San Francisco's Exploratorium offers free admission to the public on the first Wednesday of every month.

Housed within the walls of the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, the Exploratorium boasts more than 400 interactive science, art, and human perception exhibits for kids of all ages.

Also offering public presentations such as hands-on workshops, lectures, performances, films, and other special events, the museum aims to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

San Francisco's most visited museums offer FREE admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Take advantage of Free Museum Tuesdays at:

Conservatory of Flowers
Located in Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers boasts almost 2,000 plant species in five immersive galleries. From tropical flowers to giant water lilies, the conservatory is a lush and diverse living museum for all ages.

de Young Museum
Founded in 1895 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the de Young boasts a state-of-the-art new facility that integrates art, architecture, and the natural landscape in one multi-faceted destination. The museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art
As the only folk art museum in Northern California, the museum is known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world, demonstrating how folk art, contemporary craft, and fine art are all part of the same continuum.

Palace of the Legion of Honor
Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful Beaux-arts building located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park. Displaying an impressive collection of 4,000 years worth of ancient and European art in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the Legion is also home to an early cast of Rodin's famous "Thinker" sculpture.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
YBCA presents contemporary art from the Bay Area and around the world that reflects the profound issues and ideas of our time, expands the boundaries of artistic practice, and celebrates the diversity of human experience and expression.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco offers free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, the Asian Art Museum collection spans 6,000 years of history and includes 17,000 objects, from tiny jades to monumental sculptures, paintings, porcelains and ceramics, lacquers, textiles, furniture, arms and armor, puppets, and basketry.

Every third Wednesday of the month, the newly-reopened California Academy of Sciences offers free admission to all guests.

Located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, this groundbreaking institution has been a city landmark for more than 150 years, and is the only facility in the world to combine a museum, aquarium, planetarium, and world-class research and education programs under one roof.

This unique combination allows visitors to explore everything from the depths of a Philippine coral reef to the canopy of a Costa Rican rainforest to the outer reaches of the universe — all within a single visit.

The new facility — which employs sustainable materials and energy-saving technologies — unifies the Academy's original array of 12 buildings into a single, modern monument to eco-conscious architecture. Crowning the building is the Living Roof, a 2.5-acre expanse of native California plants and wildflowers, which creates a sense of transparency and connectedness between the building and the surrounding park.

Take advantage of Free Admission Hours every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crocker Art Museum. 

Established in 1885, the Crocker Art Museum is one of Northern California's largest and best museums of regional artists. The collection spans from the 10th century to contemporary periods and includes a stunning collection of European master drawings and a notable selection of contemporary California art. Museum programs include touring exhibitions, educational programs, public tours, and concerts.

San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens Festival presents more than 100 music, theater, dance, cultural, and children's events from May to October, all reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the Bay Area.

The festival includes a popular Children's Garden Series of fun, interactive performances designed to delight and entertain children under 10 and their adults.

Most Friday and Saturday afternoons throughout the summer, you can stop by for a different outdoor show. Hear stories from the Caterpillar Puppets, participate in an afternoon sing-a-long with Charlie Chin, or laugh at the high-tech clowning of the Unique Derique. Or, hear the sounds of Chelle! and Friends, the Venezuelan Music Project, or Balamcoatl: Mesoamerican Music and Dance.

So, pack a lunch, and bring the little ones down for a special afternoon in the garden.

The California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento offers 40-minute, steam-powered train rides every weekend from April through September.

Catch a trip back in time from Old Sacramento's Central Pacific train depot, and ride atop the levee of the Sacramento River on a six-mile round trip. Watch the world go by from an enclosed coach or an open-air gondola, and chat with the friendly car attendants.

At the end of the line, the authentic steam locomotive "cuts off" the passenger cars and "runs around" the train, coupling onto the other end for the trip back to Old Sacramento.

Meet your guide David at the San Francisco Downtown Hostel for a free historical tour of downtown San Francisco.

Learn about Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, and other downtown landmarks. Don't forget your camera!

To join in, please sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. This outing is held weekly, and is organized by Hostelling International -- everyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome!

Wipe the sleep out of your eyes and head over to the San Francisco City Center Hostel for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, held every Wednesday and Saturday.
 
Munch on fresh-from-the-griddle pancakes while planning your day's itinerary, and linger over your plate while meeting new friends.

Pancakes cost $1, and are served in addition to the hostel's usual free continental breakfast, which includes coffee, juice, and bagels or toast.

This event is is organized by Hostelling International -- everyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome!

Join your tour guide Henry for an extensive walk through the streets (and over the hills) of San Francisco.

Enjoy the sights of the city as you wander through neighborhoods such as Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Chinatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill. See Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and some of the oldest homes and hidden gardens in the city. You won't want to forget your camera on this walk!

To join in, please sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. This outing held weekly, and is organized by Hostelling International -- everyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome!

Feel like a hearty, homey meal after so many nights on the road? Then head over to the San Francisco City Center Hostel for a pasta dinner!

Meet Jesse -- the Activities and Volunteer Coordinator for Hostelling International's San Francisco hostels -- in the kitchen for some good times and some good eats. Chat with other travelers while diving into a big plate of hot pasta, made with love by your fellow hostellers.

Dinner includes pasta with meat sauce (vegetarian options available), salad, and garlic bread. You’re not going to find a cheaper meal in the City than this!

The meal is free for volunteers (limited to three), so ask at the front desk of your hostel if you want to help out. 

This event is held weekly and is organized by Hostelling International -- everyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome!

Walk across the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge with Jesse, the Activities and Volunteer Coordinator for Hostelling International's San Francisco hostels.

Learn fun facts, new trivia, and the history of one of California's most beloved icons while taking in the awe-inspiring views of the bay and the city beyond.

Once on the other side, the tour continues by bus into Marin's picturesque Sausalito, and finishes with a scenic ferry ride back to San Francisco.

To join in, please sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. This outing is held weekly, and is organized by Hostelling International -- everyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome!

Celebrate the USA's Independence Day on San Francisco's waterfront.

Enjoy an afternoon line-up of live entertainment at Pier 39 featuring local bands, leading up to a performance by Tainted Love from 6-9:30 p.m.

The celebration culminates with fireworks over the San Francisco Bay, beginning at 9:30 p.m. and visible from any spot along the northern waterfront.

Shakespeare, hip hop, improv, folk tales, solo performers, musical, magic, comedy, drama, and a full children's program -- it's all part of the diverse San Francisco Theater Festival.

This free celebration of Bay Area theater offers 130 short shows on 17 stages, all on one day and within a two-block radius in downtown San Francisco. Bay Area theater companies will perform one-acts, scenes and excerpts, and solo performances, including 30 shows especially for children.

This year, audiences can catch an excerpt of Wicked (performed by the current San Francisco cast) and a performance from the long-running Beach Blanket Babylon, both presented by comedian David Alan Grier.

Come celebrate the 4th of July in the California state capital!

Celebrating its 64th year, the Marin County Fair is one of the biggest community events of the summer.

This year's fair will deliver an even bigger, cleaner, greener, fun-filled experience for everyone, with the first ever Electric Wheels Car Show, the first solar-powered carousel at a county fair, performances by Steve Trash and his Big Green Magic Show, and much more.

It wouldn't be a County Fair without the traditional fun and games: 28 carnival rides, games of skill and chance, nightly fireworks, loveable farm animals, and interactive exhibits. Come see artists and craftspeople compete for the blue ribbon in 800 categories ranging from baking and winemaking to photography and filmmaking.
 
Both Bay Area artists and popular retro bands perform throughout the event, including Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Motels with Martha Davis, Berlin with Terri Nunn, Los Lobos, and more. Concert admission is included in the price of fair ticket.

If you still haven't had enough after a full day of music, rides, and exhibits, stay for the Fantastic Fireworks, launching nightly at 9:30 p.m. Watch the sky above the fair illuminate with Roman candles, comets, meteoric showers, and bursting cascades of twinkling color.