More Free Things to Do in the Bay Area (If You’re Feeling the January Strain)

The first weeks of the new year can feel tough in many ways — not least financially. And if your wallet continues to feel the strain after the holiday season, rest assured, you’re not alone.

While the cost of living here is an ever-present concern for so many in the Bay Area — and some days it feels like just leaving your home costs money — luckily, this region still offers a surprising amount of things to do that are 100% free.

So if you find you’ve exhausted all the usual options for free activities around the Bay Area, we’ve rounded up some extra ideas for things to do in San Francisco and beyond in the coming week that require no admission fee.

Jump straight to free activities in:

• East Bay
• North Bay
• South Bay and Peninsula

A few free things to do in San Francisco this winter

Explore Fort Point

There’s no entrance fee required to tour this San Francisco national park structure that dates from 1853, most famous today as a filming location for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller Vertigo. The parking lot is free, too.

Make the most of a museum free day 

Many local museums have regular monthly free days; for example, the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor both offer free admission for Bay Area residents every Saturday. You can also get free access to many museums with your EBT card or to certain local locations every first full weekend of the month with a Bank of America or Merrill bank card. For more, check out our full list of Bay Area museums’ free days.

Sketch in a gallery 

Speaking of the de Young Museum, you’ll find free art materials – and a stool – provided on certain Saturdays as part of their Sketching in the Galleries program.

Take a tour of the Coit Tower Murals 

Start your Saturday or Wednesday morning with an in-depth guided tour, courtesy of SF City Guides, to Coit Tower’s stunning murals honoring the working people of 1930s California. Learn more about the 26 contributing artists, Lillie Coit herself and the folks who’ve taken care of the art over the years (sign-up in advance is required).

Visit Golden Gate Park’s Bison Paddock 

Head to the western end of John F. Kennedy Drive and marvel at the majestic ladies of the Bison Paddock. (The herd has been all-female since the 1990s, after multiple escapes led by males.) A mainstay of Golden Gate Park since 1891, these San Francisco icons offer a glimpse into America’s wild history.

Tour the Mission District’s free art galleries …

The Mission is peppered with fantastic independent small galleries that highlight the work of local artists and are free for all to visit. This very walkable list includes: The Drawing Room, City Art Cooperative Gallery, Rossi Mission SF, Incline Gallery, Voss Gallery, Artist’s Television Access, MRKT Gallery and Luna Rienne.

… and then go for a stroll through the Mission’s alley murals

For decades, muralists, graffiti artists and other community members have collectively covered the walls of many of the neighborhood’s alleyways — with different alleys developing specific themes. You can learn about the migration history of the Mission’s various diasporas at Balmy Alley (accessible on 24th Street between Treat Avenue and Harrison Street), get a walkthrough of the many social justice movements present in the Bay Area at Clarion Alley (accessible on Mission Street between 17th and 18th streets) and see how different generations of the city’s graffiti artists have covered large parts of both Lilac and Cypress Streets, along 24th Street.

Watch the sunset from Bernal Hill 

Watch as the setting sun lights up each corner of San Francisco from above at Bernal Hill, with vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Bruno Mountain and across the bay on clear days. The park is free, small and easy to navigate, but never feels overly crowded with visitors, plus it’s dog-friendly.

Take a free dance class 

San Francisco’s UN Plaza hosts free dance classes soundtracked to all different types of genres, from salsa to K-pop, but be aware that RSVPs are usually required. ODC in the Mission District also has free dance classes, taught through Zoom.

Visit the San Francisco Cable Car Museum 

See historic cable cars and learn how they operate at this small-but-worth-a-visit free museum on Nob Hill’s Mason Street. After your visit, you can stroll into neighboring Chinatown.

Go to Musee Mecanique

This pick counts as almost-free, since the Musee’s array of old-timey arcade games, attractions and photo booths admittedly require varying levels of quarters (available from the change machines) — but entry is no-cost, and even just wandering this sprawling Fisherman’s Wharf warehouse is a vibe.

A few free things to do in the East Bay this winter

Get a free workout in Claremont Canyon 

When the costs of a gym membership or class feel prohibitive, it’s good to remember that the Bay Area is blessed with many steep trails that offer a semi-punishing workout with a glorious view at the end as your reward. The Stonewall-Panoramic Trail in Berkeley’s Claremont Canyon is, rightly, a classic example.

Explore Mountain View Cemetery

Not only is this historic Oakland cemetery full of picturesque views and elaborate crypts, but it also offers the chance to pay your respects to a plethora of Bay Area legends, including Black Panther Bobby Hutton, poet Ina Coolbrith, architect Julia Morgan, rapper Mac Dre and actor Angus Cloud. It’s also the final resting place of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia.

Pay a visit to Rosie the Riveter 

This museum on the Richmond waterfront — the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, to acknowledge its full name — explores the lives of local people on the WWII home front, and has no entry fee.

A few free things to do in the South Bay and the Peninsula this winter

Birdwatch at the Baylands 

Winter is one of the best times to get into birdwatching, and Palo Alto’s Baylands Nature Preserve boasts hundreds of bird species that call its nearly 2,000 acres of marshland home. The preserve is entirely free to enter.

Bring a picnic to the Pulgas Water Temple 

Don’t want to spring for a visit to Filoli? The Pulgas Water Temple is a small slice of garden heaven that’s completely free, with a serene tree-lined pool and Instagram-worthy Corinthian design that pays tribute to the extensive network that brings fresh mountain water all the way from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Bay Area. Monday through Friday, the parking lot is open and free to enter — but on weekends, you’ll have to walk or bike around half a mile to the grounds via Cañada Road from Highway 92 or Edgewood Road.

A few free things to do in the North Bay this winter

Try magnet fishing in Santa Rosa’s Lake Ralphine …

… or anywhere you feel like dropping a cheap neodymium magnet attached to a long rope (note: check for any local prohibitions in that area first) and seeing what ancient metal objects you can pull out of the water. It’s that simple — but sure, you can read a long explainer if you’d like.

Bring a picnic to Bartholomew 

Craft a picnic according to your personal budget and take it to the Bartholomew Estate just outside the town of Sonoma.

While outside food isn’t permitted in the patio or grounds directly outside the winery, there is a whole hillside of spots with picnic tables — and trails — across the street in Bartholomew Park, where you get the same fancy view without buying a bottle (although you can do that too, of course.)

Gravity Hill

Put your car in neutral on Lichau Road in rural Sonoma County just east of Rohnert Park, and then question reality as you watch it slowly roll uphill. Yes, uphill!

KQED’s Carly Severn, Rae Alexandra, Gabe Meline, Sarah Wright, Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Nisa Khan and Emily DeRuy contributed reporting to this story.