Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day
Indoor Activities and Things to Do in San Francisco
Notorious for its foggy setting, weather in San Francisco can change unexpectedly. If you find yourself in the city during a rainstorm or gloomy day, rest assured that there are plenty of fun indoor activities that you can enjoy. Below are just some of the activities that visitors can do on a rainy day in San Francisco.Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
This venue offers contemporary visual art, performances, films, and community programs that highlight and educate the public on local, national, and international artists that are creating works in modern times.
701 Mission St., SoMa, San Francisco, CA, 94103
War Memorial Opera House
On Van Ness Avenue near City Hall, the War Memorial Opera House has been the home of the San Francisco Opera since 1932! With events throughout the year, grab a ticket whether you're a local or a visitor, because you'll be blown away by the ambiance, atmosphere, and stunning performances hosted here.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Hayes Valley, San Francisco, California, 94102
Planning a trip to San Francisco? You might also be interested in The Most Instagrammable Spots in San Francisco and Things to Do in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Walt Disney Family Museum
This museum is dedicated to the life and work of Walt Disney. It was founded by the Walt Disney Family Foundation and is overseen by Diane Disney Miller. The museum features historic photographs and other paraphernalia from Walt Disney's life as well as rotating exhibits on various animators and stylists who have worked on the Disney movies.
104 Montgomery Street, Presidio, San Francisco, CA, 94129
The Marine Mammal Center
Created in 1975, the Marine Mammal Center, focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured marine mammals. It's also a research and educational center.
2000 Bunker Road, San Francisco, California, 94965
The Charles F. Hagar Planetarium
Located at San Francisco State University, the Charles F. Hagar planetarium is open to the public as well as school groups. While it's a smaller venue with only 75 seats, the events and shows teach everyone about the stars in a fun and educational way.
Thornton Hall, 4th Floor,, Room 422, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
Steinhart Aquarium
The Steinhart Aquarium is part of the California Academy of Sciences. It's a diverse aquarium with almost 40,000 live animals from over 900 different species. There are unique and beautiful exhibits as well as interactive programs that everyone can enjoy.
55 Music Concourse Drive , Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, 94118
SFJAZZ Center
This music venue is located in Hayes Valley and first opened in 2013.
201 Franklin Street, Hayes Valley, SF, California, 94102
San Francisco Railway Museum
Located by the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero, this fun and family-friendly railroad museum focuses on the history of railroading in San Francisco with a special focus on the historic street cars. After all, the city is not just home to the cable cars, but also street cars and a subway system. Visitors can get into the driver's seat of a replica street car and view a variety of exhibits about local history as it relates to transportation in the region.
77 Steuart Street, Embarcadero and Financial District, San Francisco, California
If you're looking for more information about San Francisco, read Budget Friendly Neighborhoods in San Francisco and The Best Beaches Near San Francisco.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art houses an impressive collection of contemporary art. There are over 33,000 works including paintings, sculptures, photography, architecture, and more.
151 3rd Street, South of Market, SF, California, 94103
San Francisco Museum of Craft & Design
This museum features the work of painters, textile artists, and sculptors. It's a small museum with a number of rotating exhibits.
2569 Third Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107
Randall Museum
This family-friendly museum offers a number of interesting exhibits including a STEM lab, science and ceramics studios, and several exhibit spaces. This museum is all about the kids, and there's plenty of space for the young ones to play. There's a toddler treehouse and a large electric model railroad that even has replicas of Bay Aria trains. Animal lovers will enjoy the animal exhibit which features live coyotes, foxes, reptiles and sea creatures.
199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA, 94114
Osher Rainforest
Located in the California Academy of Sciences, this domed rainforest climbs 90 feet high. It's home to more than 1,600 different plants and animals and offers a unique experience for visitors of all ages. Nature lovers will love this unique perspective on a rainforest.
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Oakland Aviation Museum
This large aircraft museums offers plenty to see and do for aviation lovers. Featuring a huge hangar full of historic and modern aircraft, visitors can see items from the early days of flight (Wright Brothers models), to World War II aircraft to Vietnam and modern era aircraft. Also on display are exhibits about women in aviation, Black Americans in aviation, aircraft engines, historic airlines, and more.
8252 Earhart Rd, Oakland, California, 94621
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is a natural history museum that is part of the University of California, Berkeley. It was founded in 1908 and is a major center for vertebrate studies on the West Coast.
Campanile Way, Northside, Berkeley, California, 94720
San Francisco has plenty more to offer, so see also our other articles: A Train Lover's Guide to San Francisco and An Art Lover's Guide to San Francisco.
Museum of the African Diaspora
This contemporary art museum features work that highlights Black culture. The museum educates and informs visitors on the history of African culture, following through to modern times. The space is 20,000 square feet and it was created through the efforts of the former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown.
685 Mission St (at 3rd), San Francisco, CA, 94105
Musée Mécanique
This museum was created by local celebrity Edward Galland Zelinsky in 1933. It features his unique collection of antique mechanical creations including coin-operated musical instruments, antique arcade machines, and other unusual contraptions. If you bring your own coins, you can try out many of the machines as they still work.
Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA, 94133
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall
This concert hall is home to the San Francisco Symphony and has more than 2,500 seats. With regular events and concerts throughout the year, it's a fantastic venue for a date night or for any culture lover.
201 Van Ness Avenue, Hayes Valley, SF, California, 94102
Legion of Honor
From it's beautiful Beaux-Arts building to its impressive collection of ancient and European art, this museum is a must-see in San Francisco. The limestone, marble, and chevron wood building is a beautiful work of art and inside there is a collection of more than 800 European paintings (with 250 available to view).
Lincoln Park | 100 34th Avenue (at Clement Street), Lincoln Park, San Francisco, CA, 94121
Lawrence Hall of Science
This science center is a fun place to explore with hands on exhibits and a great science curriculum that's suitable for all ages.
Centennial Drive, Berkeley, California, 94708
Kimball Natural History Museum
The Kimball Natural History Museum is a fun and educational museum for kids and adults alike. It's located in the California Academy of Sciences, and it has exhibits on fossils, natural history, and our planet.
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Interested in more travel advice for San Francisco? Check out Educational Places and Activities in San Francisco and How to Spend One Day in San Francisco.
Japan Center
Located in the fascinating Japantown neighborhood, The Japan Center is a shopping center that highlights the area's Japanese culture. It first opened in 1968 and includes the Kinokuniya Mall, Kintetsu Mall (Japan Center West), and Miyako Mall (Japan Center East).
1613 Geary Boulevard, Japantown, SF, California, 94115
Great American Music Hall
On O'Farrell Street, this music hall hosts a variety of concerts and musical events. The theater itself has historically decorative frescoes and columns. Over the years, this place has seen jazz, folk music, rock and roll, and burlesque dancing shows.
859 O'Farrell Street, Tenderloin, SF, California, 94109
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium will entertain and engage kids and adults of all ages. It has a wide variety of kid-friendly, hands on exhibits that include science experiments, as well as interactive zones that incorporate touch, sight, memory, and perception. The museum is found at Pier 15 and it features exhibits that serve to educate and inform on all types of science including physics, biology, engineering and sound.
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco, CA, 94111
de Young Museum
This art museum is located in Golden Gate Park and features work from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. This museum is more than 125 years old and it's popular for its unique fashion exhibits that include everything from costumes to contemporary Muslim fashions. There's also a beautiful observation tower on the 9th floor that looks out over Golden Gate Park, downtown San Francisco, the Bay, and the Marin headlands.
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, 94118
Contemporary Jewish Museum
This three story museum is an impressive sight. It is made with more than 3,000 color-changing blue steel panels that form the Hebrew letters chet and yud, which come together to spell the Hebrew word for life. The museum hosts a series of rotating exhibits as well as cultural shows.
736 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103
Children's Creativity Museum
This kid's museum is all about using your imagination and creativity. There's a play space where kids can just be kids. There are also labs, workshops, and studios where kids can experiment, explore, and learn. The Animation Lab lets kids create their own characters who then come to life through stop-motion filming. The Tech Lab teaches kids to program robots, and the Music Studio lets kids dress up and create their own music videos.
221 Fourth St., San Francisco, CA, 94103
Planning a trip to San Francisco? You might also be interested in Planetariums Near San Francisco and The Best Art Museums in San Francisco.
Chabot Space & Science Center
Located in Oakland, this science museum and planetarium focuses on space exploration, astronomy, rocketry, and other space-related sciences. After undergoing a large renovation in 2021, the museum has a number of hands-on science exhibits which are great for children and adults. They also have an engaging planetarium, an outdoor deck space with more exhibits, and large telescope observatories.
10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, California, 94619
Cartoon Art Museum
This unique museum is the only museum in the Western US that is dedicated exclusively to cartoon art. There are about 7,000 pieces of work here.
650 Mission Street, Union Square, SF, California, 94105
California Historical Society
The California Historical Society offers a variety of interesting exhibits at their downtown location. They also provide exhibits to a number of exhibits to other museums in the area.
678 Mission St., San Francisco, CA, 94105
California Academy of Sciences & Morrison Planetarium
The California Academy of Sciences is both a natural history museum and a research institute. It has more than 26 million specimens, making it one of the largest museums of natural history in the world. It's also California's oldest museum, dating back to 1853.The adjoining Morrison Planetarium hosts a variety of shows and events centering around astronomy and the stars. The 75-foot dome and large theatre make for an engaging and enjoyable experience for kids and adults alike.
55 Music Concourse Drive, Inner Sunset, SF, California, 94118
Cable Car Museum
This free museum is all about the history of the cable car system in San Francisco, and is also home to the actual machinery that powers the cable cars themselves! Visitors can see historical exhibits about how the cable cars were once used much more frequently in the city, what they looked like, and how they work. It's also possible to go down under the street level to see the gear machinery, and gaze upon the large engines and wheels that move the cables.
1201 Mason Street, Nob Hill, SF, California, 94133
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
The Asian Art Museum has one of the most comprehensive Asian art collections in the world. There are over 18,000 works of art, with some works over 6,000 years old.
200 Larkin Street, Civic Center, SF, California, 94102
Aquarium of the Bay
Located at The Embarcadero and Beach Street, near Pier 39, Aquarium of the Bay has a number of local aquatic animals. It's an affiliate of the Smithsonian and works to promote ocean conservation.
SF, California, 94133
How much does it cost?
Prices for activities, things to do, and tours range from $25 to $100. The average cost for a tour or tickets is $46. A few of the best options are below.
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