I volunteered there many years ago and loved it. I love going there to support the hospital. Always…read morehas useful things that a patient would need. Great selection of travel, snacks, and gifts.

Hours say that the store opens at 8am, but it didn't open at 8am the day I really needed something…read more A few days later when I came back later in the morning, I asked the lady when they actually opened and she told me "whoever was on that day was probably running late. You should give them some slack." It sounds to me like it was my fault for not giving that person "slack" for running late, and it was my fault for trusting that they open when they say they open. I'm sure they're great; but if it matters for you to get something early, just know that there is a possibility that it may not be open.

if you're a Disney fan, this is a must ! Make sure you have…read morethe time to visit the museum, so much to see, a lot of historical information. small gift shop at the end. Also they have a little area where you can have some snacks and a couple drinks. And downstairs they have an area where you can sit down and rest. Plenty of street parking if there's no event in the park. We decided to get there when they opened, which was perfect. We found a parking spot right out front.

I'm a fan of Disneyland, Disney World, and timeless Disney films and characters, so a museum…read morededicated to the man who made it all possible is a gem to have in SF. Last time I had visited was more than a decade ago, so checking the place out this past weekend I was glad to find that it hasn't lost its charm. The various rooms and displays provide a detailed history of Walt Disney and his dream of building his beloved amusement park come to life. Never knew his dream started with his love of trains! What's more, the museum setup makes you feel like you're actually at Disneyland. Thoughtfully curated and full of color, the place was a joy to explore on multiple levels. It included interactive elements, exhibits on synchronizing cartoon sound, a reproduction of an animator's desk, details about Walt's collaborations with artists and musicians for films like Fantasia, and captivating artworks and animated displays of his classic works, such as a whole section centered on the history and influence of Snow White. I was especially a fan of the Mary Poppins display, which featured studio story sketches, film posters, and photos of the actors with Walt Disney in 1964. I also really enjoyed the current exhibition, "Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story" in the Lower Lobby and Theater Gallery, which included a film screening of Happiest Place on Earth: Walt's Disneyland (2025) included with the admission price. The exhibit as a whole was quite interesting as someone who used to go to Disneyland multiple times per year (can't splurge like that anymore). I learned about Walt's vision and the evolution of each of the rides at the amusement park, especially some of my faves like the Haunted Mansion with original ideas stemming from a "museum of the weird" that was never built. The venue also offers a cafe with seating (open Thursday through Sunday 11-3pm) and a museum gift shop with plenty of Disney-themed goodies for all ages. Staff was professional and helpful, though not really involved in the self-guided tour. And parking in the area is easy and costs a small fee by the hour, payable by mobile app.

I mean, it's all about socks. You need socks? This is the place. Every pair is so wonderful,…read morethey're all gift-worthy. They even sell Baggu bags to take your Baggu socks home with. There's sexy tights, and cute kid's tights, funny socks, frilly socks, men's socks, women's socks, it's a store full of socks. If you've got a serious thing for socks, they've got a frequent shoppers program. She sells chic socks by the sea shore

Great selection! Lots of socks ranging from casual socks to hiking and cool patterns socks!…read more Thanks to Thrum for a great experience! I had a couple questions and he answered them all and helped me out with recommendations as well! Definitely coming back soon for some more socks.

5 starsJapanese Tea Garden - peaceful escape inside Golden Gate Park…read more Finally stopped by the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and it lived up to the peaceful reputation. This is the oldest public Japanese garden in North America and it shows -- well maintained winding paths, koi ponds, the iconic Drum Bridge, pagoda, stone lanterns, and that big bronze Buddha all create a nice calm vibe right in the middle of the city. The garden feels authentic with graceful maples, pines, azaleas, and cherry trees (depending on the season). Strolling the paths and crossing the bridges is relaxing, and the zen garden area is a nice quiet spot to pause. I snapped plenty of photos because the scenery is very photogenic. The tea house is worth a quick stop for matcha or snacks if you want to sit and soak it in. Overall it's a solid little oasis -- not huge so you can see most of it in 45-60 minutes, but still worth lingering if it's not too crowded. A couple small notes: it can get busy with tourists (especially midday), so early morning or weekdays feel more zen. Entrance fee is there but they have free hours some mornings. Parking in Golden Gate Park is the usual hunt -- Music Concourse garage or street spots nearby work if you time it right. Reliable spot for a tranquil walk and some Japan-inspired beauty without leaving SF. Good addition to a Golden Gate Park day. 5 stars. Nice peaceful garden that delivers what it promises.

I've been to so many different Japanese gardens over the years, one in Saratoga, as well as one in…read moreSan Jose and Fremont, and I believe one in Hayward or in the hillside? This by far had the most monuments, but in such a small area!! On the map, it looked a lot bigger, but my boyfriend and I were happy to walk around. I suggest you book your tickets in advance and get a time slot because we got there at 4:45 on a Saturday and the 5 PM tickets were sold out. The lady at the gate said we could buy the three day pass which was $25 then we could attend the other two parks the following two days. Lol. It was kind of confusing, but I was glad to be able to go to this Japanese tea garden and experience it for myself. The tea garden itself was packed! We didn't want to waste our time in the Teagarden itself just getting tea or snack snacks, as well as experiencing the gift shop, but I wanted to check out the actual garden and monuments within the garden area. There are maybe 10 different pathways you can go to get to each area, but we circled the park maybe three times to make sure we got enough pictures of everything! Lol. A lot of the pathways loop around each other or have multiple entry points, which is rather nice considering there were so many people. I also liked the steppingstone over the water. Kind of cute and interactive. There were these huge steep steps at one of the monuments that were really hard to step down because it felt like you were stepping at least a foot down with each step in a crazy maybe 45° angle! I'm glad we were going down those steps instead of up! There's also a archway friendship bridge that people were climbing. I wanted to take a picture, but there were too many people waiting in line and taking their own personal pictures on. So I didn't want to be weird and take pictures of random people. Lol this is also why I do not have a picture of the Teagarden Cafe portion as well. Overall, I think of taking personal family pictures here or wedding. Pictures would be gorgeous with the beautiful backgrounds if they are allowed. I saw a handful of people taking personal pictures, but with their own cameras. I'm guessing you have to have a license or something to come in the park with a tripod, but I could be wrong. I really love the relaxation of the garden itself but honestly on a Saturday there were so many people here you could hear people talking everywhere. I think coming on a weekday would be a lot more tranquil.

This "museum" acts as the information center and gift shop for the "F" line. The "F" line are the…read morehistoric streetcars that run down Market St and the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf. These street cars are the star of the attraction and definitely worth the ride. For $5.70 one can buy an all-day Muni pass which allows you to ride these cars along with all other transit EXCEPT the cable cars. These cars are a collection of preserved vehicles from the '30s to '50s. Each one was given from a city in the US. They were originally brought to San Francisco to substitute for the cable cars when the c.c. Went under major renovation back in the '80s. The street cars became a hit with locals and tourists and are now a part of historic transit systems in San Francisco. The museum is small but detailed. It is open limited hours and run by a team of volunteers. They are passionate about these street cars and it shows. They are very detailed oriented but expect a pause every 10 minutes when a street car goes rolling by. The museum is free with a suggested $5 donation. It will only take about 30 minutes to cover it but a great stop if a rail fan.

So many trips crossing the Bay to visit San Francisco and I never stopped by the Railway Museum…read more This week it's Spring Break so I took my grandchildren to the Museum. What a treat! The Museum had just opened and not busy. We were given VIP treatment from Brooke, one of the docents. All of the docents were welcoming. We learned so much about the history of streetcars and my grandchildren learned how to drive a streetcar using the museum replica. We were inspired to take a streetcar ride afterward. I recommend to Bay Area and out-of-town families to drop in. The Museum is free! What a bargain.

Beautiful Mission. We drove through the San Louis Obispo area and hit up a lot of those missions so…read morewe decided we should see our local mission. If you're following google maps, make sure you put in the actual Mission and not just Mission Dolores because it will take you to the high school or park. We followed the gps and ended up at the beautiful high school. We also walked along the park. The park is large and lush and attracted lots of people on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Parking for the mission is challenging. There is lots of street parking, but everyone is parked and we didn't see anyone leaving. We did find Sunday Church Parking. I believe it said tow away zone except between 8:30 and 4:30 on a Sunday. It was a smidge after 4:30 and a space opened up and we took it. Thankfully we didn't get a ticket, but I did see 2 meter maids coming though when we left. The mission is beautiful. I wish we had come earlier so we could have taken a tour.

This is a well preserved California Mission, one of the 21 along the El Camino Real. Today it…read morestands as a reminder of a time in California history when Spain ruled the area. This mission held its first mass just one week before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today all that remains is the chapel, a couple of small rooms attached and a portion of the cemetery. The majority of the complex is long gone, buried beneath the city that built up around it. The chapel has been restored and could be used today. The alters, wooden pews and decor resemble what this church may have looked like in its prime over 200 years ago. Today it sits in the shadows of the Basillica. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors. The site can be easily toured in under an hour. However, to get the full story one may want to spend some more time.

While this museum is small - it's always very interesting. A lot of interesting and eclectic…read moreexhibits. The gift shop is amazing - I could go crazy here!

This museum is in the Dogpatch neighborhood and walking distance from Chase Center and Oracle Park…read more On Wednesdays, they have something called "Pay What You Can Wednesdays" where you can check out the museum for free. They have a donation box at the exit of the museum. The current exhibit is titled "Neon as Soulcraft", which was my first time seeing an entire exhibit devoted to neon lights. As someone who likes reading descriptions at museums, I spent about 30 minutes, so it's something that won't take too long. I really enjoyed the combination of art and science, and appreciated how they provided background information on the artists and their inspiration. I won't go too in depth so that you can check out the exhibit for yourself! *Verdict: The lady at the entrance was so friendly! She took the time to explain what "Pay What You Can Wednesdays" was and offered to answer any questions. There's a new exhibit every few months, so I look forward to coming back in the future!

Another great visit to this spot…read more These were good High tea _Decaf earl gray Roast beef Sandos Egg & turkey Chicken salad & roast beef Sausage rolls

Let me start with the good things first…read more - The staff was very nice and made sure we were well-served. - We were a group of 8 people, and they were accommodating to our special dietary restrictions. - The food was good, and the teas were delicious. Things we didn't like: -It's a little old place, so we saw spiders lingering behind our chairs. -The food quantity is comparatively less.

I have been here multiple times throughout the years, and have only had good experiences. However,…read moremy last visit stood out to me the most. A few weeks ago was my senior prom, which was at the Exploratorium. The exhibits and environment were very fun and made for a super engaging night! As a trans person, I have a lot of anxiety in public bathrooms. Although they were unable to open up the general neutral bathroom (I mean, it's high schoolers, you can't trust them). However, the staff was extremely accommodating and kind, and escorted me to a separate bathroom. They made sure I got to pick the bathroom I was most comfortable in, as well as apologized for the inconvenience. Not only is this place fun, entertaining, and family friendly, they are welcoming, kind, and caring. I will never forget the kindness that I was shown.

Exploratorium San Francisco, CA…read more Date went 4/25/26 Time went around 1:15pm on a Saturday It was very busy to say the least Bonus the entry fee is $5 for food stamp recipients Atmosphere It was so great to see a mixture of young children with parents, teenagers, and even older people in this establishments. I saw lots of laughter, play, and wonder and despite it being packed everyone was respectful and I didn't see any hogging of the different activities. You could easily spend at least 3 or 4 hours in there. Food Court I ordered a chicken avocado bacon burger and it was surprisingly delicious! Also, not too expensive. Overall I highly recommend coming her with your kids, on a date, or just for some fun scientific exploring! I didn't get to see what the regular entrance fee was, but I'd say this would be worth it for about $25-$30 per person. I wish I would've taken more pictures of the different activities Recommendations - More hand sanitizing stations, I only recall seeing one throughout the entire place

A really spectacular natural history museum. There is a lot to see so you can make a full day of it…read moreif you choose and you have the stamina. You're greeted by a huge T-Rex skeleton at the entrance-spectacular! This was my first time visiting. I especially enjoyed the rainforest recreation (all four stories!) it is humid and balmy- and there are amazing fish, birds, and butterflies to enjoy. There are lots of fish in smaller tanks on the main floor, as well as an aquarium which we just passed by as we arrived late afternoon. There's a shallow "river" with salmon and then in another area a tropical pond filled with manta rays from the Phillipines. My sibkid, who had been before, knew their way around and their favorite stop was the earthquake simulator -you go In a small room with inset bookcases and lamps, to create a "homey" vibe but you know it's not a normal home when they have steel railings to hold onto. and they recreate the 1906 and 1988 Loma Prieta earthquake. It was suitably terrifying and I almost made a run for it when they paused between quakes. We next saw the Africa wing which had amazing stuffed mammals of the continent- and a comprehensive creation of primordial man-or woman- from the iconic "Lucy" to Neanderthal man. They also had African penguins who enjoyed a fish feeding. There's a gift shop replete with stuffed animals and souvenirs and a cafe. They have different areas (grill, sandwich, pizza, coffee/pastries, as well as prepacked grab and go) and complimentary water. The food staff were especially helpful despite managing a lot. My sibkid had the chicken tenders and fries (16.99) and I had some coffee and a croissant ($14) Yes, it's pricey but the food was good and we enjoyed the view from the outdoor dining area overlooking Golden Gate Park. Next time I'd like to see the planetarium and spend more time with the skeletal remains of our forbears.

I've been to the California Academy of Sciences a number of times in the past. I've always had a…read moresolid experience. So when my dad was visiting from overseas recently, and it was a rainy weekday - I figured it would be a fantastic way to pass the time. My father and I each paid 49 dollars to enter. About $100 for both of us. We quickly learned that many parents and nannies (I suspect most with California Academy of Sciences memberships) had the same rainy day plans as us. The moment we entered - I was struck by how many strollers there were inside. Though the exhibits did get quite crowded - it was heartwarming -seeing how genuinely excited all of the children were about nature. I loved seeing their little faces pressed up against the aquarium glass, and giggling excitedly about the penguins doing playful dives through the viewing glass. That being said - I was struck on this particular visit how small the penguins' enclosure was. I was also surprised to discover during our time here that there wasn't many (at least I didn't come across any) sanitization set-ups throughout the space. Being that there were so many people around us sniffling and coughing, we both were reluctant to engage with any of the interactive displays too closely. The rainforest area was magical with colorful butterflies dancing above us, but be warned that it is humid inside. I found myself eager to get some cool air half way through. There weren't too many people in line while we were there, but I have heard that that line can get long on the weekend, and I can only imagine how hot it must get in there during peak busy times. We enjoyed our time in the aquarium as well. The jellyfish are always particularly incredible to watch. The highlight for me was the living roof. Getting fresh air, as the light sprinkle of the rain graced our faces - was definitely a welcome change to the rest of the busy building. I'm sure my experience on this recent trip - would have been different if I had come here with my nieces. I can only imagine how special it must be to experience this museum through their young eyes. I think deep down - I was hoping that there had been some new updates since my previous visits and I was looking forward to experiencing the Academy with new fresh eyes. Later - once back at my place - my father and I both confessed that we both may have preferred spending our rainy day - exploring the breathtaking beauty of Golden Park with our umbrellas in tow - instead. Trust.