San Francisco

Coit Tower

Visible from much of San Francisco and the Bay Area, Coit Tower stands atop Telegraph Hill and gives an excellent view of the bay and the rest of the city. The tower was built by the Federal Works Projects Administration in 1933 with money bequeathed by eccentric San Franciscan Lillie Coit. Coit was said to have chased after firefighters as a young girl, and as an older woman sponsored her favorite fire company. A fan of the volunteer city firefighters, and local legend has it that the shape of the tower is supposed to simulate the end of a fire hose — although the architects denied this claim. The first and second floors house beautiful examples of New Deal-era idealist murals, and the top floor (reached by elevator) has featured paintings or other art. Artists put in their own signatures and messages in the murals, which interpretive plaques point out.

May–Oct: 10AM-6PM daily; Nov–Apr: 10AM-5PM daily · $8 for elevator to top floor ($5 seniors/teens, $2 children 5-11, children under 5 free); the rest is free · Limited wheelchair access · Built 1933

Exploratorium

Along the Embaradero in between the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf, The Exploratorium was the first interactive science museum in the world, and remains perhaps the best. The converted pier is filled with intriguing interactive experiments about nearly every branch of the natural and social sciences. If you're lucky, they'll conduct one of their most famous (and fascinating to most children) demonstrations: the dissection of a cow eyeball. The exploratorium also includes the Tactile Dome, a maze that you explore in pitch darkness, using only your sense of touch.

Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM; open Thu 6-10PM for ages 18+ only, closed Mon · $29.95 adults, $24.95 students/teachers/disabled/seniors/youth 13-17, $19.95 youth 4-12, children 3 and under free · Wi-Fi · Wheelchair accessible

USS Pampanito Submarine

This is a National Historic Landmark — an authentic World War II submarine with many original artifacts on display. Up to 80 personnel ran this submarine and it could be at sea for up to several weeks at a time.

Opens at 9AM daily. Call for closing time · $20 adults, $12 seniors/students, $10 children, $9 active military (free for those in uniform), free for children 5 and under

Walt Disney Family Museum

Opened in 2009, this museum focuses on the life of Walt Disney and his accomplishments. The museum is not run by The Walt Disney Company, meaning that while it views Walt Disney in a favorable light, it doesn't come off as corporate propaganda. The collections have some fascinating Disneyana, including the Oscar awarded to Disney for Snow White, a multiplane camera used prominently in Disney animated films, and a number of posters promoting early Disneyland rides. This is an absolute must-see for Disney enthusiasts, but even casual Disney fans will be impressed by the material here, which does a very good job of showing how a man with a gift for cartooning built what would become a modern media empire.

Wed-Mon 10AM-6PM; closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 25 · $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, $15 for ages 6-17, free for under 6 · Wheelchair accessible

Japanese Tea Garden

The oldest public Japanese garden in the country, with beautiful plants, ponds, bridges, and Japanese-style structures including a tea house. Tours are available every Wednesday and Sunday at 1PM starting at the main gate.

March–October daily 9AM-5:45PM, November–February daily 9AM-4:45PM · $12 adults ($10 Oct–Feb), $7 seniors/teens, $3 children 5-11, free for children 4 and under; free admission M, W, F before 10AM

Asian Art Museum

Built in 1917 as the city's public library building, this building is a fantastic blend of "Beaux Arts" and modern design elements. It was designed by renowned architect Gae Aulenti (architect of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris). Inside, you'll find many interesting architectural details including the grand staircase, loggia, vaulted ceilings, the great hall, stone floors, period light fixtures, an oddly interminable escalator, and inscriptions. The museum is one of the largest and newest museums of Oriental art. It has circa 15,000 artifacts covering 6,000 years of Asian history. The Asian Art Museum hosts many special exhibits as well. The cafe on premises also has some decent food, though pricier and somewhat more tame than better places a short walk away.

Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM (with extended evening hours every Thu until 9PM); closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day · Free first Sunday of every month, $15 adults, $10 seniors/students/youth ages 13-17, free for children 12 and under/military/SFUSD students. Th evenings at a reduced rate ($10) after 5PM. Special exhibitions cost extra · Wheelchair accessible

Conservatory of Flowers

This antique palatial greenhouse, one of the first structures of its kind in the county, is filled with a huge variety of beautiful and exotic plant species. Pay special attention if the Titan Arum is blooming, as it only does every few years. Adult tickets go down to $11 for weekdays in December and January, and up to $15 for all weekends. Free on first Tuesday of every month.

Tue–Sun 10AM–4:30PM · $13 adults, $7 teens/seniors/students, $3 children, free for children 4 and under, free on the first Tuesday of each month · Heritage listed

Mission Dolores Park

One of the city's most popular parks, this is one of the main neighborhood hangouts, with people regularly partying or partaking in some recreational marijuana on its grassy slopes, as well as a sunny retreat for many San Franciscans when the rest of the city gets foggy. There are plenty of recreational facilities as well as a fantastic playground built into the hillside, and the top of the park (at the corner of 20th and Dolores) offers an excellent view of the San Francisco skyline. Playground is wheelchair accessible.

10AM–6PM; restrooms 8AM–8PM · Free

Aquarium of the Bay

A nice place and the right size for kids, with an underwater tunnel, where the fish swim above you as you gaze at them, and ponds where you can touch various live marine animals. It's a perfectly decent aquarium, but many locals would recommend you save your money for the fantastic California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

Open daily except Dec 25. Summer hours: 9AM-8PM daily. Most other times Mon-Thu 10AM-6PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-7PM · $24.95 adults; $14.95 seniors (age 65+) and children (ages 4-12); $70 family (2 adults, 2 children). children 3 and under free

Yerba Buena Gardens

The Yerba Buena Gardens, above the Moscone Convention Center, provide a nice urban oasis. A large grassy meadow, a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., play places for kids, fountains and gardens make this a great place to come, play and relax.

6AM-10PM daily · Free

Randall Museum

A small but fun children's museum with several interactive exhibits, including live animals, a science exhibit, a toddler play area, and a railroad exhibit which includes a model railroad layout which is open on Saturdays. The museum is perched on a hill, offering great views of the San Francisco skyline.

Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM · Free · Free entry · Wheelchair accessible

Alta Plaza Park

A charming and immaculately manicured Pacific Heights park with great vistas over the Bay. It has tennis courts and a playground, and is a pretty good place for a picnic, or even just a rest if you've just scaled the hill.

05:00-24:00 · Wi-Fi

Mountain Lake Park

A small hiking trail winds around this scenic lake, noted for its historic importance in that it supplied water to the nearby colonial Spanish settlement of the Presidio. There is also a playground and a tennis court at the southern side of the lake.

Haas Lilienthal House

This is an Queen Anne Victorian, built solely out of redwood in 1886 for William Haas. It has been fully preserved to its original design. It houses the San Francisco Architectural Heritage which offer tours inside the house and around the grounds.

Tours: Sun 11AM-4PM, Wed and Sat noon-3PM. Tours leave every 20 to 30 minutes and last about 1 hour · General admission $8, seniors and children 12 and under $5

California Academy of Sciences

An absolutely stunning museum and an excellent place to take the children. Among the many highlights of this museum is the building itself; ride the elevator to the top to see the Living Roof, a literal green roof and marvel of architecture with soft hills covered in grass and flowers. On the ground floor are numerous interactive science exhibits, outdoor gardens, an aviary, and towering over the massive exhibit halls is the sphere-like Planetarium on one side of the building, while the other side is overshadowed by the domed Rainforests of the World exhibit, a massive transparent dome which contains a winding pathway that takes you to the top, past towering trees and animal displays. As if all that wasn't enough, the building also contains a fantastic aquarium on the bottom floor, which showcases the more unusual sea life such as octopus, jellyfish, sea dragons, and sea stars among its displays of coral reefs, kelp forests, and tidepools. It's a big museum; be sure to give yourself at least a few hours to see it all.

Mon-Sat 9:30AM-5PM; Sun 11AM-5PM · $34.95 adults, $29.95 seniors/students/teens, $24.95 children 4-11, free for ages 3 and under

Children's Creativity Museum

formerly known as "Zeum"

An arts and technology museum geared towards kids and families, centered on giving visitors a chance to produce animation, video, sound, performance visual arts, and more.

Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM · $12.95; free under age 2

Duboce Park

The N Judah streetcar travels along the perimeter of the park and stops at the intersection of Noe Street and Duboce Street. The park is attractive and split into a dog-friendly and a children-friendly section. There is a well maintained children's playground that attracts children from the neighborhood.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum

Set over 2 floors it has over 10,000 square feet of galleries, exhibits, illusions, and interactive displays.

Sun-Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri Sat 10AM-11PM · $25.99 (ages 13 and older), $17.99 children (ages 5-12) · Wheelchair accessible

Caffe Sport

Italian food meets hippie bus. Plates of pasta served family style. Some very nice seafood pastas. They may bring what you order, or perhaps what the chef thinks would go together better. They have house wine, served in water tumblers. Small, a little noisy, and a lot of fun. Opens special hours for World Cup faithful. Cash only.

Tue-Sat noon-2PM, 5PM-10:30PM · Entrees $15-24

Cioppino's

Family dining with indoor and outdoor seating. Cioppino is a flavorful San Franciscan seafood soup.

11AM-10PM daily · $14-27

Tenderloin Museum

A small museum dedicated to the history of the Tenderloin, with exhibits on the neighborhood's cultural history. Guided walking tours of the neighborhood are also available.

Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM; walking tours daily 11AM, 1PM, 3PM (no 11AM tour on Sun) · $10 adults, $6 students/seniors/youth, free children 12 and under; walking tours $10, or $5 extra with museum admission

Nicks Lighthouse

Warm and aromatic Italian restaurant serving popular family fare.

Sun-Thu 11AM-10:30PM, Fri Sat 11AM-11PM · $12-37

Young Performers Theatre

The Young Performers Theatre is a professional children's theater. It hosts a dozen or so shows each year and also offers classes in the dramatic arts, creative drama, comedy and musical theater.

Sat 1PM, Sun 1PM and 3:30PM. Shows do not run every week, see website for exact dates · Adults: $10, Children under 13: $7

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

A fun house maze where you can lose yourself in infinite hallways and dead-ends, complete with psychedelic lighting.

Opens daily at 10AM · $5, children 5 and under free

Presidio Tunnel Tops

Gently sloping park and picnic area with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and downtown San Francisco, weather permitting. Includes playground, cafes, restaurants and food trucks.

Free

Museum of the African Diaspora

A museum dedicated to the diaspora of Africans.

Wed-Sat 11AM-6PM, Sun noon-5PM · $10 adults, $5 seniors/students, children 12 and under free · Wheelchair accessible

Adventure Cat Sailing Charters

Offers a 90-minute bay cruise on a 55-foot luxury catamaran and also sunset cruises in the evening.

Cruise times vary — see website · Bay Cruise: adult: $40, children 6-12: $20, children 5 and under free; Sunset Cruise: adults $55 (no discount for children) — Sunset Cruise includes light hors d'oeuvres and 2 complimentary drinks

Contemporary Jewish Museum

Dedicated to Jewish history, art, and culture. Designed so it looks like a giant blue cuboid spaceship crashed into a 19th century building.

Fri-Tue 11AM-5PM, Thu 11AM-8PM, Wed closed · $12 adults, $10 seniors/students, free for youth 18 and under (Thursdays after 5PM: $5 for all visitors, still free for children 18 and under)

LeRoy King Carousel

On the premises of the Children's Creativity Museum is this beautiful carousel dating back to 1906, now fully restored and open for rides.

Fri–Sun 10AM–4PM · $5 per person; $3 with admission to Children's Creativity Museum

Pompei's Grotto

Much quieter, less expensive, and less touristy than the big name Fisherman's Wharf restaurants; excellent food, with an emphasis on seafood and Italian specialties, served by nice people. Still owned and managed by the Pompei family, who started the restaurant in 1946. For those not interested in seafood, they offer two steaks and four chicken dishes, as well as three meatless pasta dishes and a meatless risotto.

11AM-?? daily · $9-30