I will be in SF in May with my daughter celebrating her ninth birthday. I'm looking for special father-daughter things for us to do.

IF your daughter likes to get all dressed up and be treated to an adult-type restaurant, make reservations for lunch or tea at the Garden Court Restaurant in the Palace Hotel. Most men wear (or used to!) wear sport jacket and tie. It's a big, 2-story, beautiful room with marble columns and a glass ceiling.
You can get more information on it by using any search engine; my favorite is www.google.com

Ride the cable cars, of course! Quite the thrill! A visit to Coit Tower for the murals and views, followed by a walk down all those stairs would be great fun. No matter how "touristy" you hear it is, Fisherman's Wharf is fabulous, with lots of "treasures" in the shops and at the pushcarts for young girls. Strolling, shopping and lunch on Union Street in Cow Hollow would make for a fabulous afternoon. Several hi-rise hotels (which ones escape me at the moment) have glass elevators, which are fun to ride up and down.

If your daughter likes the water, you might think about taking a ride around the Bay. There are great views of the city, you could go under the Golden Gate, past Alcatraz, etc.

No matter what you do, try to have someone around you take a picture or two of you together -- whether on a boat with the city skyline or dressed for a fancy dinner. Hopefully, then, when she is old and you are long gone, she'd still have a great picture of this special birthday.

Hi JACK! (I have a SON by that name). The Boat ride on the Bay is a no-brainer -- do it. You'll find a coupon in the visitor guide no doubt. Also visit the Ripley's museum in the wharf neighborhood. It's great for "kids of all ages".

My kids thought being in the back seat of a cab looking out the back window while driving down very hilly streets was the greatest. Also driving down the crookedest (Lombard St.) road. Like a roller coaster. They also liked watching the sea lions at fisherman's wharf, the the alcatraz trip. Also the ferry ride to Sausalito during sunset is very nice (and much cheaper than tour boat). You can walk around the town when you get there, have dinner, etc.

If your daughter has learned a little in school about the solar system, I think she would enjoy a trip to the planetarium in Golden Gate park. I was there a few years ago. My son was a little older then than your daughter is now, but I think she would understand most of it, perhaps all of it. If nothing else, I think she would enjoy seeing what goes on in a planetarium. And I think she would get something out of a visit to the acquarium. I found that interesting as an adult, and my parents took me there as a child.
Besides, some of these 9 year olds are so smart that it amazes me. Their curiosity knows no bounds and their minds are like sponges. They soak up everything.
Some friends of ours have a 9 year old son. And he can flat lay some questions on you. Like this one he hit me with:
Why are the inner planets rocky and the outer ones gaseous?

The Discovery Museum under the bridge on the Sausalito side is a great adventure for a child this age. Hands on activities such as dressing up as a firefighter or taking a wheelchair for a spin. the have a sweet little carousel and opportunities to create in the crafts area. There are also excursions on the coast guard boat, but they are seasonal.The above activities are fun, but I think children this age really like to be engaged directly to really have fun.The food at the cafeteria is not very good and rather high priced, so a pic-nic lunch would probably be a better idea.The marine mammal center is also nearby. The staff help injured and abandoned animals until they are released. Have a great time!

Others have mentioned some obvious things that you will definitely want to do, such as riding the cable cars and taking an Alcatraz tour. The hotel with the glass elevators is the Hyatt in Union Square. The Hyatt Embarcadero, however, has a revolving restaurant at the top, which would be fun for a meal or a "cocktail" (and girls that age *love* haveing their own "cocktails," e.g., Shirley Temple or virgin daquiri).

When I was that age, my mom would take me on excursions to Chinatown that would begin with a dim sum lunch, and then a wander through the shops on Grant, where I'd spend my allowance on trinkets. I loved those days!

Another terrific place is the Exploratorium, which is located next to the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts, near the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a completely hands-on, interactive science museum that really treats kids' intelligence with respect and explains all kinds of scientific phenomena is interactive, fun ways. I highly recommend it; it 's a great parent-child place because you're both learning new things together. www.exploratorium.edu

Thanks to everyone that has responded so far. These are all great ideas.

My suggestions: Spend some time at The Metreon (www.metreon.com)which is a new entertainment extravaganza owned by Sony near the Moscone Center. "Four Floors of adventure, entertainment and imagination." (There probably is an entry fee, not sure how expensive it is, though). Also, Pier 39 which has shopping, resturants and "Underwater World" (you'll walk with the fish/sharks swimming around you by walking thru a huge lucite tube.) But you MAY still need advance tickets for entry times to Underwater World, so check into it before you arrive. Pier 39 (near Fisherman's Wharf) is where the sea lions hang out sunning themselves on the boat slips, fun to go look at... Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for a once-in-lifetime experience (can be cold and windy, bring coats if it's a foggy day). Before you arrive, check www.sfgate.com for up-to-date vistor information and suggestions on things to do. Have a great time!

Over near Potrero Hill is Basic Brown Bears, a small factory where your daughter can take a tour to see how the bears are made and then stuff one for herself with the help of the staff. If you just want to buy a bear there's an outlet at the Cannery. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company at Ghirardelli Square and visit Beastro by the Bay there if she has a dog/cat to buy a souvenir for. The Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park. The Cable Car Museum at Mason and Washington (close to Chinatown, which may or may not turn her off--lots of strange smells and hanging butchers) Walking the GG Bridge is special for everyone, but kids especially love it (wear a jacket). Pie a la Mode at Bepple's in Union Street. What a nice father you are! Go to www.sfvisitor.org for more.

Go to the Steinhart Aquarium---oooh so much fun when I was a kid. See the alligators and the penguins! And the dolphins. Go to chinatown and look at the ducks hanging in the windows.

Have a great time!