Top Attractions in Redwood City, CA

San Mateo County History Museum — History, Architecture, and a Film Cameo

The most beautiful public building on the mid-Peninsula, and most people drive past it

The San Mateo County History Museum occupies the old San Mateo County Courthouse — a grand Beaux-Arts building with a stained-glass dome, marble columns, and classical proportions that make it one of the most architecturally significant public structures in California. The museum's exhibits span Ohlone Indigenous history, the California Gold Rush, the maritime era, and the rise of Silicon Valley. Most visitors don't know that the courthouse rotunda was used to film the courtroom scenes in Robin Williams' Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). Free to explore, open to the public, and consistently undervisited.

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve — 467 Acres of Rare Ecology Above the Bay

The serpentine soil that makes Edgewood unlike any other park in the Bay Area

Edgewood Park is ecologically significant in a way that most visitors don't realize on first contact. The preserve sits on serpentine soil — a substrate so high in heavy metals and so low in nutrients that most plants cannot survive in it. The species that can are often rare and endemic, found almost nowhere else. Edgewood is one of the last intact serpentine grassland habitats in the Bay Area, and its spring wildflower bloom — typically March through May — is one of the most spectacular natural events on the Peninsula. The trails also provide panoramic views across the South Bay and are accessible within 15 minutes of downtown Redwood City.

The Fox Theatre — A 1929 Landmark That Survived the Demolition Era

The cultural centerpiece of the downtown, and one of the few historic theaters that was saved

The Fox Theatre was built in 1929 in Spanish Colonial Revival style and placed on the National Register of Historic Places following an extensive restoration. While hundreds of comparable theaters across America were demolished during the suburban expansion of the 1960s and 70s, Redwood City preserved the Fox and made it the anchor of its downtown cultural calendar. It now hosts national touring acts, comedy performances, and community events year-round. The ornate interior and intimate 1,000-seat configuration make it a genuine performance experience — not just a heritage building.

Hiller Aviation Museum — The Best Family Day on the Mid-Peninsula

Flight simulators, a Wright Brothers replica, and 40+ aircraft in one building near San Carlos Airport

The Hiller Aviation Museum is located adjacent to San Carlos Airport and showcases aviation history through an impressive collection of more than 40 aircraft, interactive exhibits, and a replica of the Wright Brothers' workshop. The flight simulators are the standout attraction for families — visitors can attempt to land a commercial aircraft or navigate a wartime fighter plane. The museum is the kind of experience that works across age ranges: genuinely educational for adults, viscerally exciting for children.

Bair Island & Don Edwards Refuge — A Tidal Marsh Minutes from Downtown

Critical habitat for endangered species within walking distance of Courthouse Square

Bair Island is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge — the largest urban wildlife refuge in the United States. The tidal marsh provides critical habitat for the California clapper rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse, both endangered species. Walking and biking trails run through the wetlands, offering Bay views, wildlife observation, and a complete sensory separation from the urban environment just a few minutes' drive away. At sunrise and sunset, the marsh light is photogenic enough that it draws landscape photographers from across the Bay Area regularly.

Courthouse Square and Downtown — 80+ Free Events a Year

The most active public square on the mid-Peninsula

Courthouse Square hosts more than 80 free public events annually, making Redwood City's downtown arguably the most active community space between San Francisco and San Jose. The Redwood City Salsa Festival, Summer Movie Nights, Oktoberfest, the Holiday Lights event, and a weekly farmers market are among the regular programming. The square's combination of a large fountain, surrounding historic architecture, and a dense cluster of independently owned restaurants creates a street-level energy that Menlo Park and San Carlos — with their quieter retail corridors — don't replicate.

The Redwood City Marina — Water Sports, Bay Views, and Sunset Walks

Sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and some of the best Bay views on the Peninsula

The Redwood City Marina sits on the Bay and provides access to sailing, kayaking, and paddleboarding with views across to the East Bay hills. The scenic walking trails along the waterfront are most popular in the evening — the sunset light over the Bay from the marina is one of those local experiences that residents mention consistently as a reason they stay. The marina area also includes picnic spots and connects to the Bay Trail system for longer cycling and walking routes.

The Pulgas Water Temple — The Bay Area's Most Beautiful Hidden Landmark

A 1934 Beaux-Arts monument that most Redwood City residents have never visited

The Pulgas Water Temple sits on the western edge of Redwood City, largely invisible from the main roads, and is one of the most genuinely surprising discoveries on the Peninsula. Built in 1934 to celebrate the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, the Beaux-Arts stone structure features a reflective pool, cypress-lined walkways, and a Roman-style colonnade that creates the atmosphere of a European garden. It is free, open to the public, and takes about 20 minutes to walk — and the majority of people who pass within a mile of it have never visited.

Frequently Asked Questions About Redwood City Attractions