Archive: Fall & Halloween in San Francisco with Kids: October 2026

October does not need to become a month of elaborate outings. Choose one date, check the age fit, and leave room to head home when your family has had enough. This selection mixes free library visits and museum workshops with larger science and Halloween celebrations. Upcoming selections were reviewed on October 29, 2026. Booking pages were checked where accessible; availability is not guaranteed, and unresolved booking checks are identified below.

Open the October calendar, then clear the selected day to browse the month. Use the age, neighborhood, and free-event filters to narrow it down. The links below open each event’s date and practical details.

October 29–30: a market celebration or artist-made Halloween

For a free early outing, Ferry Building Trick-or-Treat is October 29, 4–6 PM, with treats at participating shops, crafts and games while supplies last. The organizer requests an RSVP to help plan candy supplies.

Scaregrove is October 30, 3–9 PM at Stern Grove, with free family activities, carnival rides, a haunted house and maze. Food purchases are separate; choose the attractions that suit your child.

Mission Community Market’s Día de los Muertos and Halloween celebration is October 29, 3–7 PM. Children in costume are invited for family crafts; DJ Lamont plays 5–7 PM. Visit the public market freely, with food, flowers and other purchases separate. Día de los Muertos has its own cultural traditions; it is not simply another name for Halloween.

Booking conflict: The Haunt. YBCA still advertises a family session on October 30, but its booking page now labels that session “Members Only.” We have removed it from calendar promotion until general-public access is clarified. This is a booking hold, not a confirmed cancellation.

Halloween on Hayes’ family trick-or-treat trail runs October 30, 4–6 PM, followed by a separate 7:30–9 PM free outdoor screening of Minions & Monsters at PROXY, 432 Octavia Street. Bring seating, blankets and layers; the separate Entertainment Zone is for ages 21+.

October 31: choose a market, museum, zoo or park outing

For a market outing, Foodwise’s Fall Fruit Celebration is 11 AM–1 PM outside the Ferry Building, with free fruit samples, recipes and a cooking demo at 11 AM. Purchases are separate.

For a brief indoor option, Main Library’s Halloween storytime runs 11:30 AM–noon in the second-floor Children’s Storytelling Room. It is a free drop-in for children and caregivers, and costumes are welcome.

For a longer outdoor outing, Halloween Hoopla returns to the Children’s Garden at Yerba Buena Gardens, noon–3 PM. The free event is intended for children under 10 with their adults, with Circus Bella performers, live music, and a costume parade finale. The organizer’s free RSVP is optional; registration is not required to attend. Leave flexibility for a shorter visit if a full afternoon of performances is too much.

SFMOMAween runs 11 AM–4 PM, with art making, puppets and costume activities for all ages. Activities are included with museum admission: $30 adult general admission; ages 18 and younger free, with a ticket required for everyone. Reserve general admission for this date; the separate RM x SFMOMA option is marked sold out.

Boo at the Zoo runs 10 AM–3 PM, with family costume activities and animal pumpkin treats. It is included with paid daytime admission or membership, rather than a free standalone event. Weekend admission is $34 for adults 12–64 and $24 for children 2–11; SF residents pay $31/$21 with residency proof. Under-2s and members enter free. Full-face masks are not allowed; check current admission before leaving.

For a neighborhood festival, Chinatown Halloween Festival runs 11 AM–3 PM on Waverly Place between Sacramento and Clay. Families can enjoy crafts, games, cultural performances and costume activities. Costume-contest pre-registration ended October 28; late entry is not confirmed. Contestants under 18 need a guardian. The organizer’s current text does not state an admission price.

For an evening street celebration, Fillmore After Dark’s Kids Scream Zone runs 4–9 PM around 1500 Fillmore Street. Entry is free and all ages are welcome, with family activities, performances and trunk-or-treating. Food and shopping are separate; the organizer offers a free RSVP.

North Beach Library’s open house runs 10 AM–6 PM, with individual activity times: under-5s storytime at 10:30–11 AM, ballet games noon–2 PM, and LEGO and crafts in the afternoon. The separate ghost walk needs registration.

For an evening option in the Portola, Spooky Garden Reverie is 6–10 PM at 2 Burrows Street. The illuminated garden event is free and explicitly all ages; donations and food purchases are separate.

Halloween on Cortland is 5–8 PM, with free trick-or-treating from Bennington to Folsom. The organizer explicitly welcomes toddlers and all ages; expect heavy foot traffic.

More October ideas beyond Halloween

SOMArts’ In Their Name exhibition offers normal gallery visits on October 31, with free all-ages entry noon–5 PM on weekends. Its Día de los Muertos altars explore family, memory and loss; it is an exhibition, not a children’s craft workshop. The exhibition continues through November 20.

Before you set out

Check the individual organizer link for reservations, changes, and current ticket availability. For a free outdoor backup, browse parks and playgrounds or keep the free Presidio half-day plan handy. A missed reservation does not have to mean a lost family day.