San Francisco with Kids

Indagare member Sam Bradley, who is based in San Francisco, shares his favorite tips on where to go with kids:

Museums

This is very close to the de Young, so you can in theory do them both. It does get very crowded on weekends and during peak hours. I would recommend buying tickets in advance. You can stroll over to the De Young to have lunch outdoors.

Randall Museum This is a very kid-centric place (so it’s more about entertaining the young ones vs. the older ones). It’s designed to be a place where you can explore the creative aspects of art and science.

Activities

Wonderful place to take kids for a walk along the water. There are several beaches and spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island. East Bay, Marin, etc. There are also two great/very casual spots to eat. Towards the Golden Gate Bridge, the Warming Hut is a great spot to grab coffee or a light lunch.

San Francisco Zoo This wonderful zoo is close to Ocean Beach, which is a nice place for a stroll.

Discovery Museum Across the bridge in Sausolito and more of a play-oriented outing (vs. museum), but a great facility/great location. Also, Cavallo Point hotel is right there and has a great restaurant, etc.

Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39 Visit the Aquarium of the Bay, where you can walk through a glass tunnel and be surrounded by fish and try the Rainforest Café, a great spot for kids for lunch/dinner.

San Francisco Classics

The curviest street in the world (traffic is insane, so you might want to walk it).

Golden Gate Bridge and Park You can park at the base of the bridge and walk out onto it/across. Also see the Golden Gate Park, an amazing park with tons of stuff to see/do. The Koret playground is wonderful and has a great carousel.

SF Cable Cars Fun to take a ride. They are all over downtown. You can see how they work at the Cable Car Museum.

Union Square Ice Skating Rink Open from November through January.