Free Things to Do

California is one of the most beautiful states in the country, but it can often be quite expensive. If you are visiting California on a budget, consider these free things to do in Southern California.

1. Get free admission to San Diego Zoo. During the entire month of October, all children ages 3-11 are admitted free to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park. If you have a lot of children, the $26 price tag can add up quickly, so this is a great value for guests. This is one of the best free things to do in San Diego California.

2. Visit the free museums. The Getty Center, Getty Villa and California Science Museum, MOCA Pacific Design Center and Museum of Television and Radio are always free in Los Angeles. In San Francisco, free museums include the Cable Car Museum, Chinese Culture Center, National Maritime Museum and San Francisco Fire Museum. Almost all California museums have certain days set aside for free admission, so call ahead to find out when your favorite museum's free day is planned.

3. Go to free California concerts and performances. Some top picks for free entertainment throughout the summer months are at the Redlands Bowl, the Huntington Beach Surfin' Sundays Concert Series, Lake Arrowhead Village summer concerts, Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Friday night bands at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Coronado summer concerts at the park, La Jolla Concerts by the Sea and Twilight in the Park at Balboa Park in San Diego. In Napa Valley, check out Napa City Nights on Fridays at Veteran's Park.

4. Travel historic Route 66. Start in Santa Monica, and travel through Pasadena, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow and Needles. Famous landmarks along the way include the Wigwam Motel in Rialto; the McDonalds Route 66 Museum in San Bernardino (watch our video); California Route 66 Museum in Victorville; Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum, El Rancho Motel and El Garces Harvey House in Barstow; and the Palms Motel in Needles. A few great Route 66 eateries along the way include the Summit Inn at Cajon Summit, Hollandburger Cafe in Victorville, and the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs. The famous Roy's Cafe in Amboy, now owned by Juan Pollo's Albert Okura, has been the site of numerous Hollywood movies, including Brad Pitt's "Kalifornia."

5. Explore a ghost town. Considered the best preserved ghost town in California, Bodie offers a fascinating glimpse into life during the late 1800s, and is free to pedestrians. Another historic mining town, Julian, comes alive during the fall, where you can explore its gold mines, sample delicious homemade apple pie, or enjoy the fall foliage. Randsburg, located off Highway 395 near California's famous Eastern Sierras, is another historic ghost town that's home to a quaint museum, old-fashioned White House Saloon, and vintage soda shop.

6. Whale watch by land. Dana Point is considered among the best spots in California for whale watching on land. During the summer, you'll see blue whales chasing their food supply, and in March and April, gray whales make an appearance during their annual trek between Alaska and Baja Mexico. A few other good places to view whales by land are Point St. George and Castle Rock Island, Klamath Overlook off US 101, Redwood National Park, Patrick’s National Park, McKinleyville Vista Point, Laguna Point at MacKerricher State Park, Lighthouse at Point Reyes, Pigeon Point, Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur, San Simeon State Beach, Cayucos State Beach, Morro Bay, Montana de Oro State Park, Pismo State Beach, Point Loma. Point Loma is home to whale observatory and exhibit at Cabrillo National Monument.

7. Watch the Disneyland fireworks. You don't have to buy a park ticket in order to enjoy a decent view of Disneyland's nightly fireworks show during the summer months. The big display begins at 9:25 p.m. and runs nearly 30 minutes. Close to the action, Downtown Disney is a great place to enjoy the show, and parking is free for the first three hours. Enjoy the show in the courtyard in front of Disneyland's main entrance, or head up to the Mickey and Friends parking structure, which has great views from the top deck and Donald Duck levels. Outside the park, several hotel parking lots have decent views of the fireworks, including the Sheraton Anaheim, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson and Quality Inn.

8. Spend the day at the beach. Whether you choose to sunbathe on the sand, go pier fishing, or cycle along the paths of Newport Beach or Manhattan Beach, this is a favorite free activity for California locals. La Jolla Children's Pool is home to an adorable colony of sea lions, while the beaches at Piedras Blancas are home to one of the largest elephant seal colonies on California's mainland. If your stay extends into the evening, many beaches such as Huntington Beach and La Jolla Shores have fire pits, which are perfect for s'mores and stories. Visiting the state's beautiful and diverse beaches is one of the best free things to do in California.

9. Tour the apple orchards and farms of Oak Glen. During the fall harvest, this apple-growing region comes alive with hay rides, cider pressing, folk dances and fruit picking. Los Rios Rancho is home to the Wildlands Conservancy, a beautiful protected area of nature trails, streams and ponds that are perfect for bird-watching and picnicking year-round.

10. Go star gazing. At Palomar Observatory in San Diego, you can enjoy free daily tours of this world-class astronomical research facility. Tours highlight the Observatory’s discoveries and 200-inch Hale telescope. Admission is also free at Griffith Observatory, considered one of the best public observatories in the world. Here, you can check out the galaxy through the Zeiss telescope or gaze at the sun through the coelostat and solar telescopes. For an extra fee, you can stay to watch "Centered in the Universe," a live planetarium program.