San Francisco For Kids

Unforgettable adventures in the City by the Bay, for children of every type and temperament.

- Renee Brincks

WITH SCHOOL ON break and summer in full swing, it’s high season for family travel. San Francisco offers an inspiringvariety of child-focused attractions and creative activities, plus plenty of scenic parks, playgrounds, trails and beaches for free outdoor fun. Start planning your most memorable family getaway yet with this handy guide.

FOR LITTLE LEARNERS 

Marvel at massive, balloon-inspired art creations at the “Inflatable” exhibit at the Exploratorium (open through Sept. 3), and then play your way through 600 more interactive art and science activities. Head to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum to watch the giant wheels that power the city’s beloved cable cars, or swing by Golden Gate Park to see San Francisco Model Yacht Club members sail vessels on Spreckels Lake. Sausalito’s Bay Area Discovery Museum has a STEM-focused Fab Lab that complements hands-on educational exhibits and 2.5 acres of Bay Area-inspired outdoor activities in Lookout Cove.

FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS 

The San Francisco Zoo family is always growing, with 250 species of exotic, endangered and rescued animals. Naturalists age five and under should also visit the Early Explorers Cove at the California Academy of Sciences, a facility with a four-story rainforest, planetarium and aquarium. Check out Pier 39’s Aquarium of the Bay before viewing San Francisco’s famous sea lions that lounge just outside; the Sea Lion Center tells their story. See how researchers rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine animals at the Marine Mammal Center near Sausalito, offering enlightening docent-led tours.

FOR ACTIVE YOUNGSTERS