Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHILDREN'S SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco is full of attractions that can
satisfy children's curiosity and never-ending
quest for adventure and fun. Many museums
tailor their exhibits to spark a child's
imagination and occupy busy little hands.
Colorful street fairs run from spring to fall.
And year-round, the days of the Gold
Rush, the Wild West, and gangsters
imprisoned on Alcatraz come alive with a
visit to historic sites. Children can see exotic
animals up close at the zoo, or enjoy the
varied attractions of Golden Gate Park. This is
a city for families, and many places offer free
or discounted admission for children.
Practical Advice
Families are well provided for in
San Francisco. Family discounts
at most hotels allow children
to stay in their parents' room
free of charge, and cots and
cribs are usually available.
Most hotels will arrange
babysitters, or licensed
agencies such as the
American Child Care
Services, Inc.
will provide
experienced childcare.
Parking is costly, but public
transportation is excellent. Plan
your trip, using the map on the
inside back cover of this topic,
to include an exciting
combination of buses,
streetcars, and cable cars; each
is an adventure in itself. Under-
fives travel free on public
transportation. There are
reduced fares for children aged
5 to 17, and 1-, 3-, and 7-day
Muni Passports for all age
groups
(see p282)
.
Use the pay public toilets
(see p267)
or rest rooms in
large hotels and stores; they
are usually well kept.
Medications are available 24
hours a day at Walgreens
Drugstore
(see p271)
.
Current activities that are
recommended for families are
listed in the quarterly
San
Francisco Book
and
Arts Monthly
calendar
(see p275)
.
petting zoo and nature walks.
Oceanic Society Expeditions
(see
p287)
sail 25 miles (40 km) into
the Pacific to the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary. Trips
run all through the year, but
gray whales are best seen from
December to April.
Museums
Many museums are action-
packed for children. At the
California Academy of Sciences
(see pp152-3)
you can ride
out an earthquake in the
Earthquake! Theater. The
Academy is also home to the
Morrison Planetarium and
the huge Steinhart
Aquarium.
The
Children's Creativity
Museum
at the
Rooftop in Yerba
Buena Gardens,
is an interactive
facility where
kids can explore the
media arts. The
Rooftop includes an
ice- skating rink and a
1906 carousel.
The
Bay Area
Discovery Museum
is for 2- to 12-year-olds,
offering activities to
encourage budding
imagi-nations. The
Exploratorium
(see pp94-5)
is a
state-of-the-art
science museum
acclaimed for its numerous
interactive exhibits both inside
and outside. The huge site it
inhabits at Pier 15 has plenty to
keep the family amused for
hours. Don't miss the Wells
Fargo History Museum
(see
p112)
, where your children can
relive the Gold Rush days,
hopping aboard a stagecoach,
tapping out a telegraph
Crazy Castle at San Francisco Zoo
Wildlife
Animal lovers will find a wealth
of wildlife in the Bay Area. Drive
or take the ferry to
Six Flags
Discovery Kingdom
in Vallejo
and spend the day riding an
elephant or coming nose-to-
nose with a dolphin. At the
Marine Mammal Center in the
Marin Headlands
(see pp176-7)
you can get close to rescued
sea lions. San Francisco Zoo
(see
p162)
makes a good day or half-
day trip. Here you can watch the
antics of a lowland gorilla family
in Gorilla World and feed
penguin chicks in the world's
most successful breeding
colony. The
Josephine
D. Randall Junior
Museum
has a
A welcoming face
for children
Meeting a Barbados sheep at San
Francisco Children's Zoo
