Next week we’re going to visit friends in Stanford (they’re temporarily-transplanted people on sabbatical with no clue–at least about this issue). We’re spending about a week camping, hiking, and fighting off bears in Yosemite, but we need to fill in another week with fun things for 6 and 4 year olds.
What’s fun in San Francisco (and in the general area) for the younger set? Thanks!
Children’s Fairyland (which inspired Walt for his Anaheim park) is by beautiful Lake Merritt in Oakland. I’ve never been (you can’t go in unless you are accompanied by kids), but I’ve heard great things for those who have, especially for kids your age. There are also paddle boats and a bird santucary nearby.
Take them to the Exploratorium. It’s so much fun! http://www.exploratorium.edu/
I enjoyed it and I’m 25. It’s also very easy to get to via the train, and it’s in a great and gorgeous building.
You could also take them on tour of Alcatraz.
Zeum In Yerba Buena Gardens. We took our kids there when they were younger and it was pretty fun. There’s also a merry go round in YBG, as well as an ice rink, a bowling alley, and the Metreon is right there too.
Second the Exploratorium.
The SF Zoo, California Academy of Sciences and Steinhart Aquarium, Musee Mecanique, paddle boats on Stow Lake in GGP, Angel Island, Camera Obscura at the Cliff House/Sutro Baths, buy some kites and fly them on Crissy Field…
Definitely the Exploratorium. I’m not sure how Alcatraz would be for kids that young, though the ferry ride is nice. I agree with most of the other suggestions, but make sure to take them on the cable cars too.
They might like the botanical garden in Golden Gate park also.
I’ve got the Exploratorium bookmarked. That looks awesome.
The Children’s Fairyland is neat. I’m thinking we’ll skip Alcatraz; they’re a bit too young. Musee Mecanique also looks really cool and Golden Gate Park’s definitely on my list–it sounds like a great park. Now I’m googling all over the place . . .
I just took my kids, 9 and 12, there in March.
Exploratorium is a must-do; its pretty confusing to find it by car, the roads there don’t do quite what you think they’re going to do so be careful.
In the Fisherman’s Wharf area is a ship museum run by the National Park Service. It includes three ships that you can board. You can tour on your own or take a free tour. One is a sailing ship, one is a ferry boat. We didn’t go on the third. There is an entrance fee.
Go to the top of the Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill for an amazing view.
Fisherman’s Wharf Dock K to see the sea lions.
Skip the tour of Alcatraz but go on a boat tour around the bay that will go right by it. Tickets at Fisherman’s Wharf. The tour itself is probably a little heavy for younger children.
Consider dinner at The Franciscan, a seafood restaurant with a great view of the bay. However, I was really disappointed with the children’s menu dinners. Order an adult dinner and let them split it.
A ride on a cable car is fun, but the fame of the cable cars overshadows the wonderful historic streetcar line that runs on the Embarcadero.
See my pix, starting a lower part of page at 澳门新甫京·娱乐娱城(最新VIP认证)-IOS/安卓通用版 (first part is Yosemite)
CookingWithGas those are great pictures! I have to go see the sea lions. Who cares if the kids are interested? I think they’d love the boat ride on the Bay too. Thanks!
I visited San Francisco with my sister years ago. She insisted on visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, although it’s a bit tourist-trappy. Because she was in love with the sea lions!
Not sorry we skipped Alcatraz–it looked pretty grim. But I won’t miss a ferry trip next time…
I suggest taking them to the Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory. I went there when I was younger with my family. It’s a great place for families and located right across the water from Alcatraz. I especially enjoyed the HUGE vats of chocolate and the smell of the whole place is so great! I would also suggest, if your kids aren’t too little, to ride the streetcar at least once. You get a fantastic view of the city and it’s a true San Fransisco trademark.
Just to be clear, the San Francisco trademark is the cable car. The cable cars run by a device that grabs onto a moving cable located under the street. There are two or three street car lines, all that remains from a more extensive system that was damaged by an earthquake.
The streetcar is basically an electric bus powered by overhead lines that runs along Embarcadero. The streetcar line in SF is a living museum of historic streetcars from various cities, not just SF.
I live about 10 minutes from Stanford and I have a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old.
Where will you be staying, and will you have a car?
For instance, if you’re staying near Stanford, San Francisco’s a 45-minute drive away. Places like the Exploratorium are worth the drive, but taking a 6- and a 4-year-old on a cruise on the bay might not be.
If you’re staying near Stanford, that means that stuff in San Jose is also worth looking into. There’s the Children’s Discovery Museum, the Tech Museum, and the Winchester Mystery House.
Within Palo Alto is the Junior Museum and Zoo. It’s small, but it’s free. In that same park is Rinconada Pool, which has an area just for little kids. If your friends live in Palo Alto–and can prove it–they can get you into Foothills Park. Just keep an eye out for mountain lions.
Down in Gilroy is a small amusement park called Gilroy Gardens. It’s perfect for little kids, like yours; it’s mellow and small and none of the rides are too terrifying.
Other amusement parks include Great America, which is in nearby Santa Clara (15 minutes from Palo Alto); the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Raging Waters, a water park in San Jose.
If you’re up for a pretty long outing one day, and your kids are into (or at least recognize) Charlie Brown and Snoopy, I recommend the Charles M. Schulz Museum. It’s in Santa Rosa, which is about an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Hopefully, that should be enough to keep your kids occupied. I’ll come back if I can think of anything else.
Drive to the top of Mt. Tamalpais for the terrific views. Ditto the Berkeley hills.
Visit the Marin Headlands Marin Headlands - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service), including Rodeo Beach, and the Marine Mammal Center, where they rehabilitate injured wildlife.
As already mentioned, the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose: http://www.cdm.org/index.asp?f=0
And while you’re in San Jose, spend a little time seeing the grounds of the Rosicrucian Museum http://www.egyptianmuseum.org/ . The museum is eh, but the grounds are done up Egyptian-style and are very striking.
If you’re staying near Stanford, then a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium would also be a reasonable day trip – it was one of my favorites growing up!
I second the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose, and the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium especially is really, really cool!
If you come over here to the East Bay do go up to the hills for the view (if you get a clear night it’s spectacular, you can see the entire Bay Area all light up). There’s another great science museum in the Berkeley Hills called the Lawrence Hall Of Science, when I was a kid I loved going up there.
Especially on a weekend Telegraph Avenue by UC Berkeley is pretty colorful - long street with tons of college shops (so record stores, pizza places, etc) and many street vendors. You can get your kids tie-dyed tshirts and other things very “Berkeley”.
Other things in the Marin Headlands include the Point Reyes lighthouse (it’s a bit of a drive out there but it’s quite nice), Muir Woods (classic walk amongst the redwoods, although I recommend getting there right when they open since it attracts the tour buses and parking fills up rapidly), Stinson Beach…
I will definitely second the Charles M. Schulz Museum, but then I am biased as I’m a member, and as a resident of Santa Rosa, we’d love your tourist dollars! 
It is a great museum, the ice rink is awesome, and even the gift shop is cool.
If the general Bay Area is also game, then I highly suggest the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. All of my co-workers with young kids rave and rave about it. Yelp review
I haven’t been there, but I hear the Jelly Belly factory is fun.
The Winchester house is worth a visit.
A second for Santa Cruz–a classic beach boardwalk with all the games, rides, sea and sand you could ask for. They have free concerts throughout the summer. It’s really a blast!
If you don’t want to go all the way over the hill, perhaps a concert at Vasona Park?
I second all of psycat90’s recommendations, but the California Academy of Sciences is closed until the opening of its new facility on September 27th. After that, it will be an excellent place for kids to visit, but before that it may be a little underwhelming. 
Heh. Thanks. I even knew that. :smack: I am SO there when the new place opens. In fact, we might just have to have a dopefest when it does!