Best playground in San Francisco

There’s no point of visiting San Francisco with kids if you won’t add San Francisco zoo to your itinerary list. Likewise there’s no point of visiting San Francisco zoo if you don’t stop by the Elinor Friend Playground designed by Scientific Art Studio (Website) . This is undoubtedly the best playground in all of San Francisco.

San Francisco Zoo playground is located next to the Exploration Zone immediately to the left as you enter the zoo. See the SF Map PDF. San Francisco Zoo map

Near the entrance to the Fisher Family Children’s Zoo and adjacent to the expansive Playfield Lawn, the Playground is located at the historic heart of the San Francisco Zoo.

Tips before attending the zoo!!!

1. Promo Code: 75000     Here’s a promo code for 25% off the attendance fee
2. Free parking along the Sloat blvd
3. Place is huge! Consider looking at the map prior the visit
4. Bring your own food, snack for kids and parents
5. Come in early in the morning to avoid crowds at the zoo and the city

What will you see at the San Francisco Zoo playground?

Elinor Friend playground, created by fabricator Scientific Art Studio (their website),is divided into multiple distinct zones, however every zone has a slides, swings and some unique features like a “nest” in the jungle. There’s also a cordoned off area for very young kids age 3 month- 1 year with swings and just some safe features. Other zones include

1. The Jungle – Older kids
2. Arctic Land – probably for a bit elder kids to maybe toddlers
3. Tree stump – for toddlers and younger kids
4. Dentzel Carousel – older kids (ours doesn’t care much for vomit inducing gyration)
5. Very cool animal sculpture park
   

Our kid loves San Francisco Zoo playground and he had a great time enjoying The jungle and the Arctic Land. Tactile animal sculpture park (5) was Bear’s favorite since he spent almost like an hour just checking animals out. Honestly, the artists did such a great job that these creatures look alive! Our son was even a bit reluctant to touch some of them.

Scientific Art Studio did an amazing job creating the tactile stimulating animal figures and textured playground. Check out more of their work at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito. 

Here’s a quote from their website: We are designers, sculptors, painters, welders, builders, crafters, fabricators, and – above all – dreamers. We live to see the world through new eyes, to laugh and play like children, and to explore boldly and fearlessly. We push boundaries and relish challenges.

petting rabbit at the San Francisco Zoo playground \

There’s also a Meerkat land within a stone-throw from the playground.

Check out the Exploration Zone if you’d like to ride a pony or go to a petting zoo.

What else is at the Zoo besides Elinor Friend playground?

Misha likes to look at pictures of animals in his books and make animal noises. I guess that’s his job at the moment and seeing the animals in real-time was probably the highlight of his toddlerhood. It’s pretty amusing to watch him make animal sounds as he moved from one exhibit to another. Walking from one exhibit to another was like discovering an animal for the first time and it really was his first time seeing some of the exotics.

San Francisco Zoo features ultimately the best playground and even a miniature Train. The old steamer – for some reason is located on the opposite part of the zoo in the South America Zone. Miles and Miles of walking paths. Gardens and much more. If you don’t have any plans for the weekend this would be a place to check out in San Francisco, California. Finding things to do in California with kids is easy with our webpage and hope that you hit that like button and share our blog with friends ! Thanks!