Free Things to Do in San Diego
From San Diego Wiki
Generally Free
Balboa Park: Free Tuesday
Several of Balboa Park’s museums offer free admission, like the Timken Museum of Art. Even better: every Tuesday, Balboa Park offers free admission to some of its most popular museums, including the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, the Museum of Natural History, and the Air & Space Museum, on a rotating basis. Visit the Balboa Park website for more information on Free Tuesday.
Balboa Park Website
San Diego Craigslist Free Stuff
Perusing the San Diego Free Stuff section of Craig’s List is completely free, and so is the sometimes useful (and often bizarre) free stuff you’ll find listed on the site. It’s also free to post your own free things to the San Diego Craig’s List free stuff section, if you don’t have the time to hold that garage sale.
San Diego Craigslist Free Stuff Website
Free Kid’s Activities Indoors - day
Museum of Contemporary Art
On the first Sunday of every month, the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla holds a Family Day, offering free hands-on activities for kids from 2 to 5pm. Admission is also free at both the downtown and La Jolla MCASD locations for kids and adults under 25, every day.
Museum of Contemporary Art Website
The San Diego Libraries
Everyone knows the San Diego libraries are free. However, many parents don’t know about the libraries’ numerous free services for kids, teens and preschoolers, such as free homework help and free weekly readings of children’s favorites at many San Diego Library branches. Check out the San Diego Library’s Kids’ Corner for more information.
San Diego Library website
Kids’ Corner website
San Diego IKEA Birthdays
IKEA in Mission Valley offers free IKEA birthday parties to kids under ten on the first Tuesday of each month. Celebrate, eat cake – and mom and dad can peruse the amusement park of San Diego shopping.
Nighttime Things to Do for Free Indoors
TNT at MCASD
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego hosts a Thursday Night Thing (TNT) at 7pm every Thursday evening, each featuring a different San Diego art or music event. Admission is free, though a $3 donation is suggested.
Museum of Contemporary Art Website
Kids Eat Free!
An evening out at a San Diego restaurant is far more economical when your kids can dine for free. Kids under ten eat free at the following San Diego restaurants:
Carrows Restaurants in Escondido, Oceanside and South Bay (after 4pm)
IKEA in Mission Valley (after 3pm)
Hooley’s Irish Pub & Grill in El Cajon (Wednesday nights)
Bistro d’Asia in Coronado (Tuesday nights)
Pat & Oscar’s in Mission Valley, Del Mar, Mira Mesa etc. (Tuesdays)
Free Outdoor Activities in San Diego
Old Town San Diego
Simply strolling through San Diego’s Old Town State Historic Park is a banquet for the senses – and it’s free. But after such a long stroll, you’ll be in the mood for a real banquet. Luckily, there’s no shortage of restaurants in Old Town San Diego.
San Diego Beaches
Don’t take San Diego beaches for granted – they’re undoubtedly San Diego’s top free activity. Whether you choose the busy boardwalk of Mission Beach or the pristine sands of La Jolla, you’ll learn why the beach is the heart of the San Diego lifestyle.
Balboa Park
It’s easy to spend a free day in Balboa Park just admiring the architecture, gardens, and San Diego city views. Pack a picnic lunch, and spread out your fare on one of Balboa Park’s picturesque grassy knolls.
Pacific BeachFest
No, Pacific BeachFest in Pacific Beach isn’t the same as the notorious PB Block Party of years past. This Pacific Beach street fair is just as lively, but far more kid-friendly (and non-alcoholic), though it’s still fun for adults. The October event includes live music, a boardwalk filled with booths, a Taste of Pacific Beach culinary celebration, and creative competitions.
Pacific BeachFest Website
Free Concerts in Seaport Village
Every weekend, Downtown San Diego’s Seaport Village holds free concerts from 1 to 4pm in a variety of genres.
San Diego Street Fairs
There are San Diego street fairs for every season, in every neighborhood, and the majority of them are free. While music and mayhem at San Diego street fairs is always free, the shopping and food booths aren’t.
Sunday Concerts at the Spreckels Pavillion
Sundays in Balboa Park are always a celebration. Stop by the Spreckels Pavillion every Sunday at 2pm for a free concert.
Pacific BeachFest KidFest
The family-friendly KidFest at the annual Pacific BeachFest is a kid’s dream: free games, arts and crafts, and even a sandcastle-building competition.
San Diego Tidepools
Exploring the San Diego tidepools is the perfect free daytime activity for families. Kids delight in spotting elusive tidepool creatures, all while learning important environmental lessons.
Kate Sessions Park in Pacific Beach
There’s nowhere better than the endless green fields of Kate Sessions Park in Pacific Beach for kids to play, whether it’s outdoor sports or games of pretend. The grass is also picnic-perfect, and the views of Mission Bay from Kate Sessions Park are a perfect backdrop. As with all public parks in San Diego, a day at Kate Sessions is free.
Kids Are Free at the San Diego Zoo
October is Free Kids Month at the San Diego Zoo to celebrate the Zoo’s birthday (adults must pay regular admission prices). Autumn is the perfect season for visiting the Zoo in San Diego – make it an annual event in your household!
San Diego Zoo website
San Diego Walking Tours
There are free guided walking tours in almost every exciting San Diego neighborhood, and they’re perfect for families. For more information on San Diego walking tours, contact the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau at sdinfo@sandiego.org.
Nighttime Free Things to Do Outdoors
Ray at Night in North Park
North Park’s Ray at Night art gallery crawl is renowned citywide. Enjoy perusing artwork from dozens of San Diego artists for free. Ray at Night in North Park is held the second Saturday of every month on North Park’s Ray Street, off University Avenue and east of 30th Avenue.
San Diego Sunsets
Sunsets in San Diego are always free. Some of San Diego’s top sunset spots include La Jolla Cove, Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma, the Downtown San Diego Harbor, and any other west-facing scenic spot in San Diego. Pack a picnic, and settle in for some heart-stopping hues. If it’s a clear night, keep an eye out for that world-famous San Diego green flash!
Adams Avenue Street Fair
The Adams Avenue Street Fair in Normal Heights is the largest free outdoor music festival in Southern California. Every fall, the streets near Adams Avenue are packed with over 100,000 people. Great music, fab food – for free!
Head to Tijuana
It’s free to cross the border from San Diego into Tijuana, Mexico, and just walking Avenida Revolution, its main tourist avenue, is worth the potential border wait to get back into San Diego.
Stargaze at Reuben H. Fleet
During the first Wednesday evening of every month, the San Diego Astronomy Association arranges giant telescopes in front of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. San Diego’s astronomy experts are the ideal teachers to educate kids about the stars and planets.
The San Diego Fair
Previously known as the Del Mar Fair, the San Diego fair is best in the evening. Admission is free for kids five and under.
Sea World Fireworks
You don’t have to pay admission to enjoy the summer fireworks at Sea World. Just head to Mission Bay Park for perfect – and free – views of the nightly fireworks shows.
