Every October for more than a decade, San Diego gifts parents with an amazing treat: Kids Free San Diego!
During the entire month of October, dozens of San Diego hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more offer families the chance to explore San Diego while saving big!
With world-class family attractions on land and water, San Diego is consistently rated one of the top family destinations in the United States. October is the perfect time to bask in the region’s sunny weather and warm temperatures without the summer crowds. We live near San Diego and can say from experience that the fall season is the best time to visit!
Kids Free San Diego is a way to save big with a variety of unique deals for kids, ranging from complimentary admission at local attractions to free meals at restaurants to welcome amenities and experiences at area hotels and much more. Here is everything you need to know about October Kids Free San Diego.
Kids Free San Diego Offers
Home to world-class attractions like the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld San Diego, and LEGOLAND California Resort, San Diego is offering families free admission for kids at many attractions. Following are the deals from 2023, and will be updated soon with 2024 Kids Free San Diego offerings.
San Diego Zoo & San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are celebrating fall with a wide range of seasonal activities and entertainment, along with immersive wildlife experiences, and both parks are offering free admission to kids 11 and younger when accompanied by a paying adult.
![San Diego Zoo Safari Park during Kids Free San Diego](https://i0.wp.com/sandiegofamilytravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/San-Diego-Safari-Park.jpg?resize=700%2C525&ssl=1)
At the San Diego Zoo, you can visit habitats from around the world, from desert dunes and wild woods to marsh meadows and rainforests.
HalGLOWeen has become an annual “must” for the whole family at the zoo. After the sun sets every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October, enjoy a multitude of Halloween-themed experiences, including live music and performances, culinary treats and interactive fun. During the day, be sure to venture through the high-tech and interactive Denny Sanford Wildlife Explorers Basecamp.
Free admission for kids under 11 is also valid at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The Safari Park is an 1,800-acre wildlife sanctuary and home to more than 300 species. Get up close and personal with lions lounging in the grasslands, antelope and giraffes mingling, rhinos wallowing in waterholes, and storks and cranes on the march.
For Kids Free San Diego 2023, enjoy the Autumn Festival every Saturday and Sunday in October at At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It features special fall-themed entertainment, activities, and culinary comforts. Whether your family visits on a weekend or a weekday, you can also take part in one-of-a-kind safari experiences and get the chance to see wildlife up close.
SeaWorld San Diego
Kids receive free admission with a full-paid adult ticket at SeaWorld San Diego.
SeaWorld San Diego has upped its game in recent years with new thrill rides and shows! Cool off with amazing animal encounters, the new snowmobile-style Arctic Rescue family coaster, and spend the day exploring the wonders of the sea. There is also the new Rescue Jr. where learning to save animals is fun, and many other rides and shows, too!
![](https://i0.wp.com/sandiegofamilytravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SeaWorld-San-Diego-Atlantis.jpg?resize=1100%2C810&ssl=1)
Sesame Place San Diego
Children, ages 4 to 9, receive free admission to the all-new Sesame Place San Diego with one full-paid adult ticket from now until the end of October.
Between September 16 and October 29, kids can wear costumes and participate in The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular. The park will be transformed into a family-friendly Halloween haven. Enjoy trick-or-treating around the park, Halloween-themed shows and parades, an interactive Sesame Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, and unique photo opportunities.
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is offering free admission for kids 12 and under and/or under the height of 48″ when buying one Belmont Park Combo Wristband (48″ and taller). The combo wristband includes all-day access to over 20 different rides and attractions.
Families can also enjoy Belmont Park’s Fall Festival, running from September 9 through October 31. The Festival will feature Belmont Park’s iconic amusement park rides, a Pumpkin Pop-Up, live music, specialty Fall treats and seasonal beer-on-tap for the adults.
![Kids Free San Diego at Belmont Park](https://i0.wp.com/sandiegofamilytravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Belmont-Park-Kids-Free-San-Diego.jpg?resize=1000%2C754&ssl=1)
LEGOLAND California Resort
One of the best amusement parks in Southern California for families, LEGOLAND is offering free admission for kids, ages 2 to 12, with one paid adult admission. Your kids can enjoy more than 60 rides, shows and attractions plus some fun in the sun at LEGOLAND Water Park as well as the chance to chill out at SEA LIFE® aquarium right next door.
Hotels Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Kids
Hotels throughout San Diego, ranging from budget options to luxury escapes, are also offering free meals, special experiences and welcome gifts for kids this October.
Bahia Resort Hotel
Located on the shores of Mission Bay and steps from San Diego’s famous Mission Beach, Bahia Resort Hotel offers families an exciting getaway with 25% off their stay. We have stayed here a few times and absolutely love the Bahia Resort Hotel for a San Diego beach getaway that won’t break the bank.
Kids 12 and under can also get a free meal with each paid adult entrée at Dockside 1953, serving creative coastal cuisine and comfort food. After a delicious meal, kids can enjoy free admission aboard the Bahia Belle sightseeing cruise to explore the 4,200-acre aquatic park. Families can also experience an exciting paddleboard or kayak adventure with a complimentary rental from Bahia’s on-site partner, Action Sport Rentals.
![](https://i0.wp.com/sandiegofamilytravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/San-Diego-Bahia-Hotel-on-Mission-Beach-e1707711170870.jpg?resize=900%2C675&ssl=1)
Paradise Point Resort & Spa
At the family friendly Paradise Point Resort & Spa on Mission Bay, kids ages 12 and under can play, shop or eat for free with a special “island allowance” worth $50. The credit can be applied toward ice cream, a toy from the gift shop, bike rental and more.
► Click here for the Best Hotels on Mission Bay San Diego.
Kimpton Alma San Diego
The Kimpton Alma San Diego, neighboring the historic Gaslamp District and Little Italy, is offering kids 12 and under a free house-made ice cream sandwich with the purchase of an entrée at Leave of Absence, Kimpton Alma’s rooftop restaurant. After a delicious meal, guests can enjoy an afternoon of family fun with patio games like Giant Jenga, Connect 4, foosball, and cornhole.
Kids Can Dig in with the Deals at San Diego’s Restaurants
After spending a fun day around the city, parents can enjoy a taste of San Diego’s diverse culinary scene while kids eat free at participating family-friendly restaurants.
Featuring world-renowned celebrity chef Akira Back, Lumi is an upscale rooftop experience serving innovative Japanese fare. For the entire month of October, from Sunday-Thursday, kids under 12 eat free with an adult purchase. Kids meal choices include sushi rolls, shrimp and sweet potato tempura, and chicken katsu.
Located inside a popular Little Italy Food Hall, Samburgers offers the opportunity to savor food-celebrity Sam the Cooking Guy’s fan favorite burgers. Kids 12 and under can enjoy one free kid’s meal with the purchase of one adult meal.
After exploring the historical sites of Old Town San Diego, parents can unwind with a margarita and some traditional Mexican food at Casa Guadalajara, while up to three kids receive a free meal from the kids menu per one paid adult entrée.
Have a Blast at San Diego’s Diverse Arts and Culture Venues
Kids have endless options to learn while having fun at a plethora of museums offering free admission to all kids 12 and under in October.
Below are just a few of San Diego’s many kid-friendly museums to discover.
Head up to North County San Diego, where kids can learn about the history of surfboards and wave riding at the California Surf Museum. The museum features permanent and revolving exhibits, such as Bethany Hamilton’s shark-bitten board.
Kids can also explore interactive exhibits and come face to face with exciting creatures, including a rescued Loggerhead Sea Turtle, a Giant Pacific Octopus and Leopard Sharks at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.
Meet the world’s smallest penguins in a brand-new exhibit at Birch Aquarium. Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins follows these pint-sized penguins on their journey from hatchlings to adults, highlighting the challenges they face in a changing climate while celebrating the features that make them so unique.
Explore Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in North America, home to 18 museums, beautiful botanical gardens and exciting performing arts venues.
![San Diego Natural History Museum at Balboa Park](https://i0.wp.com/sandiegofamilytravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/San-Diego-Natural-History-Museum-Balboa-Park.jpg?resize=1000%2C831&ssl=1)
Kids receive free admission at participating park museums, including the Japanese Friendship Garden, a living work of Japanese art and culture, and the Museum of Us, where families can discover a variety of interactive exhibits highlighting human stories that span time and cultures.
Downtown’s kid-friendly museums include the Maritime Museum of San Diego, a collection of historic sailing ships, steam-powered boats and deep-diving submarines, and the USS Midway Museum, a historic aircraft carrier that features exciting flight stimulators and real fighter jets.
The New Children’s Museum stimulates imagination, creativity and critical thinking in children and families through engaging encounters with contemporary art.
Free Unconventional Ways for Kids to Explore San Diego
During October, kids can take it to the land or sea and explore San Diego through a variety of unique tours and fun activities for free.
Discover “America’s Finest City” on a two-hour, fully narrated, historic city tour of San Diego and Coronado aboard Old Town Trolley Tours. Hop on and off at ten locations and tour the city at your own pace throughout the day.
Families can explore Mission Bay from a kayak with Ocean Connectors. Kids under 12 can observe coastal wildlife for free while learning about conservation and marine biology from local experts.
One kid under 17 years old rides free with a paid adult on a San Diego Whale Watch adventure. The on-staff Marine Biologists have endless wildlife facts to share with passengers of all ages about San Diego’s beautiful marine ecosystem.
Each whale watching trip is a two-and-a-half-hour journey, with a chance to spot wildlife from the very beginning. Expect to see Blue, Humpback, Minke and Finback Whales.
Dozens of Deals for Kids Free San Diego
A complete listing of “Kids Free San Diego” participants and their special offers is available at SanDiego.org/KidsFree. All offers are valid October 1-31, 2023 unless otherwise noted. (Some start earlier!) Age limits and other restrictions vary by venue and activity.
► Be sure to also check out these family-friendly things to do at night in San Diego.
Save These Kids Free San Diego 2024 Activities for Later!
Thinking about visiting some top San Diego attractions in October to take advantage of Kids Free San Diego? Pin the image below for future reference!