# Indoor places for a rainy day in San Francisco

12 places in San Francisco where the weather really doesn't matter. Museums where kids are actually supposed to touch things, two indoor playgrounds for the under-fives, and bowling, mini golf and a trampoline park for the bigger ones. Each listing tells you the ages it suits.

Last updated 2026-10-03, from the newest confirmation among these places.

## The list

1. [Exploratorium](https://ourplayday.com/places/exploratorium) (museum). A pier full of things to pull, spin and stand inside. Nothing is behind glass, nobody minds the noise, and a five-year-old can lead the whole visit. Closed Mondays; Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm, with members and donors admitted from 10am; Thursday evenings 6-10pm are for adults 18 and up only. Confirmed: restrooms, changing table (Play Day, September 2026); wheelchair accessible, coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
2. [California Academy of Sciences](https://ourplayday.com/places/california-academy-of-sciences-94118) (museum). Rainforest dome, planetarium, aquarium and a penguin colony under one Golden Gate Park roof. The one to spend a whole wet day in. Confirmed: restrooms, changing table, wheelchair accessible, nursing friendly (Play Day, September 2026); coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
3. [Children's Creativity Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/children-s-creativity-museum-94103) (museum). Studios in Yerba Buena Gardens where kids make claymation, music and art with their hands. Built for ages 2 to 12, and the old carousel is right outside. Confirmed: coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
4. [Randall Museum Friends](https://ourplayday.com/places/randall-museum-friends-94114) (museum). A free museum with live animals and a train room, paired with an outdoor play space. Confirmed: restrooms, free to enter (Play Day, September 2026); wheelchair accessible, coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
5. [Peek-A-Boo Factory](https://ourplayday.com/places/peek-a-boo-factory-94121) (indoor play space). Richmond indoor playground with crafts for toddlers and preschoolers.
6. [WOW Kids Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/wow-kids-playground-94109) (indoor play space). Polk Street indoor playground with rope mazes and slides for toddlers through school age. Confirmed: restrooms (Play Day, October 2026).
7. [House Of Air](https://ourplayday.com/places/house-of-air-llc-94129) (theme park). Presidio trampoline park with a café and kids' menu; loud, bouncy, and built for school-age kids.
8. [Musée Mécanique](https://ourplayday.com/places/musee-mecanique-94133) (museum). A free room at the wharf packed with working penny arcade machines, from a hand-cranked carnival to old strength testers. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible, coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026); free to enter (Play Day, September 2026).
9. [Asian Art Museum of San Francisco](https://ourplayday.com/places/asian-art-museum-of-san-francisco-94102) (museum). Wide, quiet galleries near Civic Center. Doable as one floor and out again, and there is room to push a stroller through every room. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible, coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
10. [Museum Of African Diaspora](https://ourplayday.com/places/museum-of-african-diaspora-94105) (museum). Three floors of art and history off Yerba Buena Gardens. Compact, calm, and stronger with school-age kids than with little ones. Confirmed: wheelchair accessible, coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).
11. [Presidio Bowl](https://ourplayday.com/places/presidio-bowl-94129) (bowling alley). Presidio bowling alley; loud, fun, and built for preschool and school-age kids.
12. [Round1](https://ourplayday.com/places/round1) (bowling alley). A mall floor of arcade games, bowling and karaoke. Confirmed: coffee nearby (OpenStreetMap, September 2026).

## 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, people who visited and OpenStreetMap, and each listing says which and when.

Page: https://ourplayday.com/guides/united-states/california/san-francisco/indoor-places-for-a-rainy-day. All of San Francisco: https://ourplayday.com/places/in/san-francisco