Way Swap Meet every weekend.

San Jose Flea Market, SF Bay Area

The San Jose flea market is a California classic and one of the largest weekly flea markets in the United States. Around 2,000 vendors on over eight miles of stalls attract more than 75,000 visitors every week. Almost everything may be sold at this market! The focus is clearly on newly imported goods and relatively new second-hand items and fresh produce, rather than vintage and antiques.

Laney Flea Market, East Bay / Oakland

Laney College Flea Market in Oakland is a weekly Sunday market where bargain hunters find low-priced merchandise. So, expect a large portion of new items sold at Laney Flea Market, often imported from China, as well as second-hand goods. Unfortunately, bicycles and tools of questionable origin make up a large portion of the merchandise sold at this market.

PARKS

Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

Fishing, hiking and wind surfing are all popular activities at Candlestick Park State Recreation Area which is located next to 3ComPark in San Francisco. Inside the park are a number of picnic areas, trails and fishing piers, as well as permanent wind instruments placed around the area for visitors to listen too.

Golden Gate Park

This large urban park sprawls over a large part of the land within San Francisco. It features a Japanese Tea Garden, the De Young Museum, the Academy of Sciences and a few lakes.

Muir Woods National Monument

Explore this redwood forest, which contains plenty of hiking trail and interpretive displays. In the area is a visitor center with exhibits that is open year round from 8am to sunset. No bicycles, picnics, dogs or camping are allowed in the park.

Point Reyes National Seashore

For the bird watcher there are over 400 species that pass through the park, or watch the annual gray whale migration. Lots of hiking trails, backcountry camping, biking and much more to see and do. Located only 22 miles north of San Francisco.

Angel Island State Park

This park covers 740 acres with hiking, fishing, biking and environmental camping sites available. Explore the military building build in 1863. Visit three historical homes on the island. Open all year around.

Yerba Buena Gardens

This lovely public garden offers opportunities for shopping, viewing art, enjoying some outdoor music or just relaxing on the bright green lawn.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area encompasses over 75,000 acres of land and includes Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Fort Mason and more.

Presidio of San Francisco

Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Presidio of San Francisco features a number of historical buildings as well as hiking and biking opportunities.

Dolores Park

A soccer field, tennis courts and a basketball court are a few of the facilities at Dolores Park. The park also offers picture-worthy views of the city.

Mountain Lake Park

At Mountain Lake Park visitors can venture around Mountain lake on a series of paths. The park is also home to a playground and tennis court.

Huntington Park

Built on the former site of one of the city’s most elaborate residences, Huntington Park was set aside in 1915 for all the people of San Fran to enjoy. The park is now host to many art shows and cultural events.

Corona Heights Park

The top of Corona Heights Park features a spectacular view of San Francisco. Visitors should take caution while heading up the steep steps to take in the view.

Duboce Park

The grassy Duboce Park is a popular spot with dog walkers, due to its off-leash dog area. The park also has a fun children’s playground.

Grand View Park

At the top of Grand View Park, also known as Turtle Hill, visitors can take in views of the city and the ocean. As visitors explore the paths they can admire the park’s natural vegetation.

McLaren Park

One of the largest parks in San Francisco, McLaren Park has a variety of playgrounds. The park is full of activities from golf, hiking to bird watching.

Lincoln Park

Encompassing approximately 100 acres of the north-western corner of the San Francisco Peninsula, Lincoln Park was dedicated to President Lincoln in 1909. The park is the Western Terminus of Lincoln Highway and now boasts an 18-hole golf course.

Glen Canyon Park

Taking up about 70 acres (28 ha) of land, the Glen Canyon Park offers a diverse landscape. Playgrounds, ball fields, tennis courts and more facilities are located inside the park.

Cayuga Park

Situated near the Cayuga Terrace neighborhood, the Cayuga Park features several beautiful gardens. There are also well-maintained walking paths.

Buena Vista Park

Located inside the Haight-Ashbury and Buena Vista Heights neighborhood area, Buena Vista Park offers great views of the city. The Golden Gate Bridge can even be seen from the park.