I came with my child on a field trip. It was my first visit there. While there, they did a private showcase and my child had the opportunity to touch a Chilean rose tarantula, a native Rosy Boa snake and a turtle. They taught them about their amazing super senses and how they work. If you come with a group and get a chance to do those things, it’s pretty awesome. The team in the animal area opened up the rat area to let us get a closer look (the rats were shy, just got there yesterday). When we were leaving, the older gentleman sitting down at front entrance was playing the ukulele (really well too), it was a nice touch. Also had a lego earthquake section to let them see if they could build a sturdy tower. They have an amazing miniature train track room. If you a cuckoo for choo-choo’s, you’ll love it! It is really neat. Beautiful view of downtown from the lookout point. A great place to being your child if you have 2-3 hours of time or want to explore about SF. There was a small cafe with food and drinks. Normal SF fees for each. Not sure of prices for admission, came as a chaperone. But, with the options, prides, food and staff, I rate it a 5 star. Everyone was genuine and nice. Didn’t ignore you if you had a question.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Great little museum. We visited it for the bugs day event. It was loads of fun. Kids were able to experience some live bugs and also do some fun activities. My younger son loves model trains and it has very large track where you can watch these trains go around through the glass. They also have other kids activities like some live animals, an amazing bee hive, some mechanical stuff where kids get to build stuff and try out small experiments. They also have dedicated classes where parent child can learn to do carpentering together. Which would be super cool if we were living in SF still but we are slightly further away. All of it was free.. can’t beat that. Very cool children’s activity museum. We shall visit again. Parking can be a problem if there big events like bug day.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Wonderful treasure house of nature, creativity, history. Many options for all ages, including littles. Learn about nature, climate change, plants, animals. Rescued animals live in the wildlife center. Lots of places to sit and play outside. You can also walk up the winding path and stairs to the peak above. If you don't want to walk or the stairs are inaccessible, you can still enjoy incredible and accessible views. There is a cafe with an outside area with tables and chairs sheltered by sunbrellas to enjoy your food or drink. And - believe it or not - it's FREE! Caution: the road leading down to the Randall is really, really narrow. Yes, it's two way. Be cautious and careful driving on this road. Give way for other drivers as needed.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Took two 6yo and a 2yo today, I haven't been there since the remodel - it looked great! Felt spacious and bright, the top level, anyways. There was something for everyone: the traditional basket weaving exhibit, the animals (backyard type, not too exotic), the building block structures to test with the earthquake simulator, but *especially* the train display. A whole room set up with miniature trains including a switch yard, a model town and a hilly rural area with tunnels and bridges. Absolute heaven for a Thomas-obsessed kindergartner! There's now a café, but since we're having a very un-San Franciscan heatwave we picnicked under the trees outside while admiring the cityscape. Suggested donation $1 per person, well worth it.

Love this little museum. Not too big. Lovely scene from the hilltop. It has a small live animal exhibit with turtles and fish, a downstairs space with electric trains, and a little Cafe Josephine that has hot vegetable lentil soup and buttery chocolate croissant. Ines loved building the Lego on the earthquake shaking ground and doing some reading in the play room. I spent around 2 hours with a 3yo and it was just right. Not as crowded as some of the other places in SF. Lovely docent to welcome us and give us an intro on the layout when we arrived.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$1–5

I visited on a weekday and got there before they opened and while exploring found they have a gate that leads out the back so you can hike to the top of the rocky hill with great views. Once inside the first thing is the animals which they have a good local variety of creatures. They even have a petting zooish exhibit where you can go inside the enclosure which I didn't even realize until I saw someone else go in. Downstairs they got some cool ocean stuff and a very impressive model train setup. Lastly I saw from our visit was the train themed play area with tracks to play with but it seemed you needed to bring your own train because there wasn't any.

A small & simple museum with hands on activities, live animals, and a bunch of craft centers. The facility is free to enter, but they do ask a $1 donation per person if your able to donate. There are Thomas wood trains for rent ($3) as well if your child wants to play in the train center. Children had a blast exploring the center. A petting zoo is available in the animal exhibit. If your family get hungry, there is also a rainforest themed restaurant located in the center. Need more to do? There us a trail leading to the mountain peak for a breathtaking view of the city, as well as a trail leading down to a small park & playground.

A wonderful children's museum, situated on Corona Heights with fantastic views, the Randall offers a wide variety of activities for children and parents alike. From art activities to the animal room, the museum is a fantastic place to explore and spend a day. The museum also offers a marine exhibit, exhibits about the earth around the Bay Area, and the ever-popular train exhibit including the interactive model train room. Seasonal events also happen, like Bug Day and the exhibition of science projects from students in San Francisco.

My 3 year old son says that this is his favorite museum in the whole world! I think it might be the combo of rescue animals and exhibits that include trains. It operates off of recommended $2/person donations and is a great little place (2 floors) to bring young kids for a couple of hours. They have additional specialclasses/workshops for older kids I believe that we haven't tried. One thing we've particularly loved is coming near Halloween for their fun festive activities set up outside. Also, a great view of downtown from there.

I think that this museum is a "neighborhood gem". It is the nature of the museum to show the fauna of the area and some of the California history. The views from the museum are also very scenic. This is a great "hands-on" museum for children as well; I saw numerous parents delighting their children with all the interactive items for them. The adults as well as the children liked seeing the creatures. There is a small cafetería, and an outdoor seating area. I highly recommend this small, intimate museum.

Surprising and beautiful resource in an unexpected place. My boys loved the exhibits of live snakes, tarantulas, turtles, birds and lizards as much as the enormous, extensive model train exhibit in the basement. We really appreciated the open, modern layout and thoughtful exhibit construction. The way the animal exhibits were created (lots of glass, minimal structure, open on top) make the animals feel closer, more intimate, less "caged." Fantastic community resource, highly recommended for any family.

What a little gem of a museum. It has a substantial amount of animals given that it is a small museum. We were delighted to meet Buddy, the 7 year old racoon, and that their main diet is meat and fruit. There was also rabbits, turtles, owl, snakes, lizards, and even a real bone from a apatosaurus! Exciting content for children and adults alike. There was a showcase of aboriginal weavings and several weaving activities for people to get hands-on. The outside terrace offers a quiet view of the city.

Really nice, small museum/hands on activity center for kids- and it’s FREE! We took my 1 year old daughter - she mostly liked the room with the animals- chickens, ducks, bunny (employee let kids pet these animals and they loved it!!) a raccoon, snakes, turtles, birds, etc—toddler treehouse is closed but I’d say it’s better for 3/4+ Years old to take advantage of their weekend art classes and see the model train set in the basement. Really nice location with a cute cafe and beautiful city views.

A real gem of a museum and a truly special place, the Randall has recently emerged from a years-long remodel that has modernized most of the museum. The model train layout in the basement remains and is a highlight. The animal exhibits are small but nice (although the racoon seems overly confined) and educational. The Randall also offers a great variety of art and craft classes including clay, woodworking, and The Garage with laser cutting and other modern fabrication technologies.

The "Junior Museum" was the most important place of my childhood. From the time I was seven, I would walk up there and spend nearly every Saturday grinding rocks, spinning wool into yarn, weaving on the looms, creating pictures and plaster of paris molds of lupine and butterflies, building airplanes from balsa wood, watching two cartoons in the little theater and eating an ice cream from Gerty Guernseys. I am grateful every day for Josaphine D. Randall!

Great little spot for the kiddos Lots to do - model trains, aviary, views of the city, little café, turtles, bees, hamsters, tarantulas, black birds, and so on Staff is great - we stopped Zac and asked a few questions -he was a wealth of knowledge and our grandson was mesmerized A definite attraction in the city !
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
$1–5

I've loved this place since I was a kid. They remodeled the upstairs and have the awesome train room open during the week now. This place is run on donations, and considering how expensive everything in SF is, the couple of hours entertainment you get from this museum for a donation is totally worth it. I always donate when we walk in, because this is the kind of place that needs to stay open so future generations can enjoy it.

This museum is a hidden gem! So much entertainment for kids and at such a beautiful location. We were very happy that a cafe has opened on site, but beware there is no child friendly food on the menu so pack a picnic or snacks for the kiddos. Not just for kids, the grounds and views are amazing! This would be a great place for a romantic date.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Price for adult entry
Free

A fun way to spend a few hours! There are live animals to view, even guinea pigs to pet. They have an impressive train set with information on the Transcontinental Railroad. There is also a lot of art on display. There is plenty to view and do, including the incredible views of the city from the hill.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Small but great museum located near the Corona Heights park with varied exhibits best suited for toddlers and young children. There is a small animal zoo, mini aquarium, model train set, and many hands-on activities. There is a cafr on site that serves lunch. Best of all, it is free to park and free admission. At Halloween, they have a nice party with extra crafts that are affordable.

Small quaint but science focused museum. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the model train exhibit was not running. We were told when we entered the train exhibit was impressive and it was had it been working. Many of the children including my granddaughter were very disappointed.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Price for adult entry
Free

We had an amazing time at the Randall Museum. We couldn't believe it was free. The outdoor space is great, lots of people there with very small children including babies. Cool animal exhibits, great clean toddler play space, and the train exhibit downstairs was a huge hit with my 2 year old. The cafe is great too, but you can bring your own lunch or snacks too. Highly recommend.

Friendly staff and nice exhibitions, also on very useful topics, e.g. food storage and waste. It is free and set in a wonderful garden, plus has a free parking lot as one of the few places in San Francisco. The drive there was easy, a lot of signs direct here.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Always educational, never boring, totally free & rad! My kids love this place (not unlike the other kiddos we saw). My son worships reverently at the train layout & my daughter loves the variety of animals on display as well as the mineral quiz game. Never a dull moment here. She’s into wood work too. Not too long until she picks up a chisel & mallet here.

A great spot to learn about food waste and its effects on global warming. The Art Studio exhibit was my favorite. Barbara Lim’s work was colorful and intriguing. The “simple pleasures of daily life” are worth capturing on paper.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Today I went to Randall Museum with my dad. I like the turtles because they are very friendly. Two of the turtles were even playing ! You could even see the whole city if you hiked up some stairs. I think all of my friends would like to go to Randall Museum because there are a lot of interesting things that you can learn and see there !

Really great free children's museum! Theres an indoor petting farm, small aquarium with turtles, a mini desert area with tortoise, snakes, bunny and more. The outside area is awesome as well with a beautiful view. The museum is connected to Corona heights stairway to the top for an even more incredible view! And there's a parking lot!

What a great find (plus a great view of San Francisco). We were the only tourists when we visited. The kids loved exploring the various exhibits. The centre is certainly educational although we felt uncomfortable with the small enclosure for the racoon. But other than that, a refreshing change to the usual tourist attractions.

Wonderful hidden gem. We found it by accident, but the incredible Donna was at the front, and she was delightful. Soon she was showing us the owl, tortoise and all the other magnificent attractions here!
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

It's a small museum with an assortment of wild animals, aquatic animals, trains and toddler playroom. There is an area where you can experiment with Legos and earthquakes. There's also a theater that hosts some shows like Roald Dahl's Matilda. The views from here are spectacular and there is a small coffee shop also.

Excellent little museum, cafe features stuff you actually want to eat (grilled cheese, fancy pasties, kid-sized hot chocolate), outdoor seating area leads directly out to some terrific trails and amazing views of the city. Be sure to go downstairs for all the train stuff. I can't actually believe this place is free.

After visiting with kids over the years, I became aware that the place needs renovation. The Randall museum needs to bring back it's mojo......for 0 to when kids become aware of how it's mehhhh.. or you can see Karl the owl...
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Price for adult entry
Free

This was my first visit and I was a little bit scared to go alone with my 4 kids, but it turned out to be the perfect place to spend a Saturday. My oldest liked it so much she wants to volunteer and even my 2 year old kept himself occupied with the Legos and the trains. I cannot believe is for free!

This is a very sweet little museum. The best part for us was the wildlife talk that happens on Saturday at 11am. The docents bring some of the animals outside, tell you some interesting facts and let you touch a few of them. It looks like they offer a number of fun classes for slightly older kids.

Free children museum. It's a temporary location so there isn't a ton to see if you visit on a weekend but the live animal room is open where your kids can bet the chicken and duck. My favorite part was the playground in the courtyard. Spend a good amount of time there and got some great shots :)

Great for kids. Lots of hands-on stations for the kids to play around with. The animal exhibits and train sets we're a hit for our kids, 6 and 8 years old. We also signed up for a quick 1 hour art class, $5/person. It wasn't too bad, probably needed more time to complete the project.

Love the animal staff!!! The lady sitting in the front is rude guess she's new. Should not be coming into the kids play area making random statement about the clenliness of the room while kids are still playing. She should stay behind her desk answering questions minding her business

One of the best experiences ever! The staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. I was visiting from out of town and can't wait to visit again. Maribela (I think I have the right name) went above and beyond to make this one of the best experiences I could have imagined. Thank you!

The randall museum is such a fun place for all ages. U can explore the entire place under a hr or take your time and easily spend a few hours. There's a variety of things to see and learn about. The bathroom facilities are stocked and clean. The staff is outgoing and attentive.

Recently renovated. They've kept a lot of the favorites (live animals, shake tables, trains) and have incorporated new things as well. Looking forward to having the new cafe open (it has been closed each time we have been). The surrounding area is nice for a picnic and hike.

What a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The museum has a combination of live animal exhibits along with informative displays. Some of the enclosures for the live animals could be improved. Grounds are lovely. Cafe Josephine is a great place to grab a coffee and a snack.

I feel so lucky this place exists. I’ve spent countless peaceful afternoons here with my toddler. A raccoon, turtles and other animals to visit. A gorgeous lawn for picnics, with nice vistas of mission. And I love the cafe for a quick bite to eat and coffee or pastries.

This museum is perfectly geared to preschool through kindergarteners. I wouldn't particularly recommend it to adults - it's the kind of place that's great for what it is. There are even legos for kids to build something and see what happens to it in an "earthquake".

Fun and interesting animal exhibit for all ages. Saw the employees pet and feed the local raccoon (name is Buddy) which was priceless. They also have a duck, chickens, crows, an owl, tarantula, turtles, and more. Great atmosphere and place to chill after hiking.

What a surprise! This science museum is FREE and has fascinating exhibits including many live animals! I especially loved watching the racoon and the sea anemones. You gotta go see it -- It's bigger than you expect, with three floors and even a mini-coffee shop!

A rec and park museum for kids with live birds, turtles, bunny, duck, snake etc. An elaborate electric train display and small section with tracks for kids to play with their own trains. A beautiful view of the city outside the music with small shady play area.

This is a super and new place . . . Refurbished with lots of creatures. It is good for a one hour visit but best for a class or week or summer day camp type deals. There is a fun park next to it with great hills & rocks to climb . . . Great views of THE City!

Free small museum, good for toddlers and younger once. Has a small indoor Animal area like crows, hen, mouse, raccoon, snake, fish etc. Has a miniature train park to see too. Has a place to buy some quick snack. Connected to a mini trail to walk in nature.

On top of a steep hill overlooking San Francisco. A mini zoo with local animals, artifacts, a cafe, great views of the city, and hiking.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No
Price for adult entry
Free

Good small museum. There are many rooms for kids to explore. The train room is a must for little ones. The outside is also beautiful. You can have a little hike up the hill and see a beautiful view of San Francisco. They have a little cafe inside also.

The remodeled museum is a nice visit with your children or by yourself. There are a few small animals on exhibit as well as a chicken/duck/Guinea pig petting area. There's an old school playground down the hill and a hiking trail behind the museum.

Really interesting City museum with lots of local information and a nice animal exhibit for local species that for one reason or another can't be re-released into the wild. Nice little cafe there and some scenic hiking too. Make an afternoon of it.

The Randall Museum was a captivating haven for both children and adults, offering a diverse range of interactive exhibits, live animals, and educational programs that made learning an exciting adventure for visitors of all ages.

It's a cute free/donations center with spectacular views of the city. We visited in the middle of the week when there weren't any classes or demonstrations available so not much to do. I would recommend going on the weekends

Great free museum for kids! Animals upstairs and fun interactive exhibits downstairs. Wonderful views of downtown and a great outdoor space for kids to run amok. Just prepare to walk up/down some steep hills to get there.

After 40 years of going here, still great. They still have arts and crafts, nature and many exhibits about San Francisco past and present. Now all my children will have fond memories of going to the Jr Randall Museum.

What a cool place! Lots of animal exhibits, a really big model train, geology, aquatic, and more! Was really curious about their in house wood shop and electronic shop. The views from the back and park are fantastic!

For a free museum, this place is great. I'd wait a few more weeks to attend, though, so they have everything up and running. They were still acclimating the animals to their new homes and the cafe wasn't open yet.

Lovely free museum with a clean and modern pay space for babies and toddlers as well as a small farm animal petting exhibit. The outdoor space is perfect for picnics and there is a playground down the hill.

A hidden local gem The night classes are wonderful - all the teachers are great! Positive, friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. Also there are picnic tables on the lawn with great views of the city :) …

I brought my kids here and they had a blast with all the animals. They even had a tarantula crawl up their arm cringe worthy but exciting. Best of all it is free and the views outside are breathtaking.

Currently in a temporary location in the mission. Great place for kids to see live animals in the city. Their permanent home should be pretty amazing. It's neat to see a barn owl and hawk up close.

Good museum for young kids. No admission cost but there is a suggested donation of $1 per person. The new animal habits are well designed. There's also a large model train exhibit downstairs.

Great museum for all ages. Took our 2 yr old grandson. He loved the model trains, live animals, live magic show in the theater and legos. There is also a food court to buy or bring your own.

Great spot for kids who enjoy animals, trains and arts & crafts. Was really impressed with the classes/projects kids can take while visiting for a small fee. Also, the views are beautiful.

Amazing place! Really appreciate the person who cares for the animals... Our kids played for hours... Great little hike in back with an incredible view of the city and somehow it is free!

Such a great place for kids of all ages. Toddler room, animals, trains galore, earthquakes, fish and what look like some awesome maker classes. Also a great cafe and view from the patio!

Hard to get to... But worth the effort. Beautiful location, great animal exhibits. A great casual 2-hour outing for toddler, educational and entertaining for parents and grandparents.

Great place for parents with kids or field trip. Restroom, WiFi, and a small cafeteria. They didn’t charge me entrance fee on 2021-12-29. Mask and vaccination records are required.

As a nanny this a special place to hang out with my friends:) Toddlers need more activities and I love learning experience with them . We always have fun at the Randall museum .

Absolutely love this place. It's such a hidden gem for kids. Children can learn about animals and trains here! What more could you ask for!? The view outside is also stunning.

Free museum for kids. Advantages: free parking, free admission, spacious and remodeled recently. It has great expositions about the local animals, geography and so on.

It was a great experience for my 2 year old granddaughter. She enjoyed seeing the turtles, racoons, bunnies, and other animals. She loved all the moving trains.

Great place for kids to explore and grown-up, too. Plus it is free! Lots of different activities in a safe environment, right in the middle of San Francisco.

Such a great place to spend the afternoon with kids, stuff to learn, stuff to play with, it's a perfect place to get them discovering animals and more :)

Great spot for little kids. It's small enough to make it through in a couple of hours. This is worth coming to for the trains on Saturday morning alone.

Fun activities for kids for Halloween events. Animal exhibits were also a treat. Great view of city and access to Corona Heights Park right next door.

Fun museum, $2 donation recommended. Plenty to do for 30-45 minutes with a toddler. The views are tremendous and the model trains are pretty serious.

it has all the good things. We and my son enjoyes the animals park and the walk to the highest peak. Was wonderful. Highly recomend this place.

In addition to the amazing exhibits the kid classes are absolutely fabulous, much better than I anticipated and so engaging for my little ones.

I went here as a child in 67' to 71'. I'm so glad it's still here. It was a fabulous place to be up close with animals and experience science.

Love this place and love what they are doing for these animals. You get in for free so please remember to donate something at the entrance.

So much to explore! Great for kids of all ages. Live animals, trains, science exhibits, playroom. Wonderful place for early STEM exposure.

Just beautiful. I visited again after the remodeling and I like it. More exhibition yo see for the kids and a lot to learn about bay area

I guess knowing a little bit about wildlife is a good way to take a break from daily routine. Ya'll gotta check out the Randall Museum!

New favorite spot! They have a indoor/outdoor bee hive and a snow owl. If your child likes trains, bring them. The view is amazing.

The garner Teresa, was so nice to us, she gave us the whole history of the park and museum. My children just loved the animals.

This place is free?! The pack a lot into a little space. It was a lot of fun for the 4 kids I brought ages 12, 11, 10, and 6

Nothing to complain about. Parking is easy, view is incredible, kids love it. Turn up on a day when the trains are running.

My daughter did a summer camp at the newly remodeled Randall. Facility is awesome and staff are friendly as usual!

Not just for kids! In the evenings they’ve got all sorts of adult classes. The wood shop ones are especially fun.

Lots of live animals. Cool bee hive. Fun toddler room. Nice cafe with local food. Plan for about an hour or two.

A great little museum with plenty of exhibits to grab kids attention and teach them about the world around them.

The updated exhibits are wonderful. Entrance is free. They offer classes in ceramics, woodworking, and tech.

Small but fabulous mix of exhibits. Some rescue animals as well. Staff amazing, friendly and informative.

Got to see a lot of cool animals! for free! enjoyed it as a (sort of) adult. and great for kids as well.

The museum was cool BUT couldn't stand that tiny pen for the raccoon. Give the coon a bigger pen please!

Free place with some fun activities for kids and nice hiking around. The animal room was the most fun.

Very nice place to explore. Nice view, good exhibits, and nice shop to grab a bite to eat or a drink.

Wonderful nature and science museum for kids and adults! My 10-year old son and I had a great time!