Yes, lots of excitement is going on inside the convention center, but here are 10 free things you can do in San Diego during Comic-Con when you leave the building – and some of them don’t even involve comics!

The Futurism & Tech Pavilion at the Omni San Diego Hotel (Wear your Comic Con badge to get in): Head up to the Grand Ballroom on the 4th floor, and prepare to be dazzled by 9,000 square feet of the future staring at you, with augmented reality and more. Sponsored by VRCON, this is immersive entertainment.

Kong: Skull Island (Wear your Comic Con badge to get in): Also at the Omni hotel, outdoors on MLK Promenade, check out this “Monarch Containment Zone” where you might even get to meet Kong, as well as experience Skull Island, its temple and more.

Blade Runner 2049 Experience (Wear your Comic Con badge to get in): And, while you’re on the Martin Luther King Promenade, stop by and sample the virtual reality version of the future in the sci-fi movie soon to be released, including costumes, props, vehicles and more. You can take a test to find out if you’re human or not.

The Tick Takeover by Amazon Prime (Wear your Comic Con badge to get in): Check out the Tick universe at the corner of 1st Avenue & Martin Luther King Promenade. It’s an interactive experience. Photo opportunities, a place to charge your phone, an animatronic tick head, hey how can you miss?

Viking Funeral at Embarcadero Marina Park South: This event takes place only on Friday, July 21. If you’re a fan of the History Channel show, “Vikings,” or even if you’re not, check it out. It’s not every day you see Vikings in armor carrying the body of a dead warrior, and even more seldom when there’s a funeral pyre in the bay. Yes, they will be burning up a 45-foot-long Viking ship. Wonder what the AQMD has to say about that one.

Lightsaber Battle at Balboa Park: Wear your costume and head over to Balboa Park by 8 p.m. Saturday to engage in the “Largest Lightsaber Battle in the Country.” This is sponsored by the Underground Lightsaber Fighters of San Diego, and it’s for all ages. Meet up at the Bea Evenson fountain, (Next to the Fleet Science Center) 1549 El Prado, San Diego. You don’t need a Comic Con badge to join in this fun. ulfsandiego.com

AMC’s Deadquarters, across from the Convention Center. MLK Promenade in front of the Gaslamp Hotel: If you’re a zombie lover, don’t miss this official fan stop for “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead.” It will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, July 20-Saturday, July 22 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, July 23. They promise you can take a swing at Negan Batting Cages and you might even see cast members.

Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Balboa Park: When you’ve just had enough fantasy for one weekend, head on over to the lush, beautiful and free Balboa Park, where every Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. you can hear a free concert on their historic pipe organ, in their beautiful outdoor pavilion. It’s near the visitor’s center, and parking is free, too. spreckelsorgan.org

Picnic at Mission Bay Park: The city offers free parking lots all around the bay, and there are no shortage of picnic tables and nice places to relax. Go early in the day, to swim. If you’re lucky, you might even score a fire ring. sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation

The Netflix Experience, Hilton Gaslamp Hotel (Wear your Comic Con badge to get in.): Stop by and take a sneak peek at Netflix films and new seasons of popular series, visit a virtual reality Upside Down with Stranger Things, maybe get exclusive giveaways. Go to the mean streets of New York with Marvel’s “The Defenders,” which premieres Aug. 18. Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.