10 Things to Do with Your Family in San Francisco

Families with kids in San Francisco can head up to this interactive children’s museum for a day out filled with interactive arts and science exhibits. It’s right off Horseshoe Bay, at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and occupies around 7.5 acres of National Park land. Toddlers can enjoy the Tot Spot, a multi-sensory playground specially designed with stimulating outdoor tunnels, obstacles, and other explorative features. Older kids can join in on various STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities.

Active kids can jump and bounce to their hearts’ content at this indoor adrenaline and trampoline park that’s right next to the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Even mum and dad, or complete novices can join in the fun. House of Air hosts a good variety of activities in its massive indoor facility. There are trampoline jumping sessions, aerials, physical training on trampolines, trampoline dodgeball, trampoline basketball dunks, to other active sports such as rock climbing, ninja obstacles, and fitness classes.

Promoting an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception, Exploratorium is one of San Francisco’s great educational spots for families with kids. The interactive museum is at Pier 15, just a few minutes’ drive south from the Fisherman’s Wharf. Parents and kids can explore, play, and discover through the various exhibits that cover a wide range of topics, such as learning about light through making your own light paintings, generating electricity from light through photoelectricity exhibits, and test-launching model rockets with a launcher of your own design.

This museum serves as a place where families can admire the history and understand the workings of the world’s oldest cable car system. San Francisco’s Cable Car Museum on 1201 Mason Street is free to visit. The working museum showcases exhibits that explain how the cable car system works. There are several old grip cars displayed as well as the cable car power house nearby, in which you can observe the pulleys and cables hard at work from its 2 viewing galleries above.

The Children’s Creativity Museum is an interactive science and technology museum that focuses on creativity and family collaboration. Younger kids can brainstorm to make their own spaceship designs at a DIY table, while older kids can create a series of clay characters, then bring them to life through stop-motion animation techniques. General admission is around $13 and it’s free for kids under 2 years.

Stow Lake is the largest body of water within the Golden Gate Park, where families can rent a pedal boat and enjoy the placid and natural surroundings with the occasional sightings of turtles, ducks, and Canadian geese. The Stow Lake Boathouse also has row boats, electric boats, and passenger pedal boats that can seat up to 6 people. Boat rentals are from around $23 an hour. Some of the lakeside attractions that you can row to include Strawberry Hill Island, an artificial waterfall, and a beautiful Chinese Pavilion.

You can find the California Academy of Sciences inside the eastern half of the vast Golden Gate Park. It houses the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison planetarium, the Kimball Natural History Museum, and is an actual institute where scientists conduct research projects. Take an inspiring stroll through the Osher Rainforest exhibit. This lush, 4-story rainforest teems with butterflies, exotic birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Check out the giant arapaima in the Amazon Forest tunnel, too. Tickets are around $40 for adults and $30 for kids aged between 4 and 11.

Also referred to as the Golden Gate Park Carousel thanks to its centrepiece merry-go-round, the Koret Children’s Quarter is a longstanding family attraction in the southeast corner of the Golden Gate Park. Many San Franciscans recall part of their fun childhood playing in this park, and the carousel itself has been around since 1914. The children’s quarter was established back in 1888, making it one of the nation’s earliest known public playgrounds. Next door, the Sharon Art Studio offers art classes for both parents and kids.

This longstanding San Franciscan museum at the south-eastern base of the Corona Heights Park offers interactive natural science exhibits. Weekly agendas for families with kids range from Science Saturdays, when you can try out various experiments, to art-making classes. Live animal exhibits allow you to learn more about California’s diverse habitats and see native species such as coyotes, grey foxes, brush rabbits, California quails, and Gopher snakes. Toddlers can enjoy their dedicated learning space filled with carpeted climbing structures, as well as books and toys.

Officially referred to as the Spreckels Lake Model Yacht Facility, this manmade lake on the northern side of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is a major go-to for model boat enthusiasts. Boaters of all ages gather here to put their racing sailboats or powerboats to the test, while assessing their designs or improving their remote-controlling skills. Even though the lake’s manmade, Spreckels is a fine example of a naturalistically styled artificial lake. Access is free, and you and your kids can simply relax by the lakeside while admiring the showcase of the passionate model builds.