Free Kid-Friendly Things to Do in California

With towers soaring 746 feet/227 metres into the sky, its span arcing across the mouth of San Francisco Bay, and all of it painted bright red-orange, the Golden Gate Bridge is, quite simply, amazing.

It’s pretty easy (and free) to walk across the bridge itself, or to explore the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, which offers a colourful look at the bridge’s history, as well as the original 12-foot/3-metre stainless-steel 'test tower' used in 1933.

You’ll learn, for starters, why a bridge called the 'Golden Gate' is in fact orange. It is generally accepted that the mouth of San Francisco Bay, the narrow strait that the bridge spans, was named Chrysopylae (Greek for 'Golden Gate') by early explorer John C. Fremont. Captain Fremont thought the strait looked like a strait in Istanbul named Chrysoceras, or 'Golden Horn.' So it makes sense that the bridge is named after the expanse of water that it crosses. But what about that crimson colour? Call it an unexpected surprise. When the steel for the bridge was first installed in place, it was only covered with red primer. A consulting engineer liked it, suggested the colour be kept, and helped develop the bridge’s final paint colour.

'The Golden Gate Bridge is, quite simply, amazing.'

Technically, that colour is ‘International Orange’, but whatever it is, it’s an eye-grabber, whether you’re driving, walking or pedalling across the 1.7-mile span. Note that it can be a bit nippy and windy on the bridge, especially when the fog slips in (especially common in summer), so dress in layers and bring a hat or flip up a hood to keep your head warm. Bike rental companies abound (two favourites are Blazing Saddles and San Francisco Bicycle Rentals); most bikes come equipped with detailed route maps showing you where to ride from San Francisco across the bridge to idyllic towns, such as Sausalito and Tiburon, in neighbouring Marin County. (For extra fun, catch a local ferry to get back to the city.)

There’s a nice gift shop and a café at the south (city) end, and paths let you wind down to historic Fort Point, completed in 1861 as a military outpost to protect the gate before there was a bridge. Look up for a remarkable view of the bridge’s underbelly, a spectacular network of massive girders, enormous columns, and impressive cables.

Tucked between Monterey and Carmel, the little town of Pacific Grove has the seaside scenery of its two popular neighbours, but a small-town ambience with quaint walkable neighbourhoods, charming inns, and a historic lighthouse. It also boasts, for about five months a year, an attractive seasonal community: thousands upon thousands of monarch butterflies, which flock to a migration sanctuary just a few blocks from the ocean. For nature-lovers and families, this free attraction is an easy-access marvel.

Unlike the monarchs that live east of the Rocky Mountains (which tend to winter in central Mexico), West Coast monarchs stick with the Golden State. While there are roughly 400 wintering sites for the butterflies along the California coastline, this eucalyptus-shaded sanctuary (monarchs seem to love the willowy trees) has been ranked in the top 6 of the state’s wintering spots.

If you visit between October and February, you’ll see the orange-and-black butterflies resting on the branches in massive clumps—at first glance, you may think they’re orange leaves or blossoms. When the temperature is in the mid-50s or cooler, the butterflies stay surprisingly still. Just don’t touch them—there’s a city ordinance about it, with a hefty fine—but you can ask on-site docents for a closer look with their viewing scopes. Afterward, walk along the rocky coast and preserved dunes at Asilomar State Beach.

With green spaces and gardens, museums, and assorted playing fields, Exposition Park is a place for playing, learning, and being entertained.

Most of its museums and attractions are free. A quick stroll takes you to the impressive California Science Center, with hands-on exhibits and a dramatic centerpiece—the space shuttle Endeavour, which completed 25 space missions, including ones to the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. (Keep in mind that you often need timed reservations to see the shuttle on weekends.) Or, check out paintings, sculpture, photography, and video exhibits at the excellent California African American Museum.

Visit the park anytime between April and December, and you can stop and smell the roses for free—roughly 16,000 of them—at the adjacent Exposition Park Rose Garden.

Dino-fans, meanwhile, flock to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Count (which offers Free Tuesdays about a dozen times a year) to see the impressive collection of prehistoric creatures, especially a remarkable trio of complete T. rex skeletons of various ages and sizes. Other notable sites include the Becoming L.A. permanent exhibit, a 14,000-square-foot/1,300-square-meter masterpiece that tells the history of the city in six expansive sections. Learn about Spanish padres during the Mission Era in the 1700s, to Mexican ranchos, on to water wars, the Great Depression, and Tinseltown.

Sea lions and seals are on the mend at this Laguna Beach marine mammal rescue center—the first of its kind in the state of California.

In fact, the center was founded before the federal government passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The center’s rescue efforts date back to 1971, when Jim Stauffer, a Newport Beach lifeguard, discovered an ailing sea lion on the beach and nursed it back to health at home. After that, local lifeguards started contacting Stauffer whenever they found an injured seal or sea lion.

Today, the center is housed in a building at the foot of Laguna Canyon Hills, alongside a waterway that leads to the ocean. Inside, you can see the seals and sea lions that have been rescued between Seal Beach, south of Long Beach, and San Onofre, on the north end of San Diego County. They are recovering from any number of maladies—from dehydration to shark bites, fish hook injuries to respiratory infections. (Check the center’s web site to see the current list of residents, which are given names like Whiskers, Avocado, and Syrah). Check out the before-and-after photos of the center’s many success stories, then stand by the pools to watch the seals and sea lions that are feeling better—and are almost ready to head back to the wild—bark and play with each other.

Along the center’s edge, you might see the center’s non-marine critters in the butterfly garden of cassia, California fuchsia, and white yarrow. While admission to the center is always free, any purchases from the stuffed-animal-stocked gift shop help support the center’s efforts.