San Francisco's Exploratorium offers free admission to the public on the first Wednesday of every month.

Housed within the walls of the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, the Exploratorium boasts more than 400 interactive science, art, and human perception exhibits for kids of all ages.

Also offering public presentations such as hands-on workshops, lectures, performances, films, and other special events, the museum aims to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

San Francisco's most visited museums offer FREE admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Take advantage of Free Museum Tuesdays at:

Cartoon Art Museum
The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to preserving and exhibiting cartoon art in all its forms. In addition to housing approximately 6,000 pieces of original art, the museum also has an extensive research library and a classroom for cartoon art classes and workshops. As a bonus, the museum has one of the best bookstores in the city with a vast collection of interesting and eclectic coffee table books.

Conservatory of Flowers
Located in Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers boasts almost 2,000 plant species in five immersive galleries. From tropical flowers to giant water lilies, the conservatory is a lush and diverse living museum for all ages.

de Young Museum
Founded in 1895 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the de Young boasts a state-of-the-art new facility that integrates art, architecture, and the natural landscape in one multi-faceted destination. The museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art
As the only folk art museum in Northern California, the museum is known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world, demonstrating how folk art, contemporary craft, and fine art are all part of the same continuum.

Palace of the Legion of Honor
Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful Beaux-arts building located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park. Displaying an impressive collection of 4,000 years worth of ancient and European art in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the Legion is also home to an early cast of Rodin's famous "Thinker" sculpture. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
YBCA presents contemporary art from the Bay Area and around the world that reflects the profound issues and ideas of our time, expands the boundaries of artistic practice, and celebrates the diversity of human experience and expression.

For more than 20 years sea music enthusiasts have gathered at San Francisco's Hyde Street Pier on the historic tall ships C. A. Thayer and Balclutha to sing chanteys and other sea songs.

This free event, which takes place the first Saturday of every month, has garnered a loyal following, drawing 80 to 200 people monthly.

Hear California history come alive with chanteys that describe the perils of San Francisco's Barbary Coast, the dangers of rounding Cape Horn, cruel ship officers, the joys and curse of drink, and hopes for riches during the Gold Rush.

Be sure to bring a mug for complimentary apple cider!

Reservations required; call (415) 561-7171.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco offers free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, the Asian Art Museum collection spans 6,000 years of history and includes 17,000 objects, from tiny jades to monumental sculptures, paintings, porcelains and ceramics, lacquers, textiles, furniture, arms and armor, puppets, and basketry.

The collection galleries are divided into seven geographic regions: South Asia; the Persian World and West Asia; Southeast Asia; the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World; China; Korea; and Japan. Winding through all the galleries are three major themes: the development of Buddhism; trade and cultural exchange; and local beliefs and practices.

Join your guide Henry for an extensive walk through the streets (and over the hills) of San Francisco.

Enjoy the sights of the city as you wander through neighborhoods such as Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Chinatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill. See Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and some of the oldest homes and hidden gardens in the city.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels. Please sign up in advance.

Most Thursday nights, the California Academy of Sciences opens its doors after hours for NightLife.

Adults have a chance to explore the museum at night in a whole new light, as they dance to some of San Francisco's most popular DJs, enjoy food and cocktails, and mingle while perusing the Academy's world-class exhibits and getting up close and personal with aquarium critters.

Take in some knowledge with your libations -- each week features provocative science programming and a few surprises.

Guests at our three San Francisco hostels even get a 15 percent discount on admission to NightLife (as well as general admission) if you order tickets in advance. More info on how to get that discount is found here.

San Francisco City Guides offer free historical and architectural walking tours of San Francisco's most famous (or, in some cases, infamous) districts, as well as some of its more hidden neighborhoods.

Approximately 30 different walks are offered each month, year-round, rain or shine. Walkers meet at the place and time designated in the current tour schedule. No reservations are required.

Open every day, San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace is a foodie mecca, offering fresh organic produce, gourmet treats, and fine dining. With a focus on small, regional food producers -- and many eateries and small businesses owned by well-known top chefs -- you can sample local artisan cheeses, chocolates, breads, and more.

Most Saturday mornings, celebrated Bay Area chefs stop in to demonstrate ways to prepare the sustainable, seasonable goods found in the Farmers' Market. Visitors can watch these experts in action, taste their creations, and leave with recipes to try themselves at home. Programs sometimes include interviews with farmers, food artisans, or other Farmers' Market vendors.

See the CUESA's website for a full event schedule.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, the Heart of the City Farmers Market sets up shop in United Nations Plaza near City Hall, bringing locally grown produce, fresh flowers, and artisan goods to the city's Civic Center.

Stock up on goodies to cook up back at the hostel, or snacks to bring along on your travels.

Join us on Friday evenings to sample California wine and cheeses at the San Francisco Downtown Hostel.

Meet and mingle with fellow travelers, whet your appetite for San Francisco’s nightlife, then hit the town together, or settle in to plan your next day's adventure.

This event is open to all guests (ages 21 and older) at our three San Francisco hostels.

The Fort Mason Center Farmers Market is one of many year-round farmers markets around the city -- but it's the closest to the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel, just a short walk away through Fort Mason.

The market features 50 local farm and prepared food stalls, including vendors selling fresh and/or organic produce, farmstead cheese, fish, meat, eggs, and fresh baked goods.

No trip to San Francisco would be complete without tacos! 

Anthony will be dishing up this California Mexican classic in the hostel lobby. They're just $3 while they last!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel. Please sign up in advance.

Join us -- and your fellow hostellers -- for a pasta dinner at the San Francisco Downtown hostel. It's $5 but the first two volunteer cooks eat free (so get there early!)

Meet your dorm neighbors and plan your weekend in San Francisco over some tasty pasta. Then head out for our weekly pub crawl! 

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco Downtown Hostel. No signup is required.

Put on your drinking shoes, grab your ID (gotta be 21!), and join Jesse and Erinne for our weekly pub crawl.

Sip some brew (or a cosmo? tequila?) at five of the best bars along Polk Street, near our City Center and Downtown hostels. Meet a bunch of other travelers and enjoy a night out in SF!

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Off the Grid is a regular gathering of San Francisco street food vendors -- or, as they describe it, "a roaming mobile food extravaganza!"

This is a great chance to sample unusual and gourmet foods at cheap prices, and enjoy a little al fresco dining. Korean tacos, jambalaya, empanadas, onigiri, BBQ ribs, dim sum -- you'll be amazed at the tasty treats that can be made and sold from the back of a truck.

Regularly participating vendors include local favorites like Chairman Bao Bun Truck, Creme Brulee Cart, Curry Up Now, Gobba Gobba Hey, Hapa SF, and Kung Fu Tacos.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Off the Grid sets up shop in Civic Center's UN Plaza (next to the Asian Art Museum), just four blocks from the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

Wednesdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., the trucks visit the intersection of 5th and Minna streets, just south of Market Street and five blocks from the San Francisco Downtown Hostel.

Fridays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., you'll find them in Civic Center Plaza (directly in front of City Hall), also just four blocks from the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

Fridays, 5 - 10 p.m., check out the original Off the Grid event, which happens in Fort Mason near the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel. The largest of the Off the Grid events, this night features more than 30 street food trucks and tents each week!

Located in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, the Haas-Lilienthal House is a beautifully restored Queen Anne-style Victorian built in 1886.

It's the only intact private home of the period that's open regularly as a museum in San Francisco, complete with authentic furniture and artifacts, elaborate wooden gables, a circular corner tower, and detailed ornamentation.

Tours of this house museum are offered year-round on Sundays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from noon - 3 p.m. Tours leave every 20 to 30 minutes and last about one hour. All visits to the house must be guided. Reservations are not required.

Who doesn't love making ice cream sundaes!?

Come hang out with other travelers on our back patio, and get to know each other over some sweet treats. It's just $1 for ice cream.

Because really -- summer on the patio with ice cream? Yes, please.

Join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a crawl from Fort Mason through North Beach.

We'll head to the "Off the Grid" street food extravaganza in Fort Mason to pre-game with some food and beer, then head to North Beach (Little Italy) to check out some of San Francisco's best bars and one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Monday afternoons, join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and a ferry ride back to the city.

The first stop is one of our bike rental partners, where we'll pick up bikes and helmets. Then we'll hit the road for a relaxing ride over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge -- an incredible experience for anyone!

From the bayside town of Sausalito, we'll take the ferry back to the city -- it's a mini bay-cruise past Alcatraz with great views of San Francisco the whole way.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Join us Tuesdays - Saturdays for a free movie screening in our awesome new theater-style TV lounge!

Grab a snack at Cafe Franco upstairs, and come hang with us for the film.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel.

Many San Francisco visitors have a trip to Napa somewhere on their itinerary. Wine Country, after all, is one highlight of the California experience.

But vino isn’t the only beverage to sample around here -- we'd hate to see you leave this fine city without tasting some of the locally brewed beer!

So head to the Downtown Hostel's second-floor lounge on Tuesday evenings, for light snacks and a rotating sampling of beer from local breweries like Lagunitas, Anchor Steam, Trumer Pils, and Speakeasy.

This event is open to all guests (ages 21 and over) at our three San Francisco hostels.

Wednesday afternoons, join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and a ferry ride back to the city.

The first stop is one of our bike rental partners, where we'll pick up bikes and helmets. Then we'll hit the road for a relaxing ride over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge -- an incredible experience for anyone!

From the bayside town of Sausalito, we'll take the ferry back to the city -- it's a mini bay-cruise past Alcatraz with great views of San Francisco the whole way.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Jesse takes you on a bike ride from Downtown San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back.

Stops include the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, Crissy Field, The Palace of Fine Arts and the Golden Gate Bridge.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco Downtown Hostel .

Join Anthony, our resident "tea master," as he shares various Chinese teas, explains their health benefits, some fun historical facts, and reveals some of the mysticism in San Francisco tea culture.

This is a great opportunity to meet fellow hostellers, relax, and enjoy the warmth of amazing teas!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel .

It's Mardi Gras all year long at the City Center Hostel!

Enjoy a warm and delicious New Orleans-style meal, while listening to jazz and folk tunes from The South! San Francisco has a great history and connection to New Orleans and Her food.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel .

Join your fellow hostellers for a trip to one of San Francisco's oldest and most captivating neighborhoods: Chinatown.

Though it's only a few blocks away from our Downtown Hostel, Chinatown is another world unto itself, bustling with shops and buzzing with people. Explore hidden alleyways, sip various Chinese teas, see mysterious historic temples, and visit the famous San Francisco Fortune Cookie Factory.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels. Please sign up in advance.

Our lobby at the City Center Hostel transforms into an old fashioned movie house every week! On Friday nights, zombie-walk down to the hostel cafe for our Midnight Movie Macabre!

Check out this week's campy '70s-'90s horror flick, projected onto a 6-foot-wide screen in Ivy's Place, and pretend to shield your eyes from the cheesy gore of The Lost Boys, Scream, or Tales From the Crypt, to name a few possibilities. Even better, we'll have popcorn, cookies and soda -- all for free!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

This fantastic walking tour with our wounder volunteer, Dave, is pretty fast paced so get those walking shoes ready for a historic stroll (or power walk) through San Francisco. Explore the city's most interesting hoods like downtown, nob hill and the financial district at a swift and spritely pace. 

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Experience the Mission district like a true San Francisca local.  Stop at Zeitgeist for a beer, hit up a thrift store where close are sold by the pound, check out the murals, eat at a taqueria, see the oldest building in San Francisco (hint, it's the mission) and end up in the best local park in the city, Dolores Park.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Now in its 13th year, the How Weird Street Faire, held in the heart of San Francisco's SOMA district, is ten blocks of art and celebration seeking to rewire our way of thinking towards peace by showing that it can be fun.

There will be 13 music and stage performances set through 13 city blocks! With world-class electronic music, street art, live performances, a selection of food and drinks, non-profit organizations to educate and inspire, and all the weirdness that San Francisco is famous for, this event is not to be missed. All of it is produced by local collectives and organizations working together for peace.

The fair runs from noon to 8 p.m., and after hours the party moves to several area nightclubs. Costumes are encouraged!

There is a requested donation of $10 for the How Weird Street Faire. The full donation buys a Magic Sticker that is potentially worth many times that amount, with discounts at the faire bars and after parties, as well as specials at many of the vendors.

The Golden Gate Park Band has been playing free Sunday concerts in Golden Gate Park since 1882.

Their 2012 concert season (April 22 - October 7) runs the gamut from classical to circus music, opera to Americana, plus a wide range of ethnic music. The band collaborates regularly with various San Francisco ethnic and arts groups, who bring to the park their colorful costumes, dance groups, singers, and musicians.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair, pack a picnic, and enjoy one of America's oldest professional concert bands in the magnificent surroundings of Golden Gate Park.

The longest-running film festival in the Americas, the San Francisco International Film Festival has built an international reputation for bringing the world's finest films and filmmakers together with passionate and enthusiastic Bay Area audiences.

With over 200 films and live events and more than 100 filmmakers in attendance each year, it's no wonder that the festival draws a crowd of more than 80,000 viewers annually.

For a full festival line-up, check the website. The festival promises more than two weeks of exciting films, live performances, parties, and special guests.

Celebrating its 20th season, Norway Day is held in San Francisco's Fort Mason. The Norway Day Festival showcases the best of Norwegian culture, food, and music.

This two-day event offers a family-friendly atmosphere with ice skating, cooking demonstrations, local vendors selling Norwegian crafts, clothing, food, art, and much more. Try your luck in the raffle drawing, or check out the art exhibition featuring work from three Norwegian-born Bay Area artists.

Sample traditional fare such as kringle (pastry), krumkake (waffle cookies), rommegrot (sour cream porridge), while you enjoy the sounds of folk bands and choir singers, or take in a traditional Norwegian wedding!

Children will find their own brand of fun at the festival with sing-alongs, dancing, storytelling, theater performances, and games.

Grab your picnic basket and your family and come celebrate the Bay Area Latino community at San Francisco's annual Cinco de Mayo Festiva! 

Now in its 8th season, this beloved festival is held in the heart of the Mission District is Dolores Park; it brings family-friendly, alcohol-free fun through music, dance, and delicious food. The festival features nonprofit and retail booths alongside cultural arts, craft, music, dance, and food vendors.

Come celebrate Japan's national holiday honoring children in San Francisco's Japantown!

Free and open to the public, the Children's Day Festival gives kids the opportunity to learn about Children's Day traditions and Japanese culture through fun games and activities. There will be plenty of entertainment, food, and hands-on crafts.

Check out anime characters, and performances featuring Japanese classical dance, Taiko drumming, and hula dancing.

The annual Bay to Breakers 12K road race is one of many occasions San Franciscans use as an excuse to wear a costume.

Some groups run as a "centipede" — an officially registered team of 13 runners decked out with feelers and a tail in addition to whatever else they choose to wear. Tommy the pink gorilla made his debut appearance last year, joining the annual hordes of Star Wars storm troopers, all kinds of faux-furred creatures, people in every color of Afro, and plenty of others (including elite runners from around the world) competing for prize money.

Parade-style floats join runners for a section of the course, ending near the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.

Naked runners used to be commonplace but the practice was banned last year (alcohol on the course was also banned). Nevertheless, there's still a group encouraging runners to "bare it" as a practice of free speech. Though clothed (mostly) and sober, we still expect it to be a wild and raucous seven-mile affair, whether you're running, walking, or watching.

The course starts near the Embarcadero, and continues up Market Street before cutting up 9th Street to Hayes, then Fell, and continuing all the way to the western edge of Golden Gate Park. Spectators line the entire course, but race organizers suggest the best places to see the runners are Alamo Square at the top of Hayes Street Hill, in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, and at the ING Cheer Zone at the Finish Line.

Once the runners have crossed the finish line, head on over to the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Golden Gate Park for Footstock (9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.), which is open to the public. Rain or shine, Footstock is your chance to enjoy live music and various costume and float contests. There will also be food and drink booths, a beer and wine garden, as well as other fun and games for your enjoyment.

San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square presents its sixth annual Uncorked! Wine Festival, a celebration of libations and gourmet food.

Tickets must be purchased in order to take part in the wine tasting -- at a steep $50 -- but you can still enjoy live music, wine seminars, and chef demonstrations at the event itself, which is free.

Carnaval San Francisco is a vibrant multi-cultural festival that combines the best of Latin American and Caribbean cultures with an array of food, music, drumming, dancing, soccer, live music, and artistry from around the world, spanning seven blocks in San Francisco's Mission District.

The Carnaval Grand Parade, held Sunday, May 27, beginning at 9:30 a.m., has in past years included Brazilian-style "escola" samba contingents dancing in fantastic feathered headdresses or sweeping Bahia skirts, Mexican Aztec performers, traditional African dancers and drummers, Polynesian dancers, and other performances from the traditions of many countries and cultures.

The 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge will be a public celebration, culminating in a spectacular event on May 27 that will span the San Francisco waterfront from Fort Point to Pier 39. This two-day festival will feature many events and activities, including an amazing display of fireworks on the evening of the 27^th.  

Major program venues include Crissy Field and the Marina Green; additional activities and events will be held at the Presidio, Fort Mason Center, Ghiraradelli Square, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39.

Please Note: At the time of this writing, the hours, performers, transit information and other details surrounding this event are still being developed and will be posted here in the coming weeks.   

On April 28, 1992, the Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International opened the Hostel at Union Square. With 280 beds and a five-star downtown location, it quickly became the busiest hostel in America.

Twenty years later, more than a million guests have passed through the doors. Now known as the San Francisco Downtown Hostel, it's no longer the nation's biggest hostel, but it's a classic favorite of travelers from around the world.

On Saturday, May 19, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Downtown Hostel with a free birthday bash! A local DJ will dish up the beats, while guests get their party-pics on in the free photobooth. Showcase rooms for be open for viewing, and a selection of adult and all-ages beverages will be served. Out front, a local food truck will serve up treats, with cafe-style sidewalk seating connecting the indoor hostel space and the surrounding neighborhood.

Members, friends, and guests at all three HI-San Francisco hostels are welcome to join the celebration and raise a glass to another 20 years!

Come learn about volunteer opportunities while traveling, and join us after for a pub crawl!  The City Center Hostel's Ivy's Cafe will host a presentation and discussion led by Roadmonkey founder, Paul von Zielbauer. Paul is an award-winning journalist, social entrepreneur, and pioneer of "adventure philanthropy." (Please Note: RSVP is required for this free event, email Erinne Grant for more information).

Roadmonkey is a travel organization that creates thoughtful, small-group expeditions to Southeast Asia, East Africa, Central and South America, North America and Hawaii. Their trips combine challenging adventures in nature with sustainable short-term volunteer work, produced in cooperation with a non-profit partner, to create sustainable change for communities in need. Roadmonkey is all about inspiring the explorer to make the world a little bit better through "adventure philanthropy" -- which is an meaningful way to see the world, and make a small change while doing it.

After Paul's presentation, join in the discussion and have some fun with locals and travelers on our weekly pub crawl on Polk Street! It's the Thursday crawl that we will be repeating on Friday night, specially for this event. We will tour five of the best bars along Polk Street, all near our City Center and Downtown hostels. It will be a fun night! 

The San Francisco International Arts Festival celebrates the arts through an annual gathering that brings together a global community of artists and audiences. The organization presents and produces innovative projects that are focused on increasing human awareness, understanding and appreciation. They develop long-term relationships with Bay Area artists participating in international collaborative projects and also present ground-breaking artists from around the world, many of whom have rarely or never previously performed in the United States.

This year's festival will include a variety of unique and exciting artistic performances and collaborations, such as San Francisco's own Post Ballet, the stilt-walking Tearto Taller from Colombia, Cuba's AfroCuba dance ensemble, Raices Profundas, Russia's avant-garde theater troupe, Liquid Theater, and more. 

The Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style competition, and it is the largest bicycling event in the nation. It includes eight stages and visits 14 California cities from May 13 - 20.

Stage 2 of the 2012 Amgen bike race starts at the Marina Green, just around the corner from the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel. It will begin at 11:05 am against a backdrop of spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Marin Headlands.

From there, the race continues south along the Highway 1, California's scenic coastal route. The cyclists will pass the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel before heading inland to Santa Cruz County for the finish line.

For Stage 2 cyclists are expected to arrive in Santa Cruz around 3:55 pm. At the finish line, there will be a free Lifestyle Festival with family-friendly activities, demonstrations, and cycling displays.

The National Queer Arts Festival (NQAF) is a month-long festival of music, dance, visual art, spoken word, poetry, comedy, theater, and film celebrating San Francisco's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.

Now in its 15th year, NQAF features more than 400 artists in 70 events, and over 100 performances in 18 venues throughout the city.

A full schedule of events for the month can be found on the Queer Cultural Center website.

Now in its 35th year, the Union Street Festival is one of San Francisco's largest free art festivals, and is held on fashionable Union Street, where historic Victorians have been transformed into popular boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.

This family-friendly event features 150 artists and craftspeople, 25 gourmet food booths, live entertainment on two stages, and bistro-style cafes. Additionally, the festival has adopted an eco-friendly theme, showcased by exhibits of arts and crafts created with recycled and sustainable materials, and earth-conscious exhibits to help promote the value of "green thinking" in day-to-day life.