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Imagination Playhouse

4.6 (60 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 2 weeks ago

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Services - Imagination Playhouse

Post-event cleaning services

Venue rental

Imagination Playhouse Photos

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Recommended Reviews - Imagination Playhouse

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Reviews With Photos

Kathryn C.

Came here on a Thursday around 2pm. It was pretty empty, but the staff was very friendly. It's pretty spacious with both big play structures (climbing, slides, tunnels, ball pit) and smaller play area for younger kids. My 5 year old had a blast climbing and going down the slides. It also checked the ball pit box (which she'd been wanting to experience). Great set up, clean + friendly staff made for a great experience.

Reading time!
Christine W.

My preschool hosted their holiday party last night here and it was amazing! Susie the owner is so great! She's attentive and made sure all guests (big and small) were comfortable and she never made us feel rushed when it came time to wind down and end the party. My kids had a blast and loved the big slides and even the little reading nook when they wanted to take a quick break! We love coming to imagination playhouse!

Hello kitty theme
A L.

We had our daughter's three year old celebration here. Susie was super accommodating and easy to work with. I loved that they have special party set up (we chose hello kitty) so you don't have to worry about decorations. Everyone had a wonderful time! I also love that they have the option to book out more than 3 hours. We booked a 4 hour event, I thought it would be too long but it turned out perfect! Thank you so much!!!

Raynecia H.

My family and I attended a birthday party here for one-year-old and absolutely enjoyed ourselves! It's in a pretty busy part of town so parking is not easy. I love how they close the location for parties. It really helps you feel safe and not on high alert. The play area is gated in so it makes it fairly difficult for a little one to slip out. A huge win for any parent in my opinion. They have two slides, two ball pits and an eating area with a good enough space for decorations, food, cake, drinks, etc. The party lasted two hours total. I'm not too sure if you could stay longer than that... I also saw that they offer drop offs starting at $25 an hour for one child. To be honest we had no idea that this place existed in San Francisco but we will definitely consider it for future celebrations of our own!

Rhett B.

I recently visited the Imagination Playhouse with my 2 year old and it was a great experience. The indoor playground has a ball pity, multiple slides, and several age appropriate toys. It's a great place to host a birthday party overall this is a great place for familiesiy.

Loretta T.

My son had an 8th birthday party! He and his friends had an amazing time! Hosts Susie and Evelyn took care of setup and service throughout the event so it was stress free. They also gave me many ideas on party planning and what to serve. Thank you so much!

Glo L.

Just had my sons 3rd Birthday here and it was AWESOME! Everything fell into place. All the kids had fun and the adults did as well. I don't regret anything about this place and I have nothing but good and positive reviews about it. We will definitely be coming back here sooner than later. Only thing that sucked was parking and for coming all the way from San Mateo, it's very far and for those coming farther from there. Overall, it's worth the drive.

Just hosted my son's 6 year old party here and it was a wonderful experience. Susan and her staff took care of everything and everyone had a great time. We will be back for open play as my kids had such a good time playing here

little sign with info when you look through the door when they are closed

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Great place to come with any kiddo especially if it's raining or too cold for outside play.

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

Business owner information

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Imagination P.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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Imagination P.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Fun place for a pre schooler/ young kids birthday. We'll run and fun place for kids. Nice to be able to rent whole place out

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1 year ago

Love this place! Perfect for kiddos ... like a paradise for them. My son is 3 and was delighted.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Perfect place to have your kids parties. Big play gym and lots of room to setup. Kids will have lots of fun in a safe environment.

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

This place is great! There's plenty to keep the little ones entertained for quite a while. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Attended private event - 6th birthday party. Spacious and large play structure for the kids and private room in the back.

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

Very friendly staff with a welcoming attitude. Great space with lots of fun activities for kids. Will definitely come back.

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7 years ago

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Ask the Community - Imagination Playhouse

Age requirements for the children?

No age requirement! We say 0-8 adults are more than welcomed on our structures as well

Are you open for same day drop ins?

Yes, they are open for same day drop in open play as well as drop off care. As long as you call in advance!

Hi. I am just wondering is it ok for the kid who is one year and 8 month?

Hi! Yes, we have a infant toddler area and you are allowed to go up on the structure with your child.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Imagination Playhouse

Hosts Susie and Evelyn took care of setup and service throughout the event so it was stress free.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

Read more highlights

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Sunset Recreation Center

Sunset Recreation Center

(48 reviews)

Outer Sunset

This review is specifically for the use of the event space. While the space was good for events…read more(overall I'd say a 4), the experience we had with a staff member was very alarming and needs to be known to anyone who is considering using the space. We had received a referral from using this space from the ease of rental and no frills set up and involvement from the staff. I unfortunately have to seriously call out the behavior of a staff member Cynthia who not only was so condescending, overbearing and disrespectful to us as we held an event for a family birthday but she also extended this behavior to guests. Extremely appalling and unacceptable behavior. She was not a guest but domineered like she knew everything better than we did, proceeded to try to demand to have my mother who is disabled try to help set up when she was sitting down and practically yell at her when she didn't comply. I had to repeat many to her without calling out her disability that she was just helping us look at the final result to which Cynthia did not immediately pick up and proceeded to say under her breath "well she's just sitting there she should help". Cynthia had no business bossing everyone around as we had a plan. At most helping set up the tables and chairs was probably all that we expected and even then we had hired people to do that, all she needed to do was tell us where to get them. It got worse during the day. She would go around like she was a guest helping at the event and her interactions were rude and belittled everyone she interacted with. She stressed all of us out the whole day and had many guests on edge, several of whom came up to us asking who she was and why she was so angry and mean. She put a cloud on what was supposed to be a joyous event frankly and we will never forgive her for taking that away from an otherwise special occasion. To top it all off she at the end of the day as we were cleaning up and waiting for the trash guy to come said "I've already done more than I'm supposed to do" - WHEN WE DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR HELP OR OPINION!!! I expect so much better from a center geared towards bringing the community together - she certainly is not a representation of SF or SF Rec and Park and should seriously be considered to not be involved in these events in the future. So if you decide to use this space make sure you ask who will be working and demand a different staff if you find out it's Cynthia or get another place. She will absolutely RUIN your event.

This review is for the multipurpose space and kitchen inside the rec center for events and parties…read morebooked on the sfrec website. I booked this place for my son's first birthday because of its location - there's a playground and parking is not too difficult! Thankfully it didn't rain so guests got to enjoy the indoor party with food, drinks and other activities while also running out to the playground.. a perfect way to keep restless little kids entertained! The staff member was kind and helpful. He helped pull out all the tables and chairs from the storage room and helped us with take down as well. Another pro was the weather was really nice and sunny and the room was bright and had high ceilings, so it felt very spacious. Unfortunately some tables were broken so we couldn't use them. The permit did say that it was not guaranteed. However this impacted our party because we had many guests with not enough seats/tables. Maximum capacity written on the wall was 130+ also and I know I had a little less than 100 show up, so that was a bummer! Another con is that you do have to remove the trash after your party is over. I am not sure if this applies to all sf rec reservations but at Lake Merced Boathouse they have the same policy. It's pretty challenging to remove the trash from the site as they expect you to bring your own bags and to bring it home to toss...but we got it done. The kitchen is rather small but has everything you would need. It's not the cleanest but it did its job. We actually didn't use it as much as I thought we would but it was nice to have access in there and use the sink to clean off any food trays we had. Heads up that it does cost an extra fee per hour to rent the kitchen. They also have a keurig coffee maker if you're interested in that! I accidentally left my half and half in the fridge too...oh well. All in all I would recommend this location for a party especially if you're inviting kids. Booking the space was a little troublesome because I had issues booking online on their calendar with the right time frame so I emailed sf rec instead. I suggest looking into the prices online as they change and check the availability online as well.

Trocadero Clubhouse - Getting ready room photo @allisonandres

Trocadero Clubhouse

(26 reviews)

This is a lovely setting for a wedding. I know, because I came to a wedding reception here long…read morebefore I lived in San Francisco. Said wedding was fine except for some in-poor-taste snarkery that one particularly tall fellow was spilling within earshot of the people he was snarking (he had never met them before and was just spreading nasty rumors about them, because he was an imbecile). Sadly, the marriage whose beginning I celebrated here did not last, and even more sadly, the bride's sister, who was a year younger than me, has also passed away. Why am I mentioning all these rude and sad things? Because I associate them with that wedding and this place, even though nothing bad from that wedding should be associated with this place. I mean, it's not Trocadero Clubhouse's fault that the particularly tall fellow was an imbecile or that the then happy couple was mismatched from the start and destined for unhappiness with each other or that drug addiction is often tragic and deadly. Here's what to know: This is a lovely setting for a wedding. You can't get much better than the smell of redwood trees at your wedding reception.

This is an update on my previous review after getting married here in November…read more Despite some of the cons(see previous review), it is completely worth it. Absolutely beautiful, staff onsite was friendly and willing to pitch in if needed even though that isn't included. There are extra tables onsite(some good size rectangular ones). Both the upstairs rooms have some chairs and there is a bathroom upstairs in the larger room(perfect for a getting ready room!). There is even a clothing rack in that room! The water damage is still very obvious from the redwood Grove where a lot of people will have their ceremonies. The hillside going up toward sloat is still barren and does not look good a a back drop. I would recommend having your ceremony in the east meadow(included with rental), it's so pretty and very spacious and more private. A lot of traffic goes through the redwood grove area. The lights in the main "dining room" have a dimmer which is nice! There is a restroom behind the bar in the main building as well as the public restrooms just outside on the deck.

Bearing West

Bearing West

(149 reviews)

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Came to Bearing West recently and left genuinely impressed. The vibe is relaxed but still feels a…read morelittle elevated. Food was excellent: really well-executed, flavorful, and the portions were solid without feeling heavy. Everything felt thoughtfully put together, not just "pretty plates." And honestly, the pricing felt fair for the quality and portion size, which is getting harder to find. The cocktails were a highlight too, balanced, not overly sweet, and clearly made by someone who cares. You can tell there's intention behind the menu. The hospitality was friendly, attentive, and warm without hovering. It's the kind of service that makes you want to come back. Definitely adding Bearing West to my regular rotation. Great food, great drinks, great people.

We came here to celebrate a birthday. Been wanting to try it and we were happy we did. The staff is…read moreextremely friendly- our server Emma? Emily? was the best! Nice cool vibe and the menu had happy hour specials. We had the Baja style fish tacos $14 which was battered and fried fish and slaw. The fish was nicely done. The shrimp Louie $22.50 had nice amount of bay shrimp, egg and avocado. The chicken Milanese sandwich $16 was a bit disappointing though. The battered chicken fingers were a bit dry and the pieces were on the small size, as was the fried chicken fingers $12. The deviled eggs $8.50 was creamy. Could've done without the pickled jalapeño-made it bit bitter. We all loved the griddled sourdough $5 ! I'd come back to check out more of the small bites menu.

Lake Merced Boathouse - Inside entrance area.

Lake Merced Boathouse

(5 reviews)

Lakeshore

My sister and I rented the Lake Merced Boathouse for our mother's celebration of life. I had been…read morethere several times before for events and a family member's engagement party. I think it is Park & Rec's nicest event space. The best part about this venue is the view of the lake, second - the ample parking and ease of getting in and out of the area. There is one large room for rent and an adjacent room that can be added for extra space. We rented both spaces and it was pretty affordable. With the cost of the rental, you get to use the tables and chairs. However, you are also responsible for your own set up and take down of everything at your event. So if you don't have a set up crew, you will need one. Make sure to allow extra time on your rental for this. In addition to the two rooms, there is an entrance hall that we set up with photos, flowers and sign in table. There are men's and women's restrooms and a catering kitchen with fridge, freezer, sink and ice maker. There are no ovens, microwaves or any heating appliances available. There is no wifi available, bring your own hot spot if needed. That being said, it was a beautiful event and on a sunny day, the sun glistens off the lake in a golden hue and just sets the scene for any event.

We attended a large baby shower at this great venue. The large space had an expansive balcony and…read morelarge picture perfect windows with really great views of Lake Merced. The main room was recently renovated and could occupy 125 people. There was a caterer's kitchen set up area and well maintained bathrooms for the guests. Parking was ample and access to the freeway was easy. The space rented from the SF Parks and Rec Department so I was told that the price for the space given the views are reasonable. Definitely a good venue for the views, location and price.

Imagination Playhouse - kids_activities - Updated May 2026

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