What to do and see in San Mateo, United States: The Best Places and Tips

September 24, 2017 Lean Nau

San Mateo (/ˌsæn məˈteɪ.oʊ/ SAN mə-TAY-oh; Spanish for "Saint Matthew") is a city in San Mateo County, California, located in the high-tech enclave of Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 97,207 as of the 2010 census, it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City and San Francisco Bay to the east, Belmont to the south, and Highlands-Baywood Park and Hillsborough to the west. The 2015 population was estimated to be 103,536. San Mateo was incorporated in 1894.
Restaurants in San Mateo

1. The San Mateo Japanese Garden

Fifth Ave., San Mateo, CA +1 415-377-4700
Excellent
59%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 190 reviews

The San Mateo Japanese Garden

Japanese garden located in Central Park, a tranquil spot among the high rise buildings.

Reviewed By MJ B

Spot. Ahhhhh the bliss we feel when we come to this park. Our family loves coming here and we have been many times. The Koi fish, the sound of the water, the bridges, the Buddha’s and the magical flowers. There are days we just go and hang out especially on a beautiful sunny day. It’s not a huge garden but a pretty one!

2. Hiller Aviation Museum

601 Skyway Rd, San Carlos, CA 94070-2702 +1 650-654-0200
Excellent
54%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 175 reviews

Hiller Aviation Museum

Reviewed By Bill H - Traverse City, Michigan

What this is not: a war bird museum like most. Hiller was a pioneer in vertical flight and much of the display is dedicated to that. The only outside static display is the nose section of an old 747. Inside there are early 1900's craft, a couple of rare cars and a few craft with a noted ownership. It seems much of their effort is to use this place to help educate youngsters about flight and it's history. For that I give it an extra point. There is a mezzanine that is only open on weekends.

3. Filoli

86 Canada Road, Woodside, CA 94062-4144 +1 650-364-8300
Excellent
76%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 381 reviews

Filoli

Filoli offers unique restorative experiences for the whole family every season. From the historic home and manicured gardens to a vast estate and natural trails, come explore the beauty and tranquility of another time. Guests can visit the cafe, have a glass of wine or enjoy afternoon tea. Filoli also hosts seasonal activities, including tours of the home and grounds, art shows, education programs and special events. Conveniently located between San Francisco and San Jose, this 654-acre estate is open to the public to visit as a guest, or become a member and drop by any time.

Reviewed By obdocSanJose - San Jose, CA

We visited on a day of sunshine in a week of rain. The old mansion is interesting with many period furnishings. The gardens were not in full bloom in February so not much to see there. The daffodils & tulips were pretty. The cafe was ok for a bite to eat. The estate walk was a pleasant stroll in a wooded area. Overall was a enjoyable day but given the cost I don't plan to return.

4. Hillbarn Theatre

1285 E Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404-1214 +1 650-349-6411
Excellent
76%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 25 reviews

Hillbarn Theatre

Hillbarn Theatre has been keeping community theatre alive since 1941 with after-school training programs for children, acting and scene study classes for youth, and full productions featuring some of the brightest adult talent in the Bay Area. Hillbarn recognizes that amateurs trained by professional actors can deliver amazing results.

Reviewed By Victorio D

The theater is small although very cozy, however the quality of the artists is very good and make you forget the size of the theater by the greatness of their performances.
My partner and I have enjoyed every show we attended at the Hillbarn Theater for the last five years.
Make sure to get tickets in advance, because of its size it fills very fast...

5. Shorebird Sanctuary

Between 1404 and 1500 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, CA 94010
Excellent
38%
Good
54%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 52 reviews

Shorebird Sanctuary

Reviewed By mizaika - Burlingame, California

nice promenade along the water. The picturesque views really depend on the season. Late fall is when not that much water, so the view is rather sad. Better come in spring and summer. The weather is usually windy there. Some restaurants on the way. Lots of birds!

6. Sawyer Camp Trail

Skyline Blvd & Crystal Springs Rd, San Mateo, CA 94401, San Mateo, CA
Excellent
73%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 111 reviews

Sawyer Camp Trail

Tree-shaded trail stretching 12 miles.

Reviewed By Timothy Y - Redwood City, California

This trail is 6 miles each way along the Crystal Springs Reservoir for a total of 12 miles round trip.

The trail is paved throughout. I normally start on the Millbrae side and park at the top of Hillcrest by the freeway entrance. When you start there, the first 1.25 miles is all downhill. Remember that on the way back! ;).

The trail is fine for adults walking, but on weekends when its much busier, watch out if your hiking or biking with kids and they don't stay on the right half of the path. You'll get cyclists racing through there from time to time and you'll have to watch out for them not to get run over or cause an accident.

The San Mateo side is pretty flat. So during a nonbusy time, great for kids to bike if they just started learning.

7. Fly Bay Area

620 Airport Way, Suite 7, San Carlos, CA 94070-2700
Excellent
93%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 62 reviews

Fly Bay Area

FlyBayArea offers U-Fly SkyTours around the Bay Area in airplanes. Choose from four different SkyTours and get a chance to fly the plane with one of our professional flight instructors. Fly over San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Pacific Coast. A unique aerial tour for locals and visitors alike.

Reviewed By Beth B - Palo Alto, California

My family booked 2 planes for the Ultimate Air Tour. The pilots were professional and thoughtful. We had an extremely calm flight with effectively no turbulence, which was truly remarkable given the small plane and altitude. As promised, the tour provided amazing views of Palo Alto and Stanford, the Apple campus, San Jose, East Bay mountains, Oakland, SF, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate bridge, and then the coastline. It was quite a beautiful day, and the pilot was attentive to our requests and provided great explanations. It was a fabulous trip and well worth the cost!

8. Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia

214 California Dr, Burlingame, CA 94010-4113 +1 650-347-2301
Excellent
35%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
14%
Poor
5%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 54 reviews

Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia

The Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia features an example of every Pez candy dispenser sold - now over 1000 pieces. Other Classic Toys have been added to the museum. Our newest exhibit features banned toys - including the 1951 Atomic Energy Laboratory and Lawn Darts.

Reviewed By pauli B - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I went here with relatively low expectations, because come on...how much could there be to look at? But it was actually pretty cool! The man who runs the place gives a tour with your admission ticket (I think that was $4) to the museum that is very full of Pez dispensers and some other toys anyone over 30 years should remember. He gives a brief history, then is available for any questions. Even my teens enjoyed the quirkiness of the whole experience. Takes about 30-45 minutes to see everything, so it's a quick win for the everyone. Worth the side jaunt.

9. Oceanic Foot Spa

939H Edgewater Boulevard, Foster City, CA 94404 +1 650-200-0939
Excellent
55%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
5%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 17 reviews

Oceanic Foot Spa

Reviewed By Kmralady - Foster City

I've tried Oceanic Spa twice now. Both times it seemed as though the massager was uninterested it what he was doing. The last time I went I actually opened my eyes for a second only to see him turned and looking in a different direction. There was a lot of activity going on which made it hard to relax. Not my favorite place for that quiet time.

10. Coyote Point Recreation Area

1701 Coyote Point Dr, San Mateo, CA 94401-1001 +1 650-573-2592
Excellent
56%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 160 reviews

Coyote Point Recreation Area

Reviewed By NancySF - Daly City

We went here with our 1 year old grandson to see the water, ducks and go to the playground. We didn't realize there was such a large play area for the kids there, but it was great. There is an area for the little ones and there is another area for the bigger kids. There were swings, slides, things to climb, etc. We happened to go on a very hot day which wasn't great because the slides were too hot to touch. There was a lot of ducks up on the grass which our grandson loved. We took a walk around and it was lovely. They have a little gift shop there with all sorts of things and they have some sort of indoor exhibit that you have to pay for which we skipped. There are lovely picnic areas and tons of picnic areas that you can reserve for whatever type of occasion. We all enjoyed it and will go back again when it's not quite so hot. There is a ton of parking, but on a weekend it can get pretty crowded. The fee to get in to the parking is $6.00.

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