SD › California for Families
Updated: June 8, 2021
By Santorini Dave
See Also
- Our Favorite Family Hotels in San Francisco
- Our Favorite Family Hotels Los Angeles
- Our Favorite Family Hotels in Anaheim
- Our Favorite Family Hotels in San Diego
- Our Favorite Family Hotels in Santa Barbara
- Our Favorite Family Hotels in Palm Springs
The 17 Best Things to do with Kids in California
1. Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco
Open 7 days a week for pedestrians and cyclists. Opening hours.
2. Cable Car Museum – San Francisco
April 1 to September 30: 10am-6pm. October 1 to March 31: 10am-5pm.
3. California Academy of Sciences – San Francisco
Daily 9:30am–5:00pm. Sunday 11:00am–5:00pm.
4. Exploratorium Museum of Science – San Francisco
Tuesday–Sunday 10–5pm. Thursday evening (18+ only) 6–10pm. Closed Monday (except some holidays).
5. Muir Woods – Marin County
Park open every day at 8am. Closes at different hours depending on time of year.
6. California State Railroad Museum – Sacramento
Open daily, 10am to 5pm.
7. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Open 11am to 11pm in summer. Open weekends for most other months. Full schedule here.
8. Monterey Bay Aquarium
Summer/holidays: 9:30am-6pm. Summer weekends: 9:30am-8pm. Winter: 10am-5pm.
9. Natural History Museum – Los Angeles
Open daily, 9:30am-5:00pm.
10. Disneyland – Anaheim (near L.A.)
Open daily, hours vary by month.
11. Knotts Berry Farm – Buena Park (near L.A.)
Open daily, hours vary by day and month.
12. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits – Los Angeles
Open daily, 9:30-5pm.
13. Petersen Automotive Museum – Los Angeles
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Closed Monday.
14. California Science Center – Los Angeles
Open daily, 10am-5pm.
15. Legoland California – Carlsbad (near San Diego)
Open daily spring break, summer, and some holiday periods. Hours and schedule here.
16. San Diego Zoo
Open 365 days a year, hours vary by season.
17. San Diego Beaches
Beach swimming is possible from June to October. The warmest and best beach weather is in August and September.
About Santorini Dave
I'm Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a short article on tips for visiting Santorini with kids. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece, offering recommendations for top hotels, neighborhoods, and family-friendly hotels worldwide. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.