Free Things to Do in San Francisco

Until today, the San Francisco Zoo’s three-month old baby gorilla, who became famous around the world after being neglected by his mother, did not have a name.

The zoo held a naming contest. Five thousand people from 40 different countries entered. A panel of human judges chose five names, and today they took five color-coded cantaloupes, each representing a name, and gave them to the baby gorilla’s father, Oscar Jonsey, to make the final selection.

Oscar Jonsey selected the green cantaloupe, which meant he chose the name “Hasani” for his son. Hasani, which means “handsome” in Swahili, was entered in the contest by Amanda VerPloeg of Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Hasani’s surrogate mother is still being trained, and the baby is not yet on public display. But you can watch him on a “Nursery Cam” at the zoo from noon to 2:00 pm, and you can see lots of pictures and videos on the zoo’s website.

The Zoo is free, for San Francisco residents only, on the first Wednesday of every month.

Picture (c) San Francisco Zoo

This looks very cool! The Exploratorium is placing 20 exhibits along the northern waterfront in and around Fort Mason, starting on March 13, and continuing indefinitely.

Exhibits invite people to look at the Golden Gate Bridge through a telescope to observe how it moves in response to temperature changes, to taste water with different concentrations of salinity that correspond to different portions of the Bay (just a demonstration — the water isn’t actually from the Bay!), and to observe wind patterns by seeing the motion of arrows on 35-foot tall poles.

If the weather is as nice as it has been recently, this could be a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

When:

Starting March 13, 2009

Where:

Fort Mason, entrance at Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street

More information:

Directions to Fort Mason

Exploratorium press release, with photos

Article in the SF Chronicle

Photo of wind arrows exhibit (c) The Exploratorium

The San Francisco Public Library recently introduced what they’re calling a virtual eCard. It’s available to all Californians, not just San Franciscans, and you don’t even have to leave your chair to get it — you can apply online.

It gives you access to all of the library’s online resources.

What you get:

Research resources, including magazine and newspaper article databases, the full versions of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the OED, and much more.

Streaming music: 14,000 tracks of contemporary world music, 16,000 tracks of African-American music, 18,000 tracks of music from America’s past (including folk, blues, ragtime, rock, and a lot more), over 50,000 tracks of classical music with accompanying research material, and a large music collection from the Smithsonian. I just started browsing through this material, and it’s amazing.

Downloadable audio books and ebooks, including over 1,000 Safari techbooks for programmers and IT professionals.

Podcasts of author readings held at the library.

Live homework help for kids.

Rosetta Stone interactive language-learning program.

How to apply:

Fill out a short eCard application form for immediate access.

Limitations:

You must be a California resident.

The eCards are only for remote access of the library’s electronic resources. If you want to physically borrow something from a branch, you’ll need to upgrade to a regular card.

The eCards expire after four years and are not renewable.

(If you already have an SF library card, you don’t need to get an eCard. Your regular card already gives you access to all the online resources.)

More information

Online registration and eCards

Illustration of notes (c) Andrzej Gdula

California Quail

This monthly bird-watching walk, led by a naturalist in the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park, is billed as being for “everyone” — no previous experience in bird-watching is required.

The walk is put on by San Francisco Nature Education, a group which brings science and nature programs to the schools for underserved youth, sets up telescopes and leads walks for heron watching at Stow Lake in the spring (not to be missed!), and, starting this month, leads bird walks in the new Heron’s Head Park in the Bayview District, a park which is a former industrial waste zone that’s been transformed into a 25-acre wetland with over 100 species of birds.

Where:

Meet in front of the main gate of the Botanical Gardens (what used to be called Strybing Arboretum) in Golden Gate Park.

Enter the Park at 9th and Lincoln, and walk straight ahead for about a minute, on the left side of the road.

When:

The first Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to noon.

Logistics:

Bring binoculars.

The weather can change quickly from foggy to hot, so dress in layers and bring a sun hat.

You’ll be on your feet for the whole two hours, but the walking pace is slow, and there are frequent stops when interesting birds are spotted.

Children 7 years and up, accompanied by an adult, are welcome.

Cost:

The program is free, but donations are welcome.

More information:

Birding for Everyone

Phone 415-387-9160

Photo by Mila Zinkova, GNU Free Documentation License, via Wikipedia

Every Friday evening, year-round except for a break in late November to mid-January, the de Young Museum stays open late and presents different special programs that enable visitors to “experience art with all five senses.”

On any given Friday evening, there might be music, dancing, films, do-it-yourself art projects, lectures, and/or poetry readings.

Where:

De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park

When:

Every Friday evening, 5:00 pm to 8:45 pm

Mid-January through November

Cost:

Most of the special Friday-night programs are free. Regular admission fees apply if you want to go into the galleries, but most of the programs are held outside the galleries in the lobby, in the mural room, in the auditorium, or in a tent outside — none of which require an admission fee.

You can buy dinner at the cafe, which will be serving a special Friday night dinner, and they will be setting up a cocktail bar where you can buy drinks.

More information:

Friday nights at the de Young

Photo (c) 2006-09 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The amazing new Academy of Sciences is free on the third Wednesday of every month.

Opening day at the Academy of Sciences, September 27, 2008

Inside the Academy, several weeks later

Where:

Golden Gate Park

When:

Third Wednesday of every month, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Last admission is at 4:00 pm.

Logistics:

Be prepared to wait on line. The Academy is very popular, and with a regular adult admission price of $24.95, you can expect big crowds on free days. As always, it’s best to get there early.

You need separate tickets for the Planetarium show. Tickets are free, but at some point during the day, they will be gone. If you can’t get a ticket, try going up to the Planetarium’s door where there will be a “stand-by” line.

Penguin feedings are at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Don’t forget to go up on the roof!

More information:

Academy website

Phone: 415-397-8000

Photos (c) 2008-09 Ms Terri

Two of the best things to do for kids — and for adults, too! — are free on the first Wednesday of every month.

San Francisco Zoo: Wednesday 10 to 5. Note: The free day is ONLY for San Francisco residents — bring proof with you (driver’s license, ID, or local bill). The Zoo is on Sloat Boulevard and 47th Avenue (near Ocean Beach) in the Sunset. The Muni Metro L Taraval goes right there. More info: Zoo website. Phone: (415) 753-7080

Exploratorium: Wednesday 10 to 5. Hundreds of interactive exhibits to play with. Lots of fun! Last year, out of the 600,000 people who visited the Exploratorium, 44,500 came on free first Wednesdays. Located in the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina. More info: (1) visitors page, and (2) fact sheet. Phone: (415) 561-0360

Lots of great things to do. All of the following museums — and one tropical Victorian greenhouse — are free (or in one case, pay what you wish) on the first Tuesday of every month.

De Young
Legion of Honor
Yerba Buena
Museum of Modern Art
Cartoon Art Museum
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Conservatory of Flowers

Details:

DeYoung: Tues 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Golden Gate Park. Permanent collection is free, but $10 surcharge for special exhibits. While you’re there, enjoy the park! More info: website. Phone: (415) 750-3600.

Legion of Honor: Tues 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Lincoln Park near 34th Avenue and Clement Street. Permanent collection is free, but there’s a surcharge for special exhibits. Walk around the edge of the parking lot for a spectacular view. More info: website Phone: (415) 750-3600.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Tues noon to 5:00 pm. Third Street between Mission and Howard (across the street from SFMOMA). Contemporary art. More info: website Phone: (415) 978-2700.

Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): Winter hours (after Labor Day to Memorial Day) Tues 11:00 am to 5:45 pm. Summer hours (Labor Day to Memorial Day) Tues 10:00 am to 5:45. Third Street between Mission and Howard. Special exhibit surcharges may apply. For a jolt of adrenalin, try walking across the bridge on top and looking down through the translucent floor! More info: website Phone: (415) 357-4000.

Cartoon Art Museum: Tues 11 am to 5 pm. 655 Mission Street. First Tuesday of the month is “Pay What You Wish Day.” If you haven’t been there yet, check it out. It’s a wonderful museum that has stuff that both kids and adults will enjoy. More info: website Phone: 415/CAR-TOON (415-227-8666)

Museum of Craft and Folk Art: Tues 11 am to 6 pm. Yerba Buena Lane (between Mission & Market, 3rd & 4th Sts, across from the CJM). They are actually free every Tuesday, not just the first in the month. This is a very small, but interesting, museum. More info: website Phone: (415) 227-4888

The Conservatory of Flowers: Tues 9 am to 4:30 pm, Golden Gate Park (on JFK Drive). North America’s oldest existing public conservatory. Beautifully restored. More info: website Phone: (415) 666-7001

The first weekend of every month, admission is free at four San Francisco museums, if you have a Bank of America credit card or bank account. The Legion of Honor is on the list for, I think, the first time this month.

When and Where:

De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 9:30 to 5:15 Saturday and Sunday.

Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park (entrance at 34th and Clement Street), 9:30 to 5:15 Saturday and Sunday.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Mission and Third, Noon to 5 Saturday and Sunday.

Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) 685 Mission (near Third), 11 to 6 Saturday, 12 to 5 Sunday.

What: Free admission to all exhibits at Yerba Buena and MoAD. Free admission to the permanent collection at the de Young (there’s a $10 fee for admission to the special exhibits) and the permanent collection at the Legion (which also has a $10 fee for special exhibits).

Logistics: The B of A days don’t seem to draw huge crowds the way the Target free days do. The museums may not be noticeably more crowded than they are any other weekend.

Remember, you need to show a Bank of America credit or ATM card or a check, and a photo ID.

For more information:

Bank of America free museum days

de Young
Legion of Honor
Yerba Buena
MoAD

If you’ve been reading or watching the news, you’ve heard about the baby gorilla at the S.F. zoo who had to find a surrogate mother. Here he is …. with a stuffed toy gorilla. Awwww. That picture is from the zoo, and they have lots more of him drinking from his bottle, and cuddling with his toy and with his human friends.

I don’t know if the baby gorilla will be anyplace where the public can see him soon, but there are plenty of other things to do at the zoo. And in keeping with the theme of this blog, yes, there is a way to get into the zoo for free — at least for San Francisco residents, who get free admission on the first Wednesday of every month.

Where and When: The zoo is on Sloat Boulevard by the Great Highway (right near the beach). You can take the L Taraval Muni Metro, or if you drive, park in their lot ($8/day) or for free on the street. Free admission days for S.F. residents are the first Wednesday of every month, 10 to 5. Bring proof of residency (driver’s license, ID card, or local bill sent to your house) for the free days or for a resident’s discount on all other days. The zoo has tradtionally been open every day of the year, but this year it will be closed on Christmas (presumably because of the memory of the, um, unpleasantness last Christmas).

Speaking of which, just this week, one of the Dhaliwal brothers who had been attacked by the tiger pleaded guilty to public intoxication and resisting arrest, and was setenced to 10 days in jail. The other brother had already been sentenced to 16 months in prison for his misdeeds. The brothers’ lawsuit against the Zoo is still pending, and the parents of Carlos Sousa Jr, the boy who was killed, plan to sue the City this month.

Zoo visitors today don’t have to worry, because the tiger cage has been massively reinforced. Not that it’s possible to ever completely stop idiots from trying to tempt fate — as was demonstrated a few days ago, when someone actually climbed into the rhino cage!

For more info on visiting the zoo: See their website.