San Francisco might be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that does not mean it is not without its free things, from Anchor Brewery tours and lawn bowling, to disc golf and museum.
Enjoy the list below!
- Explore Lands End – Not literally, but figuratively do with sights of old shipwrecks, access to the grand ruins of Sutro Baths, pocket beaches, and a new Lands End Lookout Visitor Center where you can essentially take a look at everything.
- Hike or Bike the California Coastal Trail – You have an option to hike or bike the scenic trail from Lands End to the Presidio.
- Hike Mount Sutro or Corona Heights – Need to disconnect from the metro, and be one with nature? Take a hike at either of the two spots.
- Check out Sutro Baths – Yes, the Sutro Baths are in fact part of Lands End, which is deserving of their own trip.
- Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge – Want to be free from the toll? Walking across is still totally free! You can also take a peek at the outdoor mini-museum on the history of the bridge they recently built.
- Fort Point – A National Historic Site designed to defend the city from Confederate attacks, when that was an issue they were worried about. But you most likely know it best as a surf spot, famous from the movie “Vertigo.”
- Bike the Wiggle – Or any of these slope-free trails: Valencia St, Polk St, Fell & Oak, or 17th St.
- Explore Golden Gate Park – There’s no way you’ve seen the whole 1,017 acres, especially not the casting ponds.
- ‘Misty Bridge’ at Piers 15 & 17 – A totally free installation from the Exploratorium, water is pumped at high pressure over 800 nozzles lining the bridge, to create an immersive setting where you are covered in mist.
- Watch the Bay Bridge light show – Tip: A good spot is along the Embarcadero, but there’s a better spot at one of the waterfront.
- Filbert St steps – Climb one of the steepest navigable streets in the Western Hemisphere.
- Presidio pet cemetery – Located at McDowell Avenue.
- Do a walking tour – There are 5-10 tours every weekday, including the underground tunnels to historic landmarks to Barbary Coast dives. No reservations needed!
- Ocean Beach fire pits – Enjoy a campfire by the beach!
- The Painted Ladies – Take a look at the Victorian and Edwardian painted houses.
- Billionaire’s Row – You might not be able to buy a $13 million house for now, but you can damn sure stand outside of one! Make sure to see the living room C-3PO statue from the curb.
- Sea lions at Pier 39 – A must-see! Fun fact: male sea lions, on average, weigh 630lbs more than females.
- Hyde Street Pier – It may costs money to go inside five historical boats, but it’s totally free to see them from the outside!
- Crissy Field – A day at the beach? Yes!
- Dolores Park – A park that’s great to hang out!
- Wave Organ – This weird man-made organ that’s dedicated to Frank Oppenheimer uses waves and water movement to create cool music.
- Golden Gate Park’s Rose Garden – Perfect for a date!
- Steward Street Slide – Release your inner child. Don’t forget to BYOCB (Bring Your Own Cardboard Box).
- Get to the top of Twin Peaks or Bernal Heights – A magnificent view, indeed!
- Disc golf ‘fairways’ of Marx Meadow – Play 18 holes or drink a tallboy — you’ll have to help get a disc out of a tree. Don’t forget to print out this scorecard before you leave — it’s got a map on it.
- Palace of Fine Arts – Perfect for a picnic!
- Hike the Presidio – Another perfect place for a date!
- Lombard Street – Visit on Big Wheels Race Day.
- Japantown self-guided tour – Go on a Ramen Fest and karaoke. Tthere are also adorable gummy candies!
- Visit the Sister Act 2 church or Mrs. Doubtfire house – Don’t miss this!
- Pier 14 Burning Man light sculpture – A dose of cool art.
- Watch cable cars turn around – Ride it if you dare.
- Pay a visit to Harvey Milk’s apartment in the Castr0 – Don’t miss the giftshop!
- Take a trip to McLaren Park – Home to Philosopher’s Way, and the second largest park in the city!
- Tell time with the giant sundials in Ingleside Terraces – Formerly the “largest and most significant sundial in the world.
- 49-mile scenic drive – Perfect way to see the entire San Francisco for free!
- Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory tour – They’ve been making fortune cookies since 1962. The chocolate-flavored fortune cookies are a thing!
- Samples at the Ferry Building – Don’t forget to try something!
- Aroma Tea Shop – There are free tastings seven days a week.
- Ghirardelli Square – Enjoy some free chocolate samples as you sit by the fountain.
- Tea tasting in Chinatown – Try first before buying, that way you can choose your preferred flavour.
- Farmer’s market – There’s one in virtually every neighbourhood. That’s every single day of the week.
- Learn lawn bowling – Free every Wednesday at noon.
- Three innings of Giants baseball – On the McCovey Cove side of AT&T Park, you can watch America’s favorite baseball team for free. Standing room only.
- Anchor Steam Brewery tour – Although reservations are required, beer samples are totally free!
- Readings at City Lights or Green Apple – For the bookworm!
- Stern Grove Festival – Every summer, from June to August, you can catch the best free concert series in the entire Bay Area.
- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival – One of the best music festivals money can’t buy held every first weekend in October.
- Amoeba live show – Catch something as awesome as this at a record store for free!
- Outdoor movie screenings in Dolores, Union Square & Washington Square – A lot of this on the month of October.
- Shakespeare in the Park – For those who love poetry!
- Japanese Tea Garden – Visit every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before 10am because everything’s for free.
- San Francisco Botanical Garden – Free every day from 7:30am-9am and every first Tuesday of the month.
- Free Museum Day – Only happens once a month.
- “Laughter Yoga” at UCSF – Cooler than the regular yoga.
- Regular yoga or Zumba in the park – For the yogis, it’s totally free!
- Up Your Alley festival and/or Folsom Street Fair – A BDSM-themed festivals, catch these twice a year.
- Mission Sunday Streets – Or catch any street fest.
- Fleet Week – Get a good view from one of the rooftops in the Marina.
- Chinese New Year Parade – Happens only once a year.
- Pride Week & Parade – For those who likes festivals!
- Bay to Breakers – Perfect for those who loves to race.
- Day of the Dead – A staple festival of The Mission since the ’70s every November.
- Free rock wall class at Lombardi Sports – Available every first Thursday of every month you just gotta RSVP.
- Alemany Flea Market in Bernal Heights – Sundays were made for checking out dusty antiques.
- Alamo Square Flea Market – Has nicer stuff than Alemany.
- San Francisco Mime Troupe – It’s free all summer long, and not totally creepy at all.
- Prelinger Library – Open Wednesday’s from 1-8pm only.
- Skatin’ Place – Sunday’s in the summer are spent here for the pros and the newbies.
- Lululemon Run Club – For the health buffs, every Lululemon location offers a free, weekly run club which is visited by lots of girls in yoga pants.
- Institute of Illegal Images – Also known as the “LSD Museum”. You can check out the 33,000 sheets of LSD the DEA tried Mark McCloud for – twice, but you need to have an appointment.
- Gregangelo Museum – Artistic Director of Velocity Circus literally invites everyone into his labyrinth-esque home, by appointment only.
- Renegade Craft Fair – Bi-annual and is free to attend!
- Watch people play pinball at Free Gold Watch – The BYOB policy is heavily enforced, making Free Gold Watch an awesome screen print shop.
- Coit Tower murals – Tip: the most controversial murals are in the first floor lobby.
- Clarion Alley – Visit the coolest Alley in San Francisco!
- Rincon Center murals – The history of California made by Russian surrealist murals.
- Precita Eyes Murals – Started in the ’70s, make sure to see these eponymous Eyes around The Mission.
- Boudin Bakery & Museum tour – It turns out that the demonstration bakery at the Wharf has a hidden museum upstairs.
- SF Center for the Book – Lots of public programs, totally for free!
- Transamerica Pyramid – Just so you know, there’s a live feed in their adjacent visitor center, or you can just kick back in their Redwood Park in case you can’t go to the top.
- Randall Museum – Free for anyone, young or old!
- Chinese Tin How Temple – Dedicated to Mazu (Empress of Heaven) as gratitude to the Chinese immigrants who came before them. Though photography is not allowed inside the temple, the birds-eye view of Chinatown is a perfect place to feel grateful.
- Cable Car Museum and/or Railway Museum – Get to know the history of San Francisco street cars. Don’t worry, both are for free!
- Maritime Museum – Also known as the Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building.
- Musée Mécanique – Partly for free, but technically it’ll cost you some penny to futz with the machines.
- City Hall – Visit the art gallery in the basement!
- Grace Cathedral – Don’t forget stepping inside this beautiful Cathedral.
- Arion Press Gallery – The printing press is totally not a myth.
- Fire Department Museum – Get to know the wonderful history and rarely seen photos of the 1906 fire.
- de Young Observation Deck – Also called as the “Hamon Education Tower”, it’s still for free.
- Wells Fargo History Museum – Just among the gold and cool stagecoaches that makes you feel better about your bank account.
- Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum (Valencia location) – It’s free so why not visit?
- Banksy’s “Peaceful Hearts Doctor” in Chinatown – Yes, it does exist!
- Specs’ Twelve Adler Museum Cafe – Visit this while in San Francisco!
- Fairmont Hotel lobby – Go there at Christmas time for a Macaulay Culkin feels.
- 16th Ave tiled steps – Fun fact: the steps are hand-made by 300 local residents.
- Take a glass elevator joy-ride at theWestin St. Francisor Grand Hyatt – It doesn’t matter if you’re a guest or not. Take that glass elevator.
- Cal Academy Penguin Cam – It’s cute and free. Period.
- Free email alerts about free and/or sometimes free stuf. – So. Much. Free.
