21 listings in Sacramento, CA: free days out with kids: museums, workshops, storytimes and more.
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Open 24 hours, every day
UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
The UC Davis Arboretum's demonstration gardens, redwood grove and waterway trails along Putah Creek are free to visit, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Families and leashed dogs are welcome. Campus visitor parking is paid on weekdays and free on weekends and holidays.
Verified Oct 28 · arboretum.ucdavis.edu
No catch
Weekdays 9am–5pm; guided tours hourly 10am–4pm
California State Capitol MuseumSacramento
The State Capitol in downtown Sacramento is a free museum on weekdays, 9am to 5pm. Free guided tours run on the hour from 10am to 4pm, up to 35 people each, first come, first served: sign up at the information desk in the first-floor rotunda. Self-guided brochures are available in six languages. Expect a metal detector and bag check at the entrance; the building is closed on weekends and most holidays.
Verified Oct 28 · capitolmuseum.ca.gov
No catch
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1–4:30pm (when UC Davis is in session)
Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis
UC Davis's insect museum opens its displays and live insects and arachnids to walk-in visitors for free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1 to 4:30pm, while the university is in session. Staffing can force closures, so check before you go. It's closed Nov. 11, Nov. 25 and Thanksgiving week, and over the winter break (Dec. 19 – Jan. 3).
Verified Oct 28 · bohart.ucdavis.edu
No catch
Tue, Wed, Sat 10am–4pm; Thu–Fri 12–4pm (Sept–May)
Roseville Utility Exploration Center
The City of Roseville's Utility Exploration Center is an interactive science center about energy, water and recycling. September through May it's open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 10am–4pm and Thursday–Friday 12–4pm (closed Sunday and Monday).
Verified Oct 28 · roseville.ca.gov
No catch
Daily; parking lot 7am–3pm, raceways close about 2pm
Nimbus Fish HatcherySacramento
The state's Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River is free to visit, and November through February is peak season, when salmon and steelhead come up the fish ladder to be spawned. The visitor center building is closed until further notice; the hatchery lot is open 7am to 3pm and the raceways close around 2pm. Hours change with staffing and weather, so check the hatchery's Facebook page or call (916) 358-2884.
Verified Oct 28 · California Fish & Wildlife
No catch
Mon–Fri 7am–2pm (Wednesdays until 1pm)
Maryhouse at Loaves & FishesSacramento
Maryhouse at Loaves & Fishes is a no-barrier daytime drop-in center for women and families experiencing homelessness. Hot breakfast 8–8:45am for single women, families and single fathers with children; survival supplies, diapers and menstrual supplies 9am–1:45pm; private showers and resource counseling. Open Monday to Friday 7am to 2pm (1pm on Wednesdays).
Verified Oct 28 · sacloaves.org
Catch: For women and families experiencing homelessness
Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm (fall 2026 hours through Dec. 5)
Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of ArtDavis
UC Davis's contemporary art museum is free for everyone, with no tickets or reservations needed. Fall hours (through Dec. 5, 2026) are Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. It's closed on university holidays, including Nov. 11, Nov. 26 and for a special event Nov. 14, but open the day after Thanksgiving. Campus parking is paid on weekdays and free on weekends.
Verified Oct 28 · manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu
No catch
Sat, Nov 7, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis
The Bohart Museum of Entomology opens on a Saturday afternoon for a free open house focused on UC Davis graduate and undergraduate student research. See the insect collections and live insects and arachnids, and talk with the students who study them. The museum's pages list 1–4pm and 1–4:30pm. Campus parking is free on weekends.
Verified Oct 28 · bohart.ucdavis.edu
No catch
Sundays and Wednesdays at 1pm (Nov–Mar); at 11am (Apr–Oct)
Capitol Park (meet at 13th Street and Capitol Avenue)Sacramento
Docents lead free walking tours of Capitol Park, the 40-acre garden around the State Capitol, with trees from around the world, the World Peace Rose Garden and the park's memorials. Winter tours (November–March) start at 1pm on Sundays and Wednesdays; April–October they start at 11am. Meet inside the park at 13th Street and Capitol Avenue. Registering online is recommended but walk-ups are welcome; tours are postponed in bad weather.
Verified Oct 28 · capitolmuseum.ca.gov
No catch
Wed, Nov 11, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Elk Grove Boulevard, Old Town Elk Grove
Elk Grove's 2026 Veterans Day Parade, with American Legion Post 233, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Marine Corps League #1238, steps off at 11:11am from the Cosumnes CSD building on Elk Grove Boulevard and heads to Elk Grove Regional Park via Elk Grove-Florin Road.
Verified Oct 28 · elkgrove.gov
No catch
Wed, Nov 25, 5:30 PM
K Street, Old Sacramento Waterfront
Old Sacramento's annual Tree Lighting Ceremony fills K Street on Thanksgiving Eve with community performances from 5:30pm, then the season's first Theatre of Lights show at 6:15pm, when St. Nick lights the 60-foot holiday tree.
Verified Oct 27 · downtownsac.org
No catch
Sat, Nov 28, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Old Town Elk Grove
Old Town Elk Grove's annual Dickens Street Faire runs 10am to 5pm with live entertainment, crafts, free kids' activities in the Old Town Plaza, a fire department demonstration of Santa's rescue and photos with Santa. After the vendors close, carols and a story with Mr. and Mrs. Claus lead up to Santa lighting the Christmas tree on Walnut Street at 6pm.
Verified Oct 28 · elkgrove.gov
No catch
Wed, Dec 2, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
The Square, Downtown Roseville
Local businesses, organizations and schools decorate trees throughout downtown Roseville's Square, and the grove lights up with holiday crafts, music, visits with Santa and local vendors. It opens the city's Downtown Holiday Celebration the night before the main tree lighting.
Verified Oct 28 · roseville.ca.gov
No catch
Thu, Dec 3 · check hours
Citrus Heights City Hall
Citrus Heights' free annual tree lighting is an evening at City Hall with the City Council, city staff and Santa Claus. The start time hasn't been posted yet; there are no food or craft vendors.
Verified Oct 28 · citrusheights.net
No catch
Thu, Dec 3, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Square, Downtown Roseville
Roseville lights the city Christmas tree on the downtown Square with an old-fashioned celebration: cookie decorating, visits with Santa, a kids' activity zone, music and food. The tree is lit at about 6:10pm.
Verified Oct 28 · roseville.ca.gov
No catch
Fri, Dec 4, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Historic Folsom Ice Rink Plaza and Sutter Street
Historic Folsom's community Christmas tree lighting fills the Ice Rink Plaza and Sutter Street on a Friday evening, 6 to 9pm. Watching the lighting and the festivities is free; ice skating needs its own ticket.
Verified Oct 28 · historicfolsom.org
No catch
Sat, Dec 5, 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
District56Elk Grove
The City of Elk Grove's 7th annual Illumination Holiday Festival is billed as an evening of free, family-friendly fun: a holiday vendor village, bounce houses, ice skating, the Grover Express Holiday Train, food trucks, photos with Santa and the lighting of the city's Ribbon Tree.
Verified Oct 28 · elkgrove.gov
No catch
Sun, Dec 6, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Old Town Elk Grove
Chabad of Elk Grove's Light Up Elk Grove brings live performers and food vendors to Old Town Elk Grove, ending with the lighting of the menorah. Free and open to the public, 2 to 5pm.
Verified Oct 28 · elkgrove.gov
No catch
Fri–Sat 6:30pm and 7:30pm, Sun 6:30pm, Nov 27–Dec 20; also Dec 23 and Dec 24
K Street, Old Sacramento Waterfront
A 20-minute retelling of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas plays out on the balconies above K Street as the 150-year-old building facades light up, with Jack Frost and St. Nick lighting the 60-foot tree. Shows run Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 and 7:30pm and Sundays at 6:30pm, Nov. 27 to Dec. 20, plus Dec. 23 (6:30 and 7:30pm) and Christmas Eve (6:30pm only).
Verified Oct 27 · downtownsac.org
No catch
Saturdays and Sundays 12–4:30pm, Nov 28–Dec 20
K Street, Old Sacramento Waterfront
On Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 28 to Dec. 20, Old Sacramento closes K Street to cars and fills it with seating, lawn games, pop-up vendors and a Letters to Santa station, 12 to 4:30pm.
Verified Oct 27 · downtownsac.org
No catch
Any day
Folsom Public Library
Folsom Public Library lends the California State Library Parks Pass year-round. It covers vehicle day-use entry (one car, up to nine people) at more than 200 state parks, including nearby Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and Folsom Powerhouse. Loans last three weeks with up to three renewals; express passes are three weeks with no renewals. It doesn't cover per-person fees or tours.
Verified Oct 28 · library.folsom.ca.us
Catch: Library card required · Vehicle day-use only: not per-person fees, tours or off-highway vehicle parks
