Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
171
Bringing Culture to the Little Ones
Do y our k ids' ey es glaz e o ver at the mer e mention of the w ord “museum”?
Here are some tips f or making museum visits mor e fun f or everyone:
•
Put the younger generation in charge.
Show kids the list of exhibits and
ask them what they want t o see.
•
Tantalize them.
Choose the exhibit y ou think k ids will find most int erest-
ing and go ther e first. You're likely t o hold their int erest longer.
•
Go on a hun t.
Hand an exhibit catalog t o each child. Give them one point
for every piece of art they can find that 's pictured in the catalog. (If desper-
ate, make the points ex changeable for chocolate.)
•
Let kids surprise you.
Sometimes kids will actually enjoy a museum mor e
than you think . Don't just assume the expedition will be a bust, or y
ou'll
have a self-fulfilling pr ophecy.
•
Enhance their curriculum.
If your kids have studied an y particular artists,
or artistic styles, in school , they 'll appreciate seeing the r eal thing.
•
Prioritize.
Sinc e chanc es ar e slim y ou'll ac tually get thr ough an entir e
museum, decide what 's most impor tant to you and head ther e early on.
•
Follow the old rules .
A s with an y adult ex cursion y ou've dragged y our
kids to, remember to go early , move quickly, and keep snacks on hand .
6
final trip in 1957. Restored to its original splendor at the height of the ferryboat era, the
300-foot-long side-wheeler is loaded with deck cargo, including a sizable collection of
antique cars and tr ucks. The third boat currently on display is a 1907 ocean-going tug-
boat
Hercules.
The pier is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. After visiting
the pier, step into the par k's
Visitor Center
across the street. Young kids will get a kick
out of seeing tiny wooden models of the boats they 've just tour ed. Or they may pr efer
the life-sized replica of a ship wrecked boat, complete with an eerie r epresentation of a
sailor being rescued. An hour and a half is enough time to enjo y this delightful outdoor
museum and visitor's center.
Jefferson St. (at H yde St.).
&
415/561-6662.
www.maritime.org. Hyde St. Pier: Admission to the pier is
free, but adults 16 and older must pay $5 to board ships; kids under 17 free. Family pass, w/free admission
to USS
Pampanito
is $20. Daily 9:30am-5pm, but gates close at 4:30pm. Open until 5:30pm late May-late
Sept. Visitor Center: Free admission. Visitor center
&
415/447-5000.
Daily 9:30am-5pm (until 7pm late
May-late Sept). Pier and Visitor Center closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Maritime Museum
Ages 4 and up.
Also par t of the S an F rancisco M aritime
National Historical Park, this white three-story structure shaped like an Art Deco ship is
closed for a 3-year restoration project until 2009.
900 Beach St. (at Polk St.). Closed for restoration.
Musée Mécanique
Ages 3 and up.
This may be the largest collection of antique
mechanical and musical ar cade games in priv ate hands. The owner has been collecting
these forerunners of pinball and video amusements since he was a kid back in the 1940s.
