i've seen lots of posts about san fran with kids--- do folks have any good ideas for historical sites/museums with a 10 year old history buff? thanks in advance.

The tour of Alcatraz is rich with the history of the place, before, during and after its use as a prison. There's a good museum of the Chinese immigrant experience in Chinatown, including the parts they played in building the railroads, mining, exploring and settling the American West, etc. (Sorry, can't recall exact location!)You could also read up on the history of the '60's and the Summer of Love and visit spots related to that; this wouldn't be my first choice, actually, because as was recemtly mentioned on another thread here, the Haight, for example, is pretty dismal these days, so you'd have to use your imagination. This is a great question--hope others can help!

I second the motion for Alcatraz.
If you do decide to go, get your boat tickets ASAP. Sometimes in the summer the allotment can be filled up a week or two in advance.

Have a great trip.

Don't miss Oakland Museum, easy connection by BART light rail, 12th street Oakland stop. It has a large history section starting with the natives.

http://www.museumca.org/

Is Treasure Island museum still opened, anybody knows? It is (or was?) full of history. Bus # 108 goes there.

Maritime museum if he's interested in Maritime history, also Hyde street pier in the same area.

Seymour Pioneer museum - check their current exhibit.

Wells Fargo history museum by the Transamerica Pyramid.

Fort Point--a Civil War era fort under the Golden Gate Bridge; Angel Island--was the Ellis Island for Chinese immigrants, can visits barracks where they were detained; Presidio--has a Presidio Museum, there has been an army base at the Presidio since early spanish explorers; Jackson square Historical district--brick buildings that survived the 1906 earthquake, plus part of old Barbary coast; Mission Dolores--oldest building in SF, one of the string of missions built by the Spanish; City Lights Bookstore--North Beach where Beat poets orginated; Coit Tower--building in honor of firefighters has some great WPA murals, as does the Beach Chalet out by the ocean.

SAB hit most of the places I'd take a kid.

I'd also include Lotta's fountain where the 1906 earthquake survivors reunite every year, and the Nike Missile pit-silos in the Marin Headlands.

There are also some old WWII batteries on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. They used to hold very large guns for defending the Golden Gate (and the 2 Naval shipyards and 5 ship building facilities...) in case the Japaese attacked from the Pacific. My parents took me up there when I was 10. The view from up there made such an impression on my that I decided to move to SF as an adult.

You/ve got a lot of great choices here to choose from. Fort Point is a hit and the WWII batteries as well.
Enjoy

It's obscure but a great teaching opportunity. At the corner of Bush and Octovaia is a large building outside of which are 6 eucalyptus trees. The trees were planted (and a plaqu tells the story) by Mammy Pleasant. She ran brothels and then a thriving real estate business while sending a great deal of money to the Underground Railroad.

Across the bay, by ferry, near Jack London Square is the USS Hornet. It is a retired aircraft carrier. I'm thinking it is the one that picked up the Apollo II astronauts but I could be mistaken. It picked up some moon landing astronauts because the isolation capsule the had to stay in is located inside the ship. You also get great views of the city.

PamSF, is there a simple explanation of a word "brothel" appropriate for a 10-year-old? Never mind, just being a mother

I don't remember any trees, but on Bush @ Octavia there is a building which was the first synagogue in San Francisco, hope it's not the same one!

There is also a family planning center where anti-abortion demonstrations are often held, and there is something like a mini-park in front of it, is this the building?