Things to do in San Francisco with Kids

Looking for things to do in San Francisco with kids? There is so much to see and do for families in San Francisco starting with a ride on the iconic cable cars. The city offers many world-class museums, gorgeous parks, the sea on your door-step and fun kid-friendly attractions.

You can even visit Chinatown, take a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy hours of fun on the beach. There are so many things to do I’m slipping a few into this introduction so I can add more to the top 10!

Make sure you by a SanFrancisco City Pass and Save!

• Read about more USA Holidays here
• Read more about NYC Trips
• Read more about Las Vegas Trips
• Read more about Florida Trips

Things to do in San Francisco

• Disney Museum This museum is not all cartoons and fun there is an educational element to it. The museum traces the development of the Disney empire focusing on the life of Walt Disney told through interactive galleries, animation, photos, music and film screenings. Learn more here!

• San Francisco Zoo  -The zoo holds a wide selection of animals from around the world including several rare species like the black rhinoceros and two polar bears. You can see the creatures being fed each day and get to touch them in the petting area.   Read more about the zoo!

• Pier 39 - Here there is a concentration of many attractions including the Aquarium on the Bay. The Aquarium focuses on the environment of the San Francisco Bay, there are touch tanks, feeding times and walk-through tunnels. At the pier you can see the sea lions basking in the sun next to the pier; watch a 7D movie, take a boat ride from the pier, visit Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, ride the carousel and see street performers. Find out more!

More Things to do in San Fransicso with Kids

• Golden Gate Park -This is just one of the wonderful parks of San Francisco. It is larger than Central Park and has attractions to keep you busy all day. You can visit the park’s museums, go pedal boating on the lake, see the animals in the bison pen, see the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Garden, walk through Oak Woodlands Natural Areas and much more. There is a free park shuttle to help you get around. Learn more!

• Ghirardelli Square -This historic square has many interesting stores and restaurants but the attraction for kids is the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in the Clock Tower Building which dates back to 1852. At the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop you can see the chocolate making equipment and of course taste the famous chocolates. Read more.

• Fisherman’s Wharf -The Wharf runs from Pier 39 to the end of Aquatic Park. The area is packed with many attractions like a wax museum, the docked USS Pampanito Submarine, SS Jeremiah O’Brian, Musee Mecanique, Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Fish Alley where you can see the fishing boats which give the Wharf its name.

• Alcatraz Island -The fun begins with the boat ride out to the “rock” then the tour through the cells of the former Federal Penitentiary will be a thrilling and memorable experience. Kids love the tales of infamous gangsters like Capone, Birdman and Machine Gun Kelly. Learn about.

• Exploratorium -This museum lets kids learn through play. Everything is hands-on and invites kids to use their imaginations to discover scientific principles and the world around them. They discover how everyday things actually work.  They have a new location on Pier 15. Learn more.

• Children’s Creativity Museum -This museum offers kids the chance to explore hands-on multimedia to invent and create. The museum is divided into “Labs” that cover community, animation, innovation, design, music and theatre. They will be very busy “at work” creating.  Learn more!

• California Academy of Science -This is the most visited museum in the city. The highlight is a four storey high rainforest but there is also a coral reef, recreated swamp and a planetarium. Many of the exhibits are hands-on and the huge museum covers areas of natural history and the world around us. Read more.

Have tips for things to do in San Francisco? Share with us on Facebook!

Home › USA › Things to do in San Francisco

Return to Top of Page

We strive to keep Family Travel Scoop up to date with the latest information for family travellers. If you see any information that is missing our outdated please email us at helen@family-travel-scoop.com to let us know!