2019-12-19 04:44:20
Whether your crew prefers playing in the great outdoors, learning about science or braving adrenaline-pumping rides, San Francisco has tons of activities to make your trip fun-filled and memorable. Here are 10 of our favorite family-friendly things to do. 1 THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM Nestled in the historic Presidio, The Walt Disney Family Museum is a magical place for kids—and for kids at heart. While the younger crowd enjoys videos, listening stations and other interactive exhibits, parents will appreciate the nostalgia of seeing early drawings and animations of their favorite Disney characters. 2 EXPLORATORIUM Kids’ curiosity will be ignited as they check out more than 650 hands-on exhibits at the Exploratorium, at Pier 15 along the Embarcadero. Step inside a kid-friendly tornado to find out how the weather phenomenon works, play with sand that reveals invisible magnetic fields, and watch the dissection of a cow’s eye to understand how our own eyes help us see. With zero no-touch signs and Explainers at every exhibit ready to answer questions, the Exploratorium unabashedly encourages discovery, creativity and, of course, exploration. 3 THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Only in San Francisco can you explore an aquarium, planetarium, and rainforest all in one day – and all under one (living!) roof. The California Academy of Sciences inspires curiosity about the natural world with opportunities to study the intricacies of a coral reef, meet resident animals (including Claude the albino alligator), explore the depths of a rainforest and gaze at the galaxy. 4 GOLDEN GATE PARK Parks and green spaces are quite abundant in San Francisco, but the grandest of them all is Golden Gate Park, which easily warrants a full day of exploration. Stretching from Haight- Ashbury to the Pacific Ocean, the 1,000-acre park offers open space, museums and family-friendly attractions like The Koret Children’s Quarter, which features a merrygo- round and playground. Bring a picnic and let the kids run off some energy in the grassy meadows, then check out a resident herd of bison cared for by the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. 5 PIER 39 No family vacation is complete without a visit to PIER 39 on Fisherman’s Wharf. See the resident sea lions who mysteriously took over the PIER’s docks after the 1989 earthquake and marvel at magicians, jugglers, comedians and more. The Flyer attraction will take your family on a bird’s-eye tour of San Francisco’s iconic landmarks. Other activities include Aquarium of the Bay, Players Sports Grill & Arcade, Museum of 3D Illusions, Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, the San Francisco Carousel, a classic caricature stand and Frequent Flyers (think bungee cords plus a giant trampoline). 6 BAY CRUISE AND WATER TAXIS Climb aboard a Bay Cruise to get up close and personal with the city skyline, the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Or take a ride on the Blue & Gold Fleet or Red and White Fleet for a smooth voyage under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. However you choose to stretch your sea legs, make sure everyone in the family keeps their eyes peeled for sea life while on the water. 7 THE CHILDREN’S CREATIVITY MUSEUM Exercise the entire family’s imagination at the Children’s Creativity Museum in SoMa. Children can express their creativity through multi-media art and technology at workshops and hands-on exhibits in various labs and studios throughout the museum. At the Wonder Workshop in the Tech Lab, kids can write code that programs a robot to navigate a maze and play music. 8 HISTORIC STREETCARS Have an aspiring conductor or engineer on your hands? Take a ride on one of the city’s historic streetcars. The cars run above ground on Market St. between the Castro and Fisherman’s Wharf. Make sure you also visit the San Francisco Railway Museum, where your mini conductor can learn about the history of the fleet of streetcars. 9 THE BAY AREA DISCOVERY MUSEUM Little ones can let their imaginations run wild at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Located on 7.5 acres of National Park land at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, the facility includes seven indoor and outdoor spaces that offer thoughtfully designed exhibits and activities for children six months to 10 years old. 10 CHINATOWN Soak up the bright colors and fascinating façades of the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America. Explore the golden dragons and emerald roofs of Grant Ave. and Stockton St., then follow the scent of fresh fortune cookies to the famed Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley to witness first-hand how the fortune actually makes it into the cookie. Start your day before 9 a.m. to take advantage of calmer streets and opt for a baby carrier instead of a stroller if possible.
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