Randall Museum

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fun space to spend a rainy afternoon. The train models are great as well as small animals.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.