We have 4 days in San Francisco with an 8 yr.old and a 5 yr. old. Besides the Exploratorium, what else is a big hit for the kids?

The Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, the Aquarium at GG Park, Undersea World (@ Pier 39), SF Zoo (children's petting zoo within).

If you have a car...
In the Bay Area: check out the Children's Discovery Museum, High Tech Museum (SJ), Fairyland (children storybook character-based park in Oakland), Knowland Zoo (Oakland), Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Hi- my husband and I flew to SF last may and it was fabulous. Was my 1st trip to CA from FL. My advice would be to stay in the city because drive times from Alameda was 1 hr each way. We spent way too much time in traffic and the car. Go to the fishermans wharf where you can see the sea lions, possible take boat over to Alcatraz prison for a tour. Drive to the Golden gate bridge and the Presidio below to watch the surfers under the bridge. Even take the stroll over the bridge with the kids. Be sure to layer your clothing because it is cold close to the water no matter what time of year it is! Next drive over to the Mur Woods, home of the redwoods and back to Sausalito (a quaint town across the bay from SF) Hope you have more time than we did- 3 days just wasnt sufficient for me! Also take the trollie from the wharf to Nob HIll, get off and walk thru the city. It has fabulous eateries and parks. Walk up to coit tower to have a spectactular view of the city below and one more thing - go see the most winding road in the US. You can buy great pop up maps from any Eckerds or Walgreens to base your itenerary. Most of all - have fun and take the camera!

Don't mean to push Fodor's too hard, but friends of mine used the Around San Francisco With Kids book on a recent trip and loved it.

definitely take some warm clothes for the evening. Alcatraz and all the other tourist places are great with kids. Take lots of photos. My son used his Alcatraz photo 10 years later in a report on California. He was thrilled we had photos of him there as a toddler.

There is a kid's section in time out San Francisco one of the recommendations is a fire Engine tour of the city. You have to wear all the gear but apparently it comes in handy most times of the year. You get to go over golden gate bridge in fire helmet. Aren't you glad you had kids? Book in advance this apparently is a crowd pleaser.

That is touring the city on a fire truck if I was not clear.

Sarah, would have a website or phone number for the Fire Truck Tour? Sounds great for my kids. What age group do you think is appropriate for this tour? Can the big kids go (me)?

There's the Cable Car Museum which is free and if your kids are boys they'll love it. If girls, there is a Brown Bear Factory at the Cannery. Also for either sex, a hot fudge sundae at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory at Ghirardelli Square and then a visit to some of the little shops around there. You don't have to do the Alcatraz tour--you can just do a ferry tour of the Bay instead and the kids can see Alcatraz rather than actually climbing on it. Pier 39, of course, is the kid's attraction in SF. If you're there on a Saturday, don't miss the Farmer's Market at the Embarcadero and Ferry Building. If baseball fans, please get tickets to a wonderful Giants game at the new Pac Bell Park which has great facilities for kids. Have fun.

Have taken our kids to SF a number of times at this age and older. The Exploratorium is a definite. Also:

Japanese Garden and Teahouse in Golden Gate Park, plus the Aquarium there.

Lombard Street

China Town

Fishermans Wharf

Ghiradelli Square

Th Cannery

Pier 39 - the Underwater World and the simulated Earthquake experience were big hit here. Also, a nice area for dinner.

Chinatown - especially for dinner.

Cable Car ride (note: if too crowded at Fisherman's Wharf or Ghiradelli's, just go to the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Embarcadero and pick up the cable car that is right outside their front door at the bottom of California Ave...take it to the top of Nob Hill and back. You can even get off at the Fairmont Hotel and take their glass elevator up for a nice view.

Taking the Golden Gate bridge over to Sausalito for a 1/2 day.