"Flying" low at the Air and Space Museum
A rhino family at the San Diego Zoo
After six months under lockdown, parents of antsy children can find some relief in San Diego this month. Just a day trip or weekend away—no plane trips required–the nearby city revives its “Kids Free San Diego” promotion for the month of October, with nearly 90 hotels, restaurants, attractions, museums, tours and transportation companies helping families enjoy the city without going broke.
Find the offers here, and learn about the harbor cruises and whale-watching adventures kids can enjoy for free (with adult paid admissions). Even top attractions like the San Diego Zoo and the Air and Space Museum have free admissions for kids under the special offer, and there are plenty of convenient hotels with kid-related freebies as well as restaurants feeding kids for free. (Make sure to click on each offer to see what purchases are necessary to earn the free part of the fun).
A San Diego Seal Tour sets sail.
Other discounted adventures include gondola rides through the Coronado Cays, Old Town Trolley Tours and speedboat tours off the coastline. San Diego Seal Tours offer Hydra-Terra amphibious vehicles that cruise the picturesque streets of Seaport Village before floating on the waters of San Diego Bay.
Plenty of museums are also participating, such as the San Diego Automotive Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art, both great stops for educational fun.
The USS Midway Museum is extending free admission for kids even longer, through Dec. 15. Up to two children (ages 6-12) will receive free admission to the USS Midway Museum with one full-paid adult admission ticket as part of the Midway’s 75th anniversary celebration. Tickets are available online and at the booth on Navy Pier.
But your kids probably love amusement parks most of all and, amazingly, Sea World is offering kids free tickets to its SeaWorld Spooktacular through Halloween. (Reservations are required.) Even Legoland near Oceanside hosts kids for free this month.
On the pricier side is the new Sun Up Cheetah Safari at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It’s an early-morning private tour that includes brunch and an exciting Cheetah Run experience where you can watch cheetahs running at top speed. Groups of up to four can have the Safari Park to themselves before it opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations are required, paid in advance. This adventure isn’t cheap, at $449 for four plus park admission of $60 per adult and $50 per child ages 3 to 11. But if you have the funds, this is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience just a couple of hours from home.
