Best Spring Break Activities in the Bay Area

Spring is here! School will be out for a week and everyone’s already in a vacation mood! Whether you are visiting or you call the Bay Area your home, there is plenty to do. Look at the other Diablo Escapes blogs if you’re wondering what we mean. We are always here to tell you about our exciting favorites! For something really special and fun to do this spring, you can’t go wrong with the activities on this new list.

Diablo Escapes

Enjoy the challenges of immersive VR escape rooms at Diablo Escapes, which has been the Bay Area’s best way to experience virtual reality for over 4 years. This is arena-scale VR: untethered and wireless with up to 6 players walking around the space! Team up with your friends or family for an adventure that puts you in the middle of the action on a pirate ship or in a dragon attack! Enjoy realistic graphics in beautiful scenes that surround you with amazing worlds. When you put on a VR headset, you could end up in the Old West on a train strapped with dynamite or you could end up in outer space, with a mission to destroy a meteor that’s hurtling towards Earth. See if you have what it takes to escape before time runs out!

INSIDER TIP: there is a fun little Easter egg in our escape rooms; can you find the rubber ducks?

AFTER YOUR VISIT: Check out our many blogs about exciting activities near Diablo Escapes. For other things to do in Walnut Creek, look at this blog

California Academy of Science

The California Academy of Science in San Francisco has a huge variety of indoor activities to keep you exploring all day long! Whether your interest is in aquatic life, natural history, or astronomy, there is an exhibit for it all. The aquarium takes up two floors, allowing you to get up close and personal with creatures that only live in the Twilight Zone! Not a fan of the dark? Head to the middle of the Academy and you’ll find the Osher Rainforest; a three story enclosure with over 1,600 live plants and animals. Make sure to dress in layers, the rainforest temp is usually in the low 80’s! The garden on the living roof is worth a quick visit. And who can leave the Academy without a visit to the planetarium? The Morrison Planetarium offers a uniquely immersive experience by projecting the entire cosmos on a 75 foot diameter screen.

MORE: If you want to explore art, the SF Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is another amazing treasure. It’s perfect during spring break, since teens ages 13-18 get into the museum for free!

Go for a Hike

The Bay Area is filled with amazing places to hike! Within our many regional and state parks, you will find a variety of trails, which can be great for relaxing among the trees or for challenging hikes. There are plenty of breathtaking green spaces perfect for epic Instagram pics and quiet meditation.

Marin has Mt. Tam for the North Bay and San Jose has Mt. Hamilton for the South Bay, but here in the East Bay, our local Mount Diablo State Park has trails at the summit offering stunning views of the entire Bay Area. If you go on a clear day, you can see almost 200 miles away! While you are up the mountain, check out the wind caves at Rock City. The sedimentary rocks have been shaped by water, wind and time, creating unique caves and tunnels for you to explore!

The Contra Costa Canal Trail is a multi-use, whole access trail (wheelchair accessible) that is great for biking, running and horseback riding. It is a safe, off-road corridor that connects to green spaces in Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and Concord!

If you haven’t visited the redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument, this primeval forest is surprisingly accessible. You can hike and walk 6 miles of trail through many of the tallest trees in the world.

PRO TIP: Always check the weather forecast before planning a hike! Dress appropriately and bring plenty of water!

The Bay Lights

The iconic Bay Bridge Lights are back! Designed as a way to bring beauty to the great infrastructure that makes up the Bay Area, it is completely free to the public. The lightshow will run every night, from dusk to dawn, for the next 10 years. The project initially ran from 2013 to 2015, but received the funding to return in 2016; which remained running until 2023. After a 3-year hiatus, the nonprofit behind Bay Lights has returned with a completely new installation! There is set to be a grand relighting ceremony on March 20th, but if the night is clear, you can catch the ceremony from many viewpoints within the Bay Area!

MAKE IT MORE SPECIAL: Red & White Fleet has a sunset cruise for an excellent opportunity to view the Bay Lights more closely!

Conclusion

The beach is a California favorite–of course, that goes without saying! But in our beloved Bay Area you can always find a great activity nearby, whether we are enjoying sunshine or spring showers. So grab your kids, or the besties, and head out for an awesome adventure!