dj

We are going to spend 4 days in San Fran with 2 kids 12 & 9. Any suggestions? Also what about the Monterey Bay Aquarium?

lee

We went to San Francisco lst summer with our two kids, ages 12 and 10, and loved it. Things we did that the kids loved: renting a bike at the Fisherman's Wharf and riding out to the Presideo (sp?), taking a harbor boat tour, just walking around the Wharf, riding the cable cars, and exploring China town. I heard that kids love touring Alcatraz, but the tours were sold out for the days we were there. Maybe you can buy those tickets ahead of time online? Have fun.

Heather

My kids (7 & 10) loved the Exploratorium, Chinatown, the cablecars, and especially the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Next time we'll do the cable car museum and the Tech Museum in San Jose.

tjc

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is a hit with the kids; entertaining restaurant based on the movie Forrest Gump.It's at Pier 39.

David

The kids should enjoy the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You also should consider a day trip down to San Jose (www.sanjose.org) as well which is on the way to Monterey. The Tech Museum of Innovation (www.thetech.org) and the IMAX theater are also a hit with both the kids and the adults. The Winchester Mystery House (www.winchestermysteryhouse.com) and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (www.egyptianmuseum.org) are also quite interesting.

Have a nice trip.

lisa

You might get a book on entertaining the kids in CA. There is so much to do around SF and you can tailor a trip to just what your family likes and needs.
We used a book called "Where to Take the Kids in California" (I think) when we went a few years ago. Our kids were about the age of yours. We mixed up the trip between sightseeing and doing active things. We rented little boats in Golden Gate Park that go about 5 mph. The kids were thrilled to learn to drive them. We also went to a cool burger joint with a 50's theme, which the kids loved. Alcatraz was great. We reserved ahead.
We enjoyed Monterey also, and not just the acquarium. There were fun piers there, and a man with a monkey. Monterey is worth more than a visit just to the acquarium, but it is a ways away, and I'd check on all to do in SF before making that drive two ways. (We were driving up the coast so it was on our way.) I don't think you'll run out of things to do closer to SF in four days time. It will only whet your appetite.
Have fun.

Monica

I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but if I were only in SF for four days I don't think I'd make the trip. It's at least two hours and fifteen minute drive one way, that's assuming no traffic on 101 and it often gets quite bad in Morgan Hill. There is so much for kids to do in SF itself I think I'd just concentrate on that this trip. In SF you have Alcatraz, Chinatown (loved that as a kid, don't ask me why), the Exploratorium, Golden Gate Park with the Steinhardt Aquarium and the Japanese Tea Gardens (also loved that as a kid), Fisherman's wharf and Ghiaradelli square, etc.

lindy

With just 4 days, I would stay in San Francisco and not take the time to travel to Monterey. I've heard that the aquarium at Pier 39 is good. SFMOMA museum, Chinatown, PacBell Park, so many things to see. Alcatraz is a MUST. Ferry gives a good glimpse of SF Bay. Beach Blanket Babylon (musical performance in North Beach) is a real treat.

Max

You can easily see the major sites of SF in about 2 days and allow yourself some time to explore other areas of California. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must for the kids. My kids (8 and 10) really enjoyed it. It is worth the trip. They also had a great time at The Tech Museum in San Jose as well, another thing on the must for the kids and the parents as well.

Jeanne

There are so many things for you to do in San Francisco, I don't know whether you need to make the trip to Monterey. Nobody has mentioned Zeum, so I will. It's over near the Museum of Modern Art and Yerba Buena Gardens and it's a great place for kids 8-18. They aim to inspire creativity through interaction with things such as movie-making and learning claymation and they have many really neat high-tech exhibits. When you get tired of that, you can go over to Yerba Buena Gardens and do some ice skating or bowling. The Metreon is very near and if you need to see a movie they have 15 theaters plus an IMAX. They've also got a big video arcade (be warned). If you like exercise, I suggest you go over to Crissy Field and take a walk along the shoreline, which is beautiful. You get a close-up view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the beach, dogs running free, and Fort Point. There's a dedicated path for bikes and inline skates, if you desire. Golden Gate Park is closed to cars on Sundays and a good place for biking and skating. You can check out the Aquarium in the park if you want to see fish, and you can rent a row boat at Stowe Lake. If you go to the Exploratorium, be sure to ask them about the Wave Organ, an outdoor sound exhibit, where you can listen to the haunting music of the waves as it comes through 25 organ pipes set on a jetty at the edge of the bay. Another interesting place is the Musee Mechanique, near the Cliff House, where you can operate a collection of antique arcade games--very amusing. Afterwards, you can have a little lunch at the Cliff House and watch the seals down below on the rocks with a view of the bay. There's shrimp cocktails and cracked crab with sour dough bread at Fisherman's Wharf, with Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the Wax Museum in that neighborhood. Over at Ghiradelli Square there's chocolate sundaes at the Chocolate Factory.

CDSF

I personally wouldn't reccomend Bubba Gumps. I thought it was gross and over priced...as is the Wharf in general. They seem to run that place like a Mcdonalds.
The exploritorim is great, as is Xeum. The MOMA can be hit or miss if you aren't a fan of non-representational art. You may want to try the Legion of Honor, it's small but closer in style to the Met in NYC. It's out at Ocean Beach, on a cliff with sweeping, beautiful views of the GG bridge and the ocean. You can take the 38 Geary (express) and get out there pretty easily.
You can also try letsgo.com. They have their entire guide for SF online for free.

lisa

Reading through this, I remembered another interesting sight we found in our guide book that the kids (and we) enjoyed. We visited a little "factory" in Chinatown where fortune cookies are made.
There are so many nooks and crannies and things to do that are fun in SF. We had about 2 1/2 days, had a great time, but we didn't have time to see most of the activities people are posting about on this web site. I'm ready to go back!

jacque

Our kids (4,8,10) favorites (we live nearby):
Exploratorium
SF Zoo
Steinhart (sp?) Aquarium in Golden Gate Park
Pier 39 (esp. street performers)
Cable Cars and Lombard St.
We also recently saw The Pickles Family Circus which was very different and fun.
Rain Forest Cafe (mediocre food, fun kid atmosphere)

ben

The Musee Mecanique was evicted from the Cliff House location last summer after a 100-year run there. Due to major seismic upgrading contruction at the Cliff House, it has a new home at Pier 39. It was dicey there for several months without a home - it was going to be put in extended storage or, even worse, be shipped of to Disneyland. Luckily for San Francisco, a new home was found and they re-opened shortly before Christmas -- only a few broken toothpicks I hear.

dawn

dj,

No need to spend all 4 days in SF. My children kind of got bored after the second day. Exploring the sites out side of SF such as the Monterey Bay Aquaruium, the Tech Museum, as well as amusement parks( Great America in Santa Clara and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on the northern end of the Monterey Bay) will be a lot more fun for the kids.