Up in the hills above Berkeley with kids
Updated September 2026
Head up into the hills above Berkeley and you'll find 5 great spots for kids: 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, for the littlest ones, the real draw is lizards and spiders.
Cows, goats and chickens at the end of a short walk from the Canon Drive car park, and it costs nothing. Feeding is no longer allowed; the animals are still there to visit.
A restored Herschell-Spillman carousel with hand-carved animals, with a snack stand, a restroom and parking right there.
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.
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.
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.
Rainy day
Easy meals
Toddler playgrounds