Things to do in San Diego with kids
7 attractions in San Diego • Updated May 2026
The best things to do in San Diego with kids, all in one place. San Diego is home to San Diego Zoo and a stack of theme parks for families, plus easy day trips across California. Below are 7 family things to do in San Diego with addresses, ticket info and age suitability. Use the search to find a specific name or filter by category.
Published May 2026. Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Working out when you can actually go? Our California school holiday calendar has term and break dates district by district, including San Diego Unified, the main district serving San Diego.
Planning a family day out in San Diego
San Diego has 7 family attractions we would happily take our own kids to. Balboa Park is the one most families start with. Pack museums, gardens, and theaters into one sprawling San Diego cultural park. Belmont Park is the other name that comes up again and again. Ride classic coasters steps from the sand at San Diego's beachfront amusement park, open since 1925. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park rounds out the pick of the bunch. Walk through five original adobe buildings and living-history demos in San Diego's birthplace. Also worth your time: San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, The New Children's Museum and USS Midway Museum.
Published prices run from $59.99 at SeaWorld San Diego up to $60 at San Diego Zoo. 2 of the 7 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.
Beyond family attractions, families in San Diego also head for theme parks (2), children's museums (1), historic sites & landmarks (1) and history museums (1). If you are ranging wider, everything we cover in California is one click away.
7 attractions in San Diego
Search and filter by category to find your next family day out.
7 of 7 attractions
Parks Gardens
Balboa Park
San Diego, California
Pack museums, gardens, and theaters into one sprawling San Diego cultural park.
Theme Parks
Belmont Park
San Diego, California
Ride classic coasters steps from the sand at San Diego's beachfront amusement park, open since 1925.
Historic Sites
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
San Diego, California
Walk through five original adobe buildings and living-history demos in San Diego's birthplace.
Zoos Wildlife
San Diego Zoo
San Diego, California
A world-famous Balboa Park zoo where giant pandas are back on view.
Theme Parks
SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego, California
Meet orcas, dolphins, and sea lions, then plunge down Emperor, California's tallest and fastest dive coaster.
Childrens Museums
The New Children's Museum
San Diego, California
A San Diego museum where kids make art inside ever-changing, artist-designed installations.
History Museums
USS Midway Museum
San Diego, California
Walk the decks of a storied aircraft carrier packed with real planes in San Diego Bay.