Looking for what to do in San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood? Read about our family’s five favorite things to do in Chinatown San Francisco.
Gong Hei Fat Choi! Chinese New Year begins on the 17th, and San Francisco is already buzzing with celebration.
Our local Costco is stocked with popular Chinese treats and lucky plants. Red lanterns are popping up in storefronts. You can feel the excitement in the streets of San Francisco, especially in Chinatown.
In honor of Chinese New Year, I’m sharing my family’s six favorite kid-friendly things to do in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
1. Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground
Tucked just off Sacramento Street in the heart of Chinatown, this playground is easy to miss but absolutely worth seeking out. The towering wooden dragon and soaring phoenix immediately capture your kids’ imagination.
My kids have spent hours climbing, sliding, and weaving through the big-kid structure. The separate tot playground is perfect for little ones who are not quite ready for the tallest slides.
2. New Woey Loy Goey
This was the very first restaurant we visited when we came to San Francisco as tourists in 2018. After trying several other spots over the years, it is still our favorite Chinatown San Francisco restaurant.
The basement-level restaurant has been open for over 100 years and serves incredibly authentic dishes at a great price. It feels like stepping into living history.
3. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
Did you know modern fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco as a Chinese-American adaptation of the Japanese “fortune cracker”?
At the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, you can watch the cookies being folded by hand and learn how this iconic treat is still made today. It is quick, fascinating, and very kid approved.
4. Portsmouth Square Playground
Portsmouth Square is the second playground in Chinatown. This expansive, bi-level park tends to have more local foot traffic than Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground and offers beautiful views of downtown.
It is a wonderful place to pause, enjoy a snack, and let your kids play while you soak in the energy of the neighborhood.
5. Cable Car Museum
Learn about San Francisco’s historic cable cars and get an inside look at how they actually work at the Cable Car Museum. It truly feels like walking through history.
My kids were mesmerized watching the massive cables in the powerhouse and exploring the beautifully restored vintage cars.
6. Hop on a Cable Car
Chinatown is the perfect place to hop on a cable car. My kids absolutely adore riding them. It is hands down the most whimsical way to travel through the city.
The California Line runs straight through the heart of the neighborhood. You can also catch the Powell-Mason line near the Cable Car Museum. I highly recommend purchasing a day pass so you can ride multiple times.
Keep Exploring San Francisco with Kids
If you loved this Chinatown guide, be sure to check out the rest of our San Francisco adventures. In our Freebie Field Guide series, I share one family-tested, kid-friendly activity at a time, from hidden playgrounds to free library programs to seasonal city traditions.
San Francisco is full of small, magical moments, and we are discovering them one neighborhood at a time.
You can find more of our favorite SF outings right her. I would love for you to follow along.
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