Things to do in San Francisco when it rains (Popular indoor activities)

So you've planned a vacation to lovely San Francisco by the Bay and the weather forecast informs you that it's going to rain (not a big surprise in San Fran, to be honest). Now what do you do? If you're searching for some ideas, check out our list of included indoor activities, full of cultural and artistic museums, kid-friendly attractions, and much more.

By Katie Sagal
Published: July 18, 2024
Raindrops on the windshield on a rainy day, traffic light background, San Francisco, California

A few of our favorites include...

  • SFMOMA
  • Exploratorium
  • The California Academy of Sciences
  • Aquarium of the Bay
  • and many more

Looking for some fun things to do indoors?

Admission to many of these recommended attractions are available on Go City® San Francisco passes. Choose as you go from dozens of fun attractions and save up to 50% off combined admission vs paying at the gate.

Ripley's Believe it or Not! San Francisco

A great family attraction in Fisherman's Wharf, Ripley's Believe It or Not! is perfect for those kids and adults who get a kick out of the weirder side of life. This collection of 400+ oddities features everything from natural and man-made artifacts to exciting local exhibits to see and marvel at, a Candy and Toy Factory, and 18 themed galleries that'll have you awe-inspired (or scared!)

Getting In: Ripley's Believe it or Not! San Francisco tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

Madame Tussauds San Francisco

Pop culture lovers will enjoy visiting one of the country's most popular attraction chains: Madame Tussauds. This delightful institution holds realistic wax replicas of dozens of famous people from around the world and throughout history. Several areas are designed around themes, including "Music Zone" and "Leaders and Entrepreneurs." You'll "meet" everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Lady Gaga. Plus, a visit to Madame Tussauds is the easiest way to snag a selfie with your favorite celeb.

Getting In: Madame Tussauds San Francisco tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

skyscrapers-san-francisco-night

While the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has always been a must-see spot. Originally constructed as the first-ever museum of modern and contemporary art on the West Coast, SFMOMA is now the largest modern art museum in the world and houses a wide array of all art styles, types, and mediums.

The halls and exhibits of SFMOMA are full of works by well-known artists like Paul Klee and Alexander Calder. You'll find everything from sculptures to paintings and multimedia displays projected across the walls. With its ever-changing, cutting-edge exhibits, SFMOMA makes for the perfect rainy-day place. 

Getting in: SFMOMA tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

The California Academy of Sciences

Located right in Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is the only attraction that combines a planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum to make one mega-museum. From the lively penguins in African Hall to the wildlife on the Living Roof, the building is full of life. There's even a four-story living rainforest and awe-inspiring coral reef ecosystem to entertain visitors of all ages.

Enjoy daily talks and educational experiences, watch a 4D movie at the Morrison Planetarium, and explore the evolution of the plants and animals that call Earth home to this day. A visit here is a unique opportunity to explore all that the natural world has to offer, presented by some of the best scientific minds in the world. 

Getting In: California Academy of Sciences tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

Exploratorium

san-francisco-exploratorium-palace-fine-arts

An art, science, and anthropological museum all in one, the Exploratorium is full of amazing hands-on experiences. It's the only place where you can play and tinker with all the exhibits. With more than 600 interactive exhibits to choose from, your kids will find plenty of opportunities to explore and learn.

Each exhibit inspires creative and scientific thinking and indulges your child's curiosity about the world around them. From large-scale outdoor art installations to learning labs for visitors of all ages, it's a great way to combine learning with fun on a rainy vacation day. 

Getting In: Exploratorium tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

de Young Museum

de-young-museum

Another great museum to visit on a rainy day is the de Young Museum located right in Golden Gate Park. It's one of the most visited art museums in the country. The museum is full of over 1,000 paintings, sculptures, and fine art pieces. The collections span from the 17th to the 21st centuries, with art hailing from Africa, Oceania, the Americas, and beyond. You'll see textiles, costumes, contemporary paintings, and everything in between. 

Getting In: de Young Museum tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

Aquarium of the Bay

silhouette-people-great-aquarium

While you may not be able to enjoy searching for marine life out of doors during a rainy San Francisco afternoon, you can still discover the fascinating sea life native to the San Francisco Bay at this fun and educational institution. There are tons of interactive exhibits, exciting demonstrations like animal feedings and naturalist presentations, and even touch pools filled with sharks, rays, and sea stars.

The Aquarium of the Bay has a clear crystal tunnel system that allows you to actually walk through aquatic exhibits. You'll get to see various sea life, such as sevengill sharks, jellyfish, giant octopi, and more from all angles.

Getting In: Aquarium of the Bay tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

The Walt Disney Family Museum

Naturally, the Walt Disney Family Museum is the perfect place to take the kids for a day full of fun and characters. Each exhibit works to tell the story of Walt Disney and how Disney's magic came to be. With over 200 screens, 40,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and an intricate model of Disneyland, you'll learn all there is to know about the world of Disney.

You'll see original Disney character drawings, sit at listening stations to hear your favorite Disney songs, and watch short films that explain the process of making the movies and characters come to life. 

Getting in: The Walt Disney Family Museum tickets are included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

Shop at the Ferry Building Marketplace

 

Embarcadero

Located right on the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building Marketplace serves as both a transit hub and a bustling marketplace. You'll find everything from classic, San Francisco fare (like the sourdough from Acme Bread Company!) and pantry provisions to coffee shops, homewares, and even bookshops.

If you haven't already, this is a great place to pick up souvenirs to take home. Want some more fun shopping destination ideas? Check out of post on where to find some of the best 'discounted' shopping in San Francisco.

Musée Mécanique at Fisherman's Wharf

Musée Mécanique

Visit one of the world's largest privately owned collections of coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and unique arcade machines. Entry to Musée Mécanique is free but the games and instruments cost money to play. Don't worry, though, these games are cheap and change machines are plentiful. They have something that everyone can enjoy at Musée Mécanique!

Rainy day recap

See? You can stay dry all while having plenty of great options for things to do in San Francisco when it's raining out. We hope these ideas helped inspire you to create a fun-filled indoorsy itinerary.

Save up to 50% on San Francisco attractions  

Planning your San Francisco trip? With Go City®, you can explore big-name landmarks, local hotspots, and epic tours, all on one pass, all for one price. Not only that, but you'll enjoy savings of up to 50%, compared to buying individual attraction tickets. Pick a San Francisco attraction pass that suits you, and save while you sightsee! 

☀️See all San Francisco attractions ☀️ – 🌏 Explore other destinations 🌏 – ✈️ Buy a San Francisco pass ✈️ 

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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Black Friday Giveaway
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Win an Alcatraz Day Tour this Black Friday

WIN an Alcatraz day tour, with ferry transportation and the famous Cell House Audio Tour. Discover the windswept island that has been home to a Civil War Fort, a military prison and one of the most notorious Federal penitentiaries in US history. Cruise to the legendary Alcatraz and get a behind-the-scenes look inside. What’s included You’ll win entry to the Alcatraz Cellhouse along with the award-winning Cellhouse Audio Tour and to the new permanent exhibition, The Big Lockup: Mass Incarceration in the United States. You’ll also get admission to the New Industries Building which features a compelling exhibit remembering the influential Occupation of Alcatraz by Indians of All Tribes as well as close-up outdoor access to historic spaces like the Eagle Plaza, the Recreation Yard, the Warden’s House and the Officer’s Club. Enjoy stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and explore the surrounding National Park for as long as you like. Then head inside to learn all there is to know about the infamous prison and its tumultuous history. How to enter For a chance to win this incredible prize, all you have to do is purchase any of our San Francisco passes between 9AM Tuesday 22 November 2022 and 11:59PM Tuesday 29 November 2022. Once you’ve purchased, you’ll be automatically entered into the giveaway. Easy! If you’re the lucky winner, we’ll contact you by email by December 15, 2022, so look out for us in your inbox. Click here to view giveaway terms and conditions.
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Is San Francisco Safe?

For such a compact city – just seven miles long by seven miles wide – San Francisco packs a heck of a punch when it comes to attractions, shopping and nightlife. Think world-famous icons like the Golden Gate Bridge, the historic wooden cable cars and Alcatraz Island. The parks, museums and expansive Bay views from the city’s 50+ hills ain't too shabby either. But is San Francisco safe for tourists? Read on for our guide... How Safe is San Francisco? In spite of its relatively small size, San Francisco is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, with knocking on for a million inhabitants. Add to this somewhere in the region of 25 million tourists passing through annually and there is, inevitably, some scope for petty crime. But, in truth, it’s probably no worse than any other city of this kind. As with most major cities there will always be an element of low-level, non-violent crime such as bag-snatching and pickpocketing, with tourists inevitably providing the easiest pickings. Car break-ins are a bit of an issue here but hey, you don’t really need a car to get around and, frankly, parking fees in San Francisco are a form of daylight robbery in their own right anyway. The city has a large homeless population, mainly centered around the Tenderloin district, which can be intimidating for newcomers. Even family friendly North Beach has a slightly seedier side after nightfall, while the crowded piers of Fisherman’s Wharf are where you’re most likely to be relieved of your wallet by an opportunistic pickpocket. But think of these areas as places to be more on your guard than somewhere to avoid entirely. San Francisco is generally safe for tourists and you’re highly unlikely to run into any trouble at all. That said, there’s no harm in taking a few common-sense precautions to avoid appearing vulnerable to would-be thieves. Though rare, natural disasters are not unknown in San Francisco so it’s also worth boning up on what to do in the event of e.g. an earthquake or wildfire, even if the chances of you encountering either on a visit to the Golden City are close to zero. Tips for Staying Safe in San Francisco Opportunists looking to relieve you of your hard-earned vacation cash can mostly be found haunting the busiest attractions, where it’s much easier to melt away into a crowd with their ill-gotten gains. Keep your wits about you in the likes of Fisherman’s Wharf, and especially the ever-popular Pier 39, where tourists gather in their thousands to say hi to the resident sea lion colony and visit the Aquarium of the Bay and other San Francisco big-hitters. The same goes for parts of Downtown and Chinatown, where pickpockets ply their trade and seasoned scammers will try all manner of sob stories to get you to hand over a few dollars. Similarly, the thriving nightlife scene and major yearly festivals that draw revelers from across the globe are great fun, but mean more crowds and easier pickings for... well, you get the general idea. So: stay alert in sketchy areas and be aware of your surroundings wherever you are. Keep valuables out of view and be skeptical of anyone who approaches you asking for money, especially those ‘friendly helpers’ who hang around ATMs, anyone offering to take a nice souvenir photo of you with your very expensive smartphone or anyone with a sob story. Trust your instincts on these – if it doesn’t feel right, walk away. While these may sound obvious, thieves rely on the element of surprise and it’s easy to become flustered when suddenly confronted. Yes, even to the extent of willingly handing over your phone only to watch helplessly as it, and its new owner, melt away into the crowd. In the unlikely event you do lose your valuables to a bag snatcher, scammer or pickpocket, by all means raise the alarm, but it’s really not worth giving chase. Instead, report the incident to police as quickly as possible (your insurers will require a police report) and, above all, try not to let one unpleasant experience spoil the rest of your trip. San Francisco Beach Safety You’ll want to spend plenty of time outdoors on your San Francisco vacation. And who can blame you? There’s that mild climate, perfect for picnics in sprawling Golden Gate Park, boat trips around the Bay, epic climbs up Nob Hill and the quad-crunching Filbert Street Steps (all 500 of ‘em). Not to forget ticking off that most essential of San Francisco activities: a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge to the charming seaside town of Sausalito. And then there are the beaches, from the wild, rugged expanse of Ocean Beach on the west coast, to the sheltered cove at the Aquatic Park. Now, San Francisco isn’t exactly known for reliably sunny weather, what with the ubiquitous summer fogs that roll through the Bay, and surprisingly stiff sea breezes even during peak season. Indeed, the best beach weather is generally to be had in September into early October, when the fogs have abated and you can expect clear skies and temperatures in the high 60s much of the time. First things first: even though it might not feel that warm out, don’t end up looking like a boiled lobster because you didn’t think it was hot enough to burn: the San Francisco sun can be tricky that way, so slap on the sunscreen when you’re going outdoors. Better safe than sorry, and all that. The beaches here are great for lounging and catching some rays, but not for swimming. There is little or no lifeguard presence in the Bay area, and the rough Pacific waters are not safe for swimming due to bone-chilling temperatures and dangerous riptides. Don’t be tempted to go in even if the water looks calm – tourists wading in just three feet of water at Ocean Beach have been swept away suddenly. If you do fancy dipping your toes, the sheltered cove at the Aquatic Park in the National Maritime Historical Park along the north coast is your best bet. Or head over the bridge to Stinson Beach in Marin County, where white sands, relatively calm waters and a lifeguard presence in summer makes for a fun (and safe!) day out. It’s around 45 minutes’ drive from downtown San Francisco. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
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