# Up in the hills above Berkeley with kids

5 places in the hills above Berkeley: cows, goats and chickens at Tilden’s Little Farm, a restored carousel and a scaled-down steam train along the ridge, a hands-on science museum with one of the best views of the bay, and a botanical garden where the draw for the youngest is lizards and spiders.

Last updated 2026-09-12, from the newest confirmation among these places.

## The list

1. [Little Farm at Tilden Regional Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/little-farm-at-tilden-regional-park-berkeley) (park). Cows, goats and chickens at the end of a short walk from the Canon Drive car park, and it costs nothing. Bring celery or lettuce - the farm asks people not to feed the animals anything else. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible (Play Day, September 2026).
2. [Tilden Merry-Go-Round](https://ourplayday.com/places/tilden-merry-go-round-berkeley) (theme park). A restored Herschell-Spillman carousel with hand-carved animals, $4 a ride or $22 for a book of seven. There is a snack stand, a restroom and parking right there, which makes it an easy stop rather than an expedition. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible (Play Day, September 2026).
3. [Redwood Valley Railway](https://ourplayday.com/places/redwood-valley-railway-berkeley) (attraction). A scaled-down steam train that loops along the ridge in Tilden, $4 a ride or five for $16. Weekends and holidays year round, 11 to 6, closing at nightfall in winter. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible (Play Day, September 2026).
4. [Lawrence Hall of Science](https://ourplayday.com/places/lawrence-hall-of-science-berkeley) (museum). Design Quest for building and testing things, an Animal Discovery Room, and one of the best views of the bay from the terrace. Open Wednesday to Sunday; $20 covers everyone from three upwards. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible (Play Day, September 2026).
5. [University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley](https://ourplayday.com/places/university-of-california-botanical-garden-at-berkeley-94720) (garden). Under-6s get in free, and the draw for that age is not the plants so much as the lizards and spiders they will find along the paths. Lots of climbing up and down.

## About this list

Every place here is a listing on Play Day, and a place is listed only when something positive is known about it for kids. The facts come from published guides, parents who visited and OpenStreetMap, and each listing says which and when.

Page: https://ourplayday.com/guides/berkeley/up-in-the-hills. All of Berkeley: https://ourplayday.com/places/in/berkeley