13 Fun Fall Activities for Kids Near San Francisco

Summer is over, and fall is finally in the air! Or, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area like I do, you know that fall is in the air somewhere. We don't exactly have seasons in our part of Northern California.

Even without the crisp air and changing leaves that much of the rest of the country has, the autumn season in San Francisco always has a lot of activities for families with kids to do.

After living in the Bay Area for nearly two decades, my husband and I have experienced a lot of the region's activities in the months of September, October, and November with our kids, from pumpkin patches to apple picking to theme park Halloween events.

Whether you're a local looking for a weekend staycation or a visitor to the Bay Area looking for a seasonally appropriate adventure, here are 13 fun fall activities for kids near San Francisco, with a map to help you find ones closest to you.

(*Bookmark this post and check back regularly, as local attractions release their fall activities at different times. I update this post multiple times each fall from August through October as new information becomes available.)

Fun & Family-Friendly Things to Do in the San Francisco Bay Area in the Fall

Apple Picking

Fall means tons of opportunities to take your kids to one of the many apple orchards in the greater Bay Area for apple picking. Apple picking tends to be the first fall activity of the season to get underway. So you may need to start planning an excursion even before the kids go back to school.

Some of the orchards are a farther drive than some of the other activities on this list. As a result, this activity might be more of a day trip depending on your home base. The most convenient options with pick-your-own fields for San Francisco day trippers are:

• Clearview Orchards (Watsonville): Open Saturdays and Sundays only September 13-October 19, 2025. Advance ticket purchase for parking and entry required. $7 for a family-sized car of up to 7 people. Apples picked charged by weight.
• Gizdich Ranch (Watsonville): Open Saturdays and Sundays for u-pick apple picking starting in September 13, 2025. Credit/debit card only (no cash).
• EARTHseed Farm (Sebastopol): Open Saturdays only from September 27-November 22. Advance ticket purchase for parking and entry required. $42.40 for a group of up to 4 people and apples are $6/lb.
• Apple-a-Day Raztlaff Ranch (Sebastopol): The season usually starts mid September - TBD for 2025. Historically open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during September and October. 
• Chileno Valley Ranch (Petaluma): Picking available on Sundays in September and October 2025, with reservations required. Admission $10 per family and apples are $2 per pound picked.

Note that the apple season can run a little later or earlier depending on the year's weather, so watch the calendars and websites carefully. Start and end dates may shift.

Lemos Farm (Half Moon Bay)

Lemos Farm is the Bay Area's most well-known pumpkin patch and with good reason! Families flock from all over Northern California to visit each year.

With pony rides, a haunted house, a not-so-haunted train, hay rides, and a petting zoo all in addition to a great pumpkin selection, it's a Halloween tradition for many Bay Area families. We last did this activity when my kids were 4 and 8, and we thought it hits the sweet spot for preschoolers and elementary age kids.

In 2025, the Pumpkin Patch will debut starting August 30 and will remain open until November 16. In September, the patch is generally open Wednesdays to Sunday (plus Monday, September 1 for Labor Day). In October, it's open every day, and in November, it's open weekends only. Timed reservations are required, with two overlapping sessions offered daily - either 9:30am-2:30pm or 12pm-5pm.

Fleet Week (San Francisco)

In early October, the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard descend upon the City by the Bay, bringing lots of visitors with them for San Francisco Fleet Week. The highlight of the week's celebrations is an impressive air show over the water, with the Navy's Blue Angels doing stunts and tricks. The noise can be quite deafening (as my husband and I know well from our pre-kid years residing in an apartment at the top of Russian Hill), so be ready with some ear protection for the little ones.

Fleet Week runs from October 5-13 this year, with the air show taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the long holiday weekend. Some of the best air show viewing in available on the waterfront (especially near Crissy Field). Plan for serious crowds at better vantage points, with plenty of traffic and parking challenges! (Tip: San Francisco public transit is a better option if at all doable.)

Children's Fairyland Halloween Jam (Oakland)

Children's Fairyland is a beloved kid-friendly local amusement park that was one of Walt Disney's inspirations for Disneyland. It is holding a seasonal event of its own, Halloween Jam, in October. The fun this year takes place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday October 24-26, 2025, with a special extended hours event on Halloween itself - October 31, 2025.

The event features not-too-spooky fall fun for younger kids. Activities include craft-making and special performances. This year, Fairyland is embracing a "Mad Magic" theme so look for special STEM play offerings.

On Halloween itself, "the park becomes Quercus’ mad science laboratory full of glowing goo, bubbling brews, frightful formulas, and eek-citing experiments! With extended hours, you get to spend Halloween trick-or-treating at Fairyland surrounded by curious contraptions, colorful creations, and hands-on Halloween fun."

Advance reservations are highly recommended. Tickets for the first weekend are $19 for adults and $17 for kids ages 1-17 and are good for the entire day of admission (10am-4pm). The October 31 (12pm-7pm) event is $25 per person. Note that adults can only visit Fairyland with a child in tow.

Winchester Mystery House (San Jose)

The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion built by the eccentric widow of the Winchester Rifle Company owner, with doors and stairs that often lead to nowhere. While touring the home is a fun excursion for families year-round, the most fitting time to visit is the month of October. Legend has it the house is haunted by the ghosts killed by Winchester rifles, and its former owner apparently built it in such a haphazard fashion to appease the spirits who were haunting her.

While the Winchester Mystery House has had some family-friendly Halloween events in the past for all ages, there is nothing planned specifically for younger kids in 2025. But it's certainly a good time of year for a regular tour to get your fix of the weird and slightly spooky as a family during the daytime hours.

And for families with teens who enjoy a good scare, the house is offering a new theme in 2025 for its spookier evening event: Festival Fright Nights. This walkthrough haunt features creepy mazes and live entertainment. Note that this event usually recommends guests to be age 13+. Festival Fright Nights starts on Friday, September the 26th this year.

Boo at the Zoo (Oakland)

Head over to the East Bay for the Oakland Zoo's annual Halloween Boo at the Zoo Costume Contest daytime event in late October. In 2025, the event takes place at noon during normal zoo hours (10:00am-4:00pm) on October 24-26. Advance reservations are required for general admission to the zoo and open open 28 days in advance of each date.

The event has been pared back from previous years when there were scavenger hunts, trick-or-treating, and goodie bags, so if you've attended in previous years, be aware of the changes.

Howl-O-Ween at Great Wolf Lodge Northern California (Manteca)

Great Wolf Lodge Northern California was a welcome addition to the Bay Area family travel scene in summer 2021. This fall, Great Wolf Lodge is again celebrating Halloween with its appropriately titled Howl-O-Ween event.

The entire lodge is transformed with fall decor, leaves, and pumpkins. The event features a trick or treat trail, a Monster dance party, seasonal trivia and crafts, games like Boo Bingo, and a costume contest.

To participate in Howl-o-Ween with your family, book to stay a night or more in the lodge. Howl-O-Ween takes place from September 25-October 31, 2025. (Note that occasionally a few offerings are limited to weekends only, so inquire before you book!)

Mystery Spot (Santa Cruz)

Another local attraction that is fun year-round but especially during the Halloween season is the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. Kids will be amazed at this "gravitational anomaly" that is said to defy the laws of physics. Water flows uphill and weird phenomena abound. Whether the cause be aliens, the supernatural, or just a quality optical illusion, it's good clean family fun.

In 2025, advance reservations are recommended, especially for weekends and holidays as those dates tend to sell out. Parking is an additional $5 fee. The Mystery Spot is open daily with 2-5 tours per hour.

Hit the Wharf (San Francisco)

September and early October are often the sunniest and warmest times in San Francisco proper, so the fall is a great time to get the kids outside for an adventure strolling the waterfront at Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Although it's definitely touristy, that's always part of the fun for me and especially for my kids.

You can easily spend a full day or more at Fisherman's Wharf, so check out my Fisherman's Wharf guide for families to pick the best activities. A lot of attractions in the area, from Alcatraz boat tours to Aquarium of the Bay, require or recommend advance reservations and can sell out, so plan accordingly. Especially popular when the weather is clear is the still-newish SkyStar ferris wheel that was moved to Fisherman's Wharf in late 2023 from its previous home in Golden Gate Park.

For a really spooky twist during October, add in a trip to Alcatraz while you are at the wharf. The world's most haunted prison even offers night tours for the truly brave.

For a less scary sweet treat, stop by Ghirardelli Square for their famous chocolate and hot fudge sundaes. The square also has a Halloween event the Saturday before the holiday, Ghirardelli Spooky Square. This year's event is on October 25 from 1-4pm and features a kids and dogs costume parade and contest, magic show, and pumpkin patch photo opps.

Gilroy Gardens Halloween Boo (Gilroy)

Gilroy Gardens isn't as well known as some of the major theme park names in Northern California. But it is definitely my favorite for families with young kids (see my full Gilroy Gardens guide).

This year, the fall fun started early with a summer event, "Carnival Nights" that ran through mid-September. The event featured a magic shows, a juggler, and carnival games in addition to nighttime lighting on the rides.

Then Gilroy Gardens always has a Halloween event as well. Known as "The Great Big Boo," it features plenty of not-too-scary fun for families visiting in late September and October. The park is decked out in seasonal decorations and lights. Kids can trick or treat on "The Boo Trail," watch a live musical show with characters, ride "The Boo Train," or see a lounge singer, a storytelling scarecrow, or a mad scientist on "Boo Alley." Costumes are welcome, speciality treats abound, and there's even beer and wine for the grown-ups.

This year, the Great Big Boo takes place from September 26 through November 2, 2025 on Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays (with the exception of October 11).

G&M Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch (Livermore)

What kid hasn't wanted to get lost in a giant life size maze of corn? Sheer awesomeness abounds in October out in Livermore at G&M Farms. There, a field of corn is turned into a work of art that is also a maze that families can explore together. In past years the maze themes have included Peanuts, emojis, Charlotte's Web, and Lady Liberty.

There's also a pumpkin patch that has a hay bale maze perfect for toddlers as well as a cow train and many more offerings.

G&M Farms is open Wednesdays through Sundays from October 2 - October 31, 2025. Note that some of the pumpkin patch activities are only offered on weekends. Corn maze entrance is $10 with kids ages 5 and under free. Other activities are sold a la carte.

Oktoberfest at Speisekammer (Alameda)

Even with the beer flowing freely, Oktoberfest events are usually quite family-friendly. My little hometown of Alameda in the East Bay hosts quite the celebration at the local German watering hole, Speisekammer. For several Sundays in late September and early October, the restaurant celebrates in family-friendly style with plenty of German food and beer, polka music, and dancing that kids can enjoy too.

The event this year is taking place on three Sundays - September 21, September 28, and October 5, 2025 from 12-6pm. But even if you miss the event itself, Speisekammer is open the rest of the fall, with an expanded outdoor dining area. Definitely worth a stop to make dinner out into your own Oktoberfest celebration.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Tricks & Treats + Oktoberfest (Vallejo)

Like some other Bay Area theme park counterparts, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo has some special fall offerings as well. While you'll want to leave the little ones at home for the park's terrifying evening haunt Fright Fest, the park has two family-friendly offerings during daytime hours: Oktoberfest and Tricks and Treats.

Tricks and Treats is a new event in 2025, replacing Kid's Boo Fest. If the name sounds familiar, that's because Tricks and Treats used to be offered at another Bay Area amusement park, California's Great America. Both parks are now owned by the same parent company, Cedar Fair, and Tricks and Treats has moved to Discovery Kingdom (Great America will now be closed in the fall months).

This fall festival won't be as extensive as Tricks and Treats was at Great America, but it will have a few Halloween activities and entertainment and trick-or-treat stations. It's more geared towards younger kids, but my son enjoyed the offerings when he was in 4th grade when we last visited. Plus the whole family can get in on the Oktoberfest food festival action with German food and entertainment offered (along with beers for adults).

Oktoberfest takes place mostly on Saturdays and Sundays from September 13-November 2, 2025 during regular park hours. Starting the following weekend, September 20, 2025, Tricks & Treats joins the lineup alongside Oktoberfest until November 2 as well.

Additional Tips for Fall Fun in the San Francisco Bay Area

Need even more tips and ideas for fall activities? Here are a few additional things we've learned over the years from our autumn travels close to home:

• Although the Bay Area proper doesn't have fall foliage to match the breathtaking autumn leaves of New England in September and October, you can absolutely take a longer day trip or weekend getaway to enjoy some leaf peeping. Our family's favorite recommendation? Grass Valley and Nevada City up in Gold Country. This area is truly breathtaking and is only about a 2.5 hour drive from San Francisco.
• Sadly, wildfires often affect Northern California travel significantly in fall months in many years. It's always wise to check the latest air quality when there are fires in the region before traveling.
• Fall in the Bay Area can bring some of the hottest days of the year - especially in September and early October. Check the specific local forecast before setting out anywhere. And pack sunscreen, hats, water and other supplies for hot days.