If you have been following my blog for a while you have probably figured out that I put a huge focus on making travel affordable to ALL families. This new article, “Free Things to Do in Bay Area”, is just the latest in the series of my blog posts about travel on a shoestring budget. Definitely check out Adventures Under $10 section on my blog on more super affordable and often FREE attractions and destinations.
But let us come back to free things to do in Bay Area – there are actually a ton of free attractions in San Francisco Bay Area that are fun, education and overall great for the entire family. Just to clarify, this article is specifically about free things to do in BAY AREA, not in San Francisco city proper.
The reason for this is that I profoundly dislike San Francisco. In the last few years the city became overrun by homelessness, the crime levels skyrocketed, human waste and drug syringes are a “norm” on the streets. Also add to that horrible traffic gems and utmost impossibility to find parking.
I don’t feel personally safe in the city anymore nor I feel safe for my car. My friend’s car was broken into while it was parked in an expensive underground garage in an area of town that is considered to be “good”. So if you park just in the street, especially in the evening, you may as well resign to the fact that you will not see your car intact when you come back.
But don’t fret! You don’t really need San Francisco – there are a lot of free things to do in Bay Area that are great substitutes for the famous attractions of the city. Sometimes they are even better. I structured my list of free things to do in Bay Area in such away that it addresses both, your potential interests and some of the well-known attractions in San Francisco for which a specific attraction on the list is a perfect substitute.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like BOTANICAL GARDENS
Sure, San Francisco Botanical Garden and Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park are famous but did you know that there are 25+ FREE botanical gardens in Bay Area? Some of them are really amazing and I honestly believe that Japanese Garden in San Jose is much better than the Japanese Garden in San Francisco. To get your own FREE guide to all these beautiful gardens, check out my article Free Botanical Gardens in San Francisco Bay Area.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like ARCHITECTURE
San Francisco is well-known for its architecture but are all the coolest structures in the city proper? Not at all! If you like amazing architecture you need to check out Sausalito house boats (pictured below) and Stanford University campus in Palo Alto. You can learn more in my articles Things to Do in Sausalito and Stanford University Campus Tour.
Another really unusual architectural wonder that is FREE to visit is Pulgas Water Temple (Address: 56 Cañada Rd, Redwood City, CA 94062). It is so gorgeous that even weddings are held there (see the cover photo for this article). But not only that – the area around the temple has a short walking trail with interpretive stands about the water you drink in Bay Area and you can also taste this amazing water that is one of the cleanest in the country (also tests confirmed it is cleaner than bottled water!)
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if you Like ART
De Young, Legion of Honor and MOMA Museums are always recommended in San Francisco guidebooks but not many people know that there are 2 great FREE art museums on Stanford campus in addition to the University’s impressive outdoor collection of Rodin and other sculptures – check my Stanford University Campus Tour guide for details.
Free things to do in Bay Area if you like MUSEUMS
If you like museums in general, two options mentioned above are great. Also, don’t miss Bay Area Model museum (proper name “Bay Area Model Visitor Center”) in Sausalito which is free to the public. The model provides a unique opportunity to view the complete bay-delta system at a glance, i.e. the entire flow of water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Bay complete with the tide movements. This entire exhibit is an amazing fit of engineering!
There are also a few other FREE museums in Bay Area that are worth checking out (Chico Air Museum and Lace Museum are my favorites on the list). In addition to that you can get FREE or discounted tickets to many museums in Bay Area through Discover & Go card that is available through local libraries in the area (you will need to get a library card first). You can check Discover & Go partner museums HERE.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like WILDLIFE
You may have seen adorable photos of sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco but I let you on a secret: Pier 39 is not the only place where you can see sea lions. You can also see them for FREE under Santa Cruz pier and also swimming around Pacifica Pier.
Bay Area is also a fantastic place for bird watching because very important bird migration routes pass through the area. I have a guide for you to best bird watching locations in Bay Area.
I also have a detailed guide on where to see other wildlife in California in close proximity to Bay Area
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like REDWOODS
Many people travel to San Francisco Bay Area to see California Redwoods. Redwoods don’t grow in the middle of the city, which is a good thing. There are several state parks around Bay Area where you can walk among these amazing giants and access to many of them is FREE of charge. See my detailed guide on best places to see Redwoods near San Francisco.
One of my most favorite Redwoods forests with FREE access is Purisima Redwoods Preserve – watch my short video tour of it below:
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like BEACHES
Ocean Beach is one of the most famous beaches in San Francisco city but it is far from being the best beaches around. In my view the best beaches in Bay Area are located in Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Pescadero.
In all these locations you can find free parking and free beach access.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like TIDEPOOLING
There is no place for tidepooling in San Francisco but there are super cool ones in Bay Area! If you have not done tidepooling before you should definitely try it! At low tides the rocky areas adjacent to the beach get uncovered and such areas have pools of ocean water that harbor many ocean creatures: crabs, sea stars, see urchins, anemone and more.
My two favorites are Pescadero State Beach and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like HISTORY
If you like history you should definitely check out California missions located in San Francisco Bay Area. Many Missions charge a small fee for entrance but a couple of them don’t.
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and Mission San Rafael Arcángel offer free entrance. You also will enjoy visiting missions if you are a fan of architecture. Missions’ buildings are a classic example of Spanish colonial style of architecture.
I also love Monterey State Historic Park. Yes, it is not technically in the Bay Area proper but it is close enough for a day trip. And if you do like history this is definitely a place not to miss.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like PLAYGROUNDS
There are tons of playgrounds in Bay Area and they are all free. But some of them are better than others. There are several fantastic playgrounds that are our favorites. How do we choose a favorite? It has to be located in a big park with lots of kids activities and play structures. We like playgrounds that are either super new and modern or the ones that have something unique.
So our favorite playgrounds in Bay Area are: Magical Bridge (Palo Alto), Heather Farms Park (Walnut Creek), Beresford Park (San Mateo), and Washington Park (Burlingame). All of these are easy to find on Google Maps. The first two are especially awesome because they are all ability playgrounds.
Free things in Bay Area if You Like PARKS
If you are a fan of Golden Gate Park, you will have fun in Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos and Kelly Park in San Jose. They offer a variety of activities: there are botanical gardens, playgrounds, picnic grounds, a beautiful lake and a creek to enjoy and some interesting things to do which are not free but worth checking out: Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in Kelly Park and Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in Vasona Lake Park.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like HIKING
If you like hiking you probably know that in many state parks around San Francisco Bay Area you have to pay at least for parking. May be a minimal amount, but still. However if we are talking about FREE things to do in Bay Area, let’s be true to the theme.
There are two great areas for hiking where parking is free and where there are some super cool things to enjoy so we come back there time after time:
Edgewood Nature Preserve in redwood City is perfect for hiking in spring to see tons of California wildflowers.
Marin Headlands in Marin is famous for its stunning views of the ocean and historic sites.
Free Things to Do in Bay Area if You Like GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
Let’s face it: there is no substitute for Golden Gate Bridge. It is one of a kind. However, it does not mean that you have to take a risk of your being broken into while you are parked San Francisco to see it.
The best way to experience Golden Gate Bridge is to drive over it on your way to Sausalito or Marin Headlands and then there are phenomenal views of the bridge from both locations. And it is absolutely FREE to see it from either end!
Conclusion
No matter what your interests are, there are a lot of free things to do in Bay Area that can fill your entire vacation. And if you are a local you are in luck – you can keep exploring weekend, after weekend.
If you found this article about free attractions in Bay Area useful, please, share it with other as it may help them in their travel plans too.
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