🐼 October only
Kids Free San Diego 2026
Curated by Simir Shah
Attractions, tours and stays
- Zoo
San Diego Zoo
Kids 11 and younger free. One adult 18+ with valid admission can bring up to 6 kids; the free ticket includes the Guided Bus Tour and Skyfari aerial tram (subject to availability).
Oct 1–31, every day. The adult needs valid entry for the whole visit. Children 15 and under must be with an adult.
Official page → - Safari park
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Kids 11 and younger free with one adult who has valid admission (same Wildlife Alliance promotion as the Zoo).
Oct 1–31. Parking is not included.
Official page → - Theme park
SeaWorld San Diego
One free child one-day ticket with a full-price adult ticket; the adult ticket is discounted to $99.99 (regularly $126.99).
Valid through Oct 31 (the eTicket expires Nov 1), one visit only. Parking and food not included.
Double-check: SeaWorld's offer page says ages 2–12; sandiego.org's deal page says 3–9. Check SeaWorld's page before you buy.
Official page → - Theme park
LEGOLAND California (with SEA LIFE Aquarium)
Buy one gate-price adult ticket and get a free child ticket (children 2–12). LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE 1-day adult ticket is $139.
Online purchase only. Book Aug 17–Oct 31; tickets are valid through Dec 25. Blackout dates may apply and it can't be combined with other offers.
Double-check: sandiego.org says up to 3 free kids per adult; LEGOLAND's listing says one. Confirm at checkout.
Official page → - Museum
USS Midway Museum
Two free child tickets (ages 4–12) with one full-paid adult ticket (adult $36).
Oct 1–31. Under 3 are always free. Choose the promo when you buy the adult ticket.
Official page → - Tour
Old Town Trolley Tours
One free kid with every paid adult on the narrated hop-on/hop-off city tour.
Oct 1–31. Some stops close temporarily during Padres afternoon games.
Official page → - Harbor cruise
Flagship Cruises & Events
Two free children per paid adult on the 1-hour and 2-hour San Diego Harbor Tours.
Oct 1–31. Not valid on holiday cruises. Reservations recommended.
Official page → - Boat tour
San Diego Whale Watch
One free child (12 and under) for every full-fare adult ticket.
Runs Oct 1–Nov 15. The adult ticket must be full fare.
Official page → - Boardwalk & rides
Belmont Park
Listed by the San Diego Museum Council as a Kids Free participant.
Check Belmont Park's own page for this year's terms.
Double-check: We couldn't load Belmont Park's 2026 terms (its page returned an error). Don't count on the details until you've confirmed them.
Official page → - Hotel
San Diego Mission Bay Resort
Up to 15% off, a Kids Welcome Amenity and a $50 daily resort credit for stays of 2+ nights, with booking code KIDSFREE26.
Book Aug 17–Oct 31 for stays Oct 1–31. Call (619) 276-4010.
Official page →
Museums with a kids-free coupon
Kids 12 and under free with a paid adult (ages vary by museum). Get the coupon at the San Diego Museum Council. A sample of the participants:
- • Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- • Fleet Science Center
- • San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
- • San Diego Air & Space Museum
- • Children's Museum of Discovery
- • New Children's Museum
- • Comic-Con Museum
- • Museum of Us
- • San Diego Museum of Art
- • San Diego Botanic Garden
- • Japanese Friendship Garden
- • Maritime Museum of San Diego
- • Living Coast Discovery Center
- • Cabrillo National Monument
- • Old Town San Diego
- • San Diego History Center
- • Mingei International Museum
- • Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
- • San Diego Automotive Museum
- • Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
- • Mission San Luis Rey Museum
- • California Surf Museum
70+ San Diego venues and several in Tijuana take part; the full list is on the Museum Council page.
Plan the rest of the trip
Frequently asked questions
When is Kids Free San Diego 2026?
October 1–31, 2026 (the 15th annual). Most deals run every day of the month; whale watching runs through Nov 15, and LEGOLAND and SeaWorld tickets have their own purchase windows.
Do I need a paying adult?
Almost always. The usual pattern is a full-paying adult plus the kids, and each venue sets its own age limit. Discount passes such as CityPASS, Go San Diego and the Balboa Park Explorer Pass generally don't count as the paid adult ticket.
How do I get the museum coupons?
Enter an email and zip code at the San Diego Museum Council's kids-free page to get a coupon you can show on your phone. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult at participating museums; special exhibits may cost extra and some museums limit it to once a month per guest.
Are restaurants and hotels part of it?
Yes — sandiego.org says the program includes 100+ museums, attractions, tours, hotels and restaurants. We only list deals we could confirm for 2026 from an official page; check sandiego.org for the full hotel and restaurant list.
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