2017-01-10 11:28:58
Traveling to San Francisco with kids in tow? From outdoor adventures to arts and culture — no matter how your family likes to spend time together — San Francisco has you covered. Here are a few of our favorites (in no particular order): HERE’S AN IDEA Bay Area Discovery Museum With STEM-focused exhibitions, rotating exhibits and festivals – including a visit from Daniel Tiger – your kids will have hours of exploratory fun at Bay Area Discovery Museum. BayAreaDiscoveryMuseum.org 50 FUN THINGS FOR FAMILIES The new SFMOMA is free to visitors age 18 and under; wander through the curves of Richard Serra’s Sequence sculpture or get moving in the Alexander Calder: Motion Lab. Watch (and listen) to the colony of California sea lions that call the K-Dock at PIER 39 home. Rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge for unbeatable views and some fresh air. Build playful contraptions in the Exploratorium’s South Gallery, where exhibits are dedicated to the art of tinkering. Take a journey down Market Street through the eyes of writer Matt de La Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson in their book “Last Stop on Market Street,” winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal. Enjoy a cruise on the San Francisco Bay for one-of-a-kind views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Shoot a music video (complete with costumes and green screen) at the Children’s Creativity Museum’s Music Studio. During a visit to the San Francisco Zoo and Garden, see the new Wolf Canyon exhibit. Speaking of animal sightings, drop by Golden Gate Park’s buffalo paddock to see the family of American bison who call the park home. Book a custom hop-on, hop-off loop throughout the Bay Area on Tideline Water Taxi. Stops include locations throughout Marin, the East Bay and San Francisco’s waterfront. Pose for a photo opp with celebs like Stephen Curry or Lady Gaga at Madame Tussauds. For a taste of the city’s major attractions, neighborhoods and history, hop on a Big Bus Tour. Traveling with a future marine biologist? Book a behind-the-scenes tour at the Aquarium of the Bay to learn about how they care for 20,000 sea creatures. Drive to the top of Twin Peaks to enjoy panoramic views of the city. If you’re feeling particularly hardy, you can hike to the top instead. Pick up an Elements of Art Explorer Pack at the Asian Art Museum’s information desk. Designed for kids 5 and older, the packs use props and playthings to introduce line, shape, color and texture to young visitors. Take them out to a ballgame. Buy them some peanuts and Cracker Jack. They won’t care if they ever go back home, and they’ll always remember seeing the Giants play at AT&T Park. Throughout the year there are also behind-the-scenes tours of the ballpark. Get a first-hand look at the massive mechanisms that keep the city’s famous cable cars running when you drop by the Cable Car Museum on Nob Hill. Admission is free. On a sunny day, set sail for fun on Stow Lake. You can rent paddleboats there and enjoy a snack from the boathouse. Before Disney was a household name, he was an upstart animator. Learn about his rise to celebrity and see some interesting ephemera at The Walt Disney Family Museum. Remember the skinny guy with the red-and-white striped shirt? Some pundits on Russian Hill have taken liberty with the street signage on Russian Hill’s Waldo Street. California Academy of Sciences There’s an aquarium, a planetarium, a rain forest and 40,000 live animals all under one living roof at the California Academy of Sciences. Take a spin on a colorful creature at Golden Gate Park’s historic carousel in the Koret’s Children’s Quarter. The merry-goround was originally built in 1914. Take a walk (or a bike ride) on one of the trails at The Presidio. The Batteries to Bluffs trail is a favorite. Start at the Lands End Lookout and then hit the trails to see the ruins of the Sutro Baths, a labyrinth, and breathtaking views of the coastline. Across the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito is the Bay Area Discovery Museum, where science and creativity blend to create fun for kids and adults alike. See historic fire engines and learn about the city’s tragic fire of 1906 at the San Francisco Fire Department Museum. Admission is free. Enjoy a tour of the city riding around in a classic fire engine with San Francisco Fire Engine Tours. Ever wonder how they get the fortunes inside fortune cookies? Find out with a trip to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown. Figure out the most fun way to spend some pocket change at the Musée Mechanique, home to an amazing collection of early 20th century arcade games. Ride down the winding chutes of the Seward Street Slides, a pair of concrete slides tucked away in a neighborhood park. Pro tip: Bring a piece of cardboard to use as a sled. Drop by 3 Fish Studios to check out some locally made artwork. If you’re traveling with a current or future artist, they also offer popular printmaking classes. When your sweet tooth beckons, head to Ghirardelli Square for an incredible ice cream sundae. Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze Get lost (but hopefully not for too long) in Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze on PIER 39. Pirate Treasure Shop for some eclectic items at the 826 Valencia Pirate Supply Store. They offer writing workshops for kids there, too, in case you’re traveling with young literati in tow. Kids under 18 are always free at the Contemporary Jewish Museum; check out their dropin art studio on Sundays, too. Find a unique view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point, a 19th century fort that Hitchcock fans might recognize from Vertigo. Have a deep thought while staring at a cast of Rodin’s famous sculpture “The Thinker,” which sits at the main entrance to the Legion of Honor’s impressive art collection. Enjoy sweeping views of the city skyline, stroll along nature trails and learn some interesting history on Angel Island, which was known as “Ellis Island of the West.” Stand on the deck of a 19th century square-rigger ship at the Maritime National Historic Park. If you stop at the Pirate Supply Store beforehand (see #34), you’ll be ready for a great vacation photo. If you’re a fan of anime (fanime?) Take a stroll through the Japantown neighborhood, visit the Japan Center and check out the origami supplies at the Paper Tree on the Buchanan Mall. See some of the city’s most colorful murals on a walk down Balmy Alley in the Mission District. Try to spot members of a flock of wild parrots who live on Telegraph Hill. Coit Tower is nearby. Union Square Ice Rink Strap on some skates at the Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling Center rink yearround or opt for some figure eights at the seasonal Union Square and Embarcadero Center rinks during the holidays. Conservatory of Flowers Stop and smell the roses, orchids, begonias, hibiscus (and hundreds of other species) at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Enjoy some local flavor at the Alemany Farmers’ Market every Saturday. Known as “the people’s market,” this Saturday tradition has been running since the 1940s. Snap a postcard-worthy photo of the famous Painted Ladies, a colorful row of Victorian houses along Alamo Square Park. Head over to dogfriendly Fort Funston to see hang gliders floating out over the Pacific. Consider bringing a jacket, because it can be pretty windy. Soak up some culture during one of the San Francisco Symphony’s family concert performances, known as “Music for Families.” Wander into Green Apple Books. Considered one of the best bookstores in San Francisco, they have two locations — on Clement in the Richmond and Ninth Avenue near Golden Gate Park in the Inner Sunset. Pick up a used book (or two), unique San Francisco cards and get recommendations on local authors and suggestions for books to read on the trip home. See lots of great attractions and save on the price of admission when you get a San Francisco CityPASS.
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