Free Fun in the Bay Area
FREE ADMISSION – ANY DAY
1. Tilden Regional Park Botanic Garden, Nature Study Area & Little Farm, Berkeley
2. Museum of Children's Art, Oakland
3. Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto
4. Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley
5. Nasa Ames Research Center, Mountain View
6. Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton
7. Jelly Belly Factory Tour, Fairfield
8. Cable Car Museum, San Francisco
9. Chinese Cultural Center Gallery, San Francisco
10. Museo ItaloAmericano, San Francisco
11. San Francisco Fire Department Museum, San Francisco
12. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford
13. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley
14. San Francisco Botanical Garden
15. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and Tide Pools in Moss Beach
FREE ADMISSION – FIRST SUNDAYS
1. Oakland Museum of California— (not including special exhibitions)
2. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
FREE ADMISSION -- FIRST TUESDAYS
1. De Young Museum, San Francisco (except special exhibitions)
2. Legion Of Honor, San Francisco (except special exhibitions)
3. Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco ("pay what you wish" day)
4. Museum of Craft & Folk Art (Yerba Buena), San Francisco in 2008
5. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
6. Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
7. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), San Francisco
FREE ADMISSION – FIRST WEDNESDAY
1. San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco—For residents of San Francisco only
2. Exploratorium, San Francisco
3. Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION – THIRD WEDNESDAY
1. California Academy of Sciences & Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco (first come, first served)
FREE ADMISSION – FIRST THURSDAY
1. Burlingame Pez Museum, Burlingame
2. Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive
ALMOST FREE or REDUCED FEES
1. Tilden Park Steam Train ($1.75) or Merry-Go-Round ($1)
2. Los Gatos Billy Jones Railroad Train or Carousel ($2)
3. Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory and Museum Tour ($3)
4. Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose SJ— Open Access Policy
5. Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose— Open Door Policy
6. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey County Public libraries has a "book" that residents of Monterey County can check out for free admission for up to 6 people.