If you’re bored and looking for something to do or someplace to go on December 25, here’s a list of things that are open in San Francisco, plus a few things to do outside the city. We’ve found links to affordable restaurants serving dinner on Christmas Day, an attraction open on Dec. 25 with free admission, and a few fun cheap activities.

San Francisco Activities Christmas Day

Go see the local holiday lights and decorations. Drive around the neighborhoods or walk through your local downtown area. You’ll find specific suggestions by location on the Lights of the Valley website. In San Francisco, try Castro and the Embarcadero Center. Visit the Christmas trees at Macy’s in San Francisco’s Union Square, the Presidio, Ghirardelli Square, and Pier 39. If you’d rather stay indoors, visit the festive holiday light and miniature Christmas display in the lobby of the San Francisco Hyatt Regency (at 5 Embarcadero Center). Or see the Westin St. Francis (335 Powell Street) decked out in more than $40,000 worth of spectacular holiday decorations, including San Francisco’s largest Sugar Castle created by Joe Vincent Designs.

See the holiday lights by cable car. If you don’t want to walk or drive, consider taking a Holiday Lights Motorized Cable Car Tour. They’re running a limited tour schedule on December 24th and 25. The cable car tour will take your through many of the holiday displays mentioned above. They’ll play holiday music, give you a complimentary Santa hat, tempt you with candy canes, and provide blankets to keep you warm on the tour. Catch the Cable Car at Fisherman’s Wharf or Union Square. For more information or reservations call 415-596-9929.

Watch the SF Zoo animals get holiday toys and treats. From Zoocicles and holiday wrapped boxes with bows, to snowmen, ice towers and more, the San Francisco Zoo keepers will dole out winter-themed enrichment toys and treats on schedule each weekend, now through January 1, 2010. The Christmas day (December 25) time is: 11 am – Emperor/Pied Tamarins, 1:30 pm Penguins. Ends at 3 pm. Get tickets in advance at a discount.

Go ice skating in San Francisco. You can skate under the stars near the waterfront throughout the holiday season at The Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center, now through January 3, 2010, including all day Christmas Day. (Located at Justin Herman Plaza, adjacent to Four Embarcadero Center and across from the Ferry Building.) Or, try the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square. The indoor Yerba Buena Ice Skating Center is open for public skating on December 25, from 12 noon until 5 pm.

Go ice skating in San Jose. Downtown Ice, The South Bay’s largest seasonal outdoor skating rink, is open Christmas Day 2pm to midnight; New Year’s Eve 11 am -to 10 pm; New Year’s Day 2 pm to midnight. (Located directly across Market Street from Plaza de Cesar Chavez.)

Go to the movies. Check the movie schedules to see what’s playing on December 25. Don’t wait. Guarantee your seat before you go and avoid a sold out show. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets at Fandango.com (afl). Or for something a little different, go to the 11pm Cowboy Bebop Christmas Night Movie Marathon at Bridge Theater for free, or for a $4 donation. (3010 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118.) Two French films are also playing at the Roxie on December 25, with tickets less than $10: The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette); and La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet. (3117 16th Street, San Francisco.)

San Francisco Attractions open on December 25

Hang out at the Contemporary Jewish Museum for free. On December 25, admission to CJM is free. They have all kinds of fun activities planned around their current exhibits. For example, along with the exhibit “There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak”  CJM is hosting a special wild rumpus of fun and free activities inspired by Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.

Bay Area Restaurants Open December 25

Browse OpenTable.com. The best listing of restaurants open on December 25, along with those serving special holiday dinners is opentable.com. This restaurant reservation website lets you sort for dinners under $30 ($$) in San Francisco Bay Area restaurants Open Christmas Day. You can also narrow your search to San Francisco only, or the East Bay, Peninsula, San Jose / Silicon Valley, Wine Country, and Marin. While you’re at it, you might want to see which restaurants are open in the San Francisco Bay Area on New Year’s Eve. Chow.com also has a list of San Francisco Bay Area restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Eat free in Wine Country. In Sonoma, the free Annual Christmas/Chanukah dinner is free and open to all, starting at 3 pm on December 25, 2009. The event features gourmet foods, a hosted bar, live music. Call 707-938-4626 for information. (Sonoma Community Center, Andrews Hall, 276 East Napa Street Sonoma, CA.)

Christmas Comedy on December 25

The 17th Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: Jewish comedy on Xmas in a Chinese Restaurant. Go Jewish/Asian/Comedy at at the New Asia Restaurant. This show with dinner or cocktails in San Francisco’s Chinatown features Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist). You can go to the dinner show for $62 (a 7-course sit-down Chinese banquet) or the cocktail show for $42 (veggie rolls). Two shows a day, 6pm and 8:30, Dec 24-27, including Christmas day. Seating is Chinese banquet style at tables of 10. (772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133; 415-391-6666.)

Christmas Day Costume Calamity. This late night Christmas comedy show is for those “not in the spirit,” including santas in leather and other characters of the night. Open December 25, from 10pm-3am.  (At SOM S.F., 2925 16th Street.)