30 THINGS TO DO IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH OR WITHOUT KIDS

If you’re planning a trip to San Francisco, this list of things to do in San Francisco with kids (or without them) is a good start. I’ve been there many times and try to find somewhat lesser known attractions that all travelers will enjoy. San Francisco is one of my favorite places and definitely at the top of my list when I want to get away either just as adults or with my kids.

I feel so fortunate to live close by, and even though staying there takes a dent out of our budget, my family and I are totally in love with the City (as it’s known around here). Our kids are now smitten with San Francisco and always begging to go back!

Two quick notes: First, this list of what to do in San Francisco doesn’t include the most famous family attractions, such as Pier 39 and the sea lions (don’t bother to go, or go in the morning before everyone else gets there), Boudin (overpriced clam chowder in a bread bowl), Ghiradelli Square, or the Exploratorium (too crowded for my taste). But here are ideas for what to do in San Francisco this winter.

You’ll also notice that there isn’t much food on this list. Our kids are 8 and 5 years old, and if you’ve had kids, you know how challenging it can be to sit in a restaurant with two of them. That’s why we stay in a vacation rental with a kitchen and get takeout or buy groceries for most of our meals, though we loved Greens, Trattoria da Vittorio, Alimento in North Beach, and the Ferry Building for quick bites. But really, San Francisco is an amazing city for food, and I hope to try much more of it as my kids get a bit older.

For more specifics about where to eat and where to stay, try this guide, this guide, and this post withSan Francisco day trip ideas.

These are our favorite 30 things to do in San Francisco, some without kids and some as a family (additional resources at the bottom of this page):

 Without the Kids

Peek at the Beaux-Arts interior of Neiman Marcus on Union Square

When San Francisco was hit by the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires, this landmark building on the corner of Union Square was destroyed. It was rebuilt with a rotunda in the Beaux-Arts style. The stained glass ceiling and ornamental details of the architecture are reminiscent of the grand architecture of Europe. After gawking from just inside the entrance, you can get a closer look plus a view of the square below by enjoying high tea in the rotunda restaurant.

See the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

Just a half block off Union Square at 140 Maiden Lane is the Xanadu Gallery, a showroom of fine Asian arts and artifacts. The building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with repeated circular shapes and a flowing  interior. It is #126 on the American Institute of Architects’ list of 150 American buildings and definitely worth a quick stop when you are in the Union Square area.

The de Young  Museum

The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is one of San Francisco’s best museums and coolest buildings. Besides world-class exhibitions of both modern art and ancient art (e.g. the huge King Tut exhibition), the museum has fine collections of African, Oceanic, Native American, and American art.

The Legion of Honor Museum

Photo credit: Wally Gobetz on Flickr

The Legion of Honor is another excellent San Francisco museum. This one is worth visiting first for its location (in a park on the water with views of the Marin Headlands and water), second for its presence (a grand Neo-Classical building with Rodin’s Thinker at the entrance), and third for its collections of European and ancient art that includes beautiful examples of Impressionism.

A show at the War Memorial Opera House (or another of the city’s theaters)

I recently had the great pleasure of seeing the classic ballet “Giselle” with my mom at the grand War Memorial Opera House. This was a night of entertainment at its finest–the building itself and the quality of the ballet made me feel like I was in New York City. But the city is home to many excellent theaters. See the current schedule of events here.

Greens Restaurant

Greens was at the center of the organic and vegetarian food movement in California when it opened in 1979 at the San Francisco Zen Center in Marin County. It still gets all its seasonal produce from the center’s Green Gulch Farm though the restaurant has since moved from the hills of Marin to the waterfront of San Francisco. While the city has many other excellent vegetarian restaurants, I like Greens for its history and the fact that your table can be right on the water. The food reflects the California trend of fusion of ethnic cuisines and fresh local ingredients.

With the Kids (or without!)

We tend to enjoy traveling in ways that have no age. As a family, we do activities that we all enjoy, like hiking, seeing nature, and experiencing local culture, but because my kids are still little, we have to include some activities that allow them to just be kids. Therefore, the following items are mostly appropriate for any age, but some are clearly just for kids. Based on your family’s interests, you can decide which ones would be most appropriate for you.

The Presidio National Park

These first three tips can be accessed in the Presidio, one of the country’s newest (and smallest) national parks, located in the northwest corner of San Francisco. These beautiful hills used to be a military base used by Spanish, Mexican, and American militaries, but it now includes trails for hiking or biking, a historic cemetery, scenic drives, and some fun things to do:

Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge

Sure, the bridge is noisy from all the traffic going by, windy from the ocean currents flowing into the bay, and even a little sad since this is the place where over 1000 people have committed suicide (and you’ll see the suicide prevention signs), but the Golden Gate Bridge is iconic and beautiful. Walking across it brings you face to face with its powerful construction and allows for striking views of the surroundings. With small children, you might want to walk just half way and back. You can also bike across. Free parking is available at Fort Point or just off Lincoln Blvd. in the Presidio.

Wood Line

Andy Goldsworthy is an artist who makes large installations in nature and urban settings. Wood Line is a series of tree pieces that form a serpentine shape in the middle of a eucalyptus grove. To get here, take the Presidio Blvd. entrance to the park and look for a small parking area to the left.Lover’s Lane begins there; you won’t miss Wood Line to the right after just a couple of minutes.

Crissy Field

Crissy Field is a flat grassy area and beach at the bottom of the Presidio. It now also has several colorful sculptures on loan from the SF MOMA (Museum of Modern Art).

Sutro Baths

Farther west of the Presidio is Lands End, one of San Francisco’s most picturesque spots. The park includes the Legion of Honor (mentioned above) and plenty of hiking trails leading down to spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the hills of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

At the end of the park are the ruins of the Sutro Baths, the nation’s largest public swimming pools–they were built here on the ocean in 1896 but burned down in the 1960s. Kids will love climbing on the stones and walking through the tunnel, but remember that the water here can be dangerous–keep kids away from waves. This spot is particularly nice at sunset but expect crowds. Free parking can be found at the Lands End visitor’s center near the Cliff House.

Explore the community of Chinatown

I honestly don’t hope to ever walk the main drag of Chinatown again. The novelty of seeing the gates and Chinese style architecture quickly wears off once the mass of souvenir shops and crowds of people appear. But Chinatown has its own charm a little farther in. The smaller streets and the neighborhood’s large park and playground give an opportunity to see the culture–people huddled together playing all sorts of games, older people performing Tai Chi or sitting in groups just chatting. Take the kids to the playground and enjoy this historic immigrant neighborhood for what it really is, not through its tacky souvenir stores.

Eat at Gott’s

Honestly, we don’t go out to eat with our small kids much when we travel, but Gott’s is one of our favorite family-friendly restaurants in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. My kids love the juicy chicken tenders and sweet potato fries, but my husband and I go for the zesty fish tacos or perfect tuna melt. You order at the counter and eat in the casual environment.

The Ferry Building Marketplace

The Ferry Building Marketplace is a food lover’s dream. There are restaurants serving all kinds of trendy food, but what will appeal to the kids are the small shops that sell snacks and specialty products. Cowgirl Creamery sells artisan cheeses and will gladly give you samples and help you choose just the right cheese. Snack-size foods like empanadas, ice-cream, pastries, and chocolate are also for sale in the marketplace. An expensive but beautiful farmer’s market takes place here Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00-2:00 and Saturdays 8:00-2:00.

Take a ferry ride

After perusing the food at the Ferry Building Marketplace, take a ferry ride. This is not a tourist ride–it’s how commuters come and go to work, but kids love to take boat rides, and the ones in the San Francisco Bay are beautiful. Ferries to the waterfront town of Sausalito run a twice an hour on weekdays and once an hour on weekends. The trip lasts 25-30 minutes, and a one-way ticket costs about $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5 and over. Access schedules here.

A kid’s dream fountain across from the Ferry Building

On the Embarcadero, just across from the Ferry Building, is one amazing fountain. Water gushes out from all sides of this massive sculpture, and ladders and stepping stones invite you to climb up or walk under it. The steps can be wet, so be careful with little ones, but take some time to explore this unusual fountain. (The fountain was off last year due to the California drought).

Fort Mason

Fort Mason is just one of the former military compounds in San Francisco that is now used for completely different purposes. After seeing the boats, take the kids to the huge farmer’s market here on Sundays 9:30-1:30 (year round), stop at Readers Cafe and Bookstore for a hot drink and used books, and grab lunch at the take-out section of Greens. If your kids enjoy art, consider one of the many cultural events happening at Fort Mason year round.

You can also walk up above Fort Mason where a small road offers nice views of the Bay and a park for the kiddos to run.

Ride a cable car

OK, few locals ride cable cars, but they are a quintessential San Francisco experience. Start at Powell and Market Streets where cable cars arrive and then turn around at the turntable. Of the three lines, the Powell-Hyde line is the most scenic and includes a stop at Union Square, where you can descend for a little fun. Rides are $6 each way for children and adults 5 years and older, and an all-day pass costs $15.

The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Market lines stop right at the Cable Car Museum. Admission is free, and the museum is open every day except major holidays, 10:00-6:00 April-September and 10:00-5:00 October-March.

Golden Gate Park

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is our favorite place in the city. There is just so much to see and do in this 1000+ acre urban park (which is 20% larger than Central Park, by the way).

The Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is my favorite part of Golden Gate Park. We love to spend a couple of hours there walking while the kids have an adventure exploring the maze of small paths. Highlights of this huge garden include the Redwood Grove, the Succulent Garden, the Ancient Plant Garden (with dinosaur footprints), and the Great Meadow where you can relax on the grass and view the towering cypress trees. Admission is $2 for kids ages 5-11, $5 for ages 12-17, $7 for adults, and $15 for two adults and their children. The garden opens at 7:30 a.m. and is free until 9:30 a.m.

The Japanese Tea Garden

The Japanese Tea Garden is one of the most popular attractions in San Francisco. It was built in 1894 and reflects the city’s role as a home for Japanese immigrants. The architect actually lived in the garden’s 5 acres but was forced to leave for an internment camp during World War II and was never allowed to return to his home in the garden. The garden shows the characteristics of traditional Japanese gardens–harmony and tranquility with classic elements such as pagodas, a Zen garden, Japanese maples (see their colors in late fall), and cherry blossoms (see them in bloom in spring). Save time to get tea and a snack at the tea house.

If you’re with small children, keep in mind that it’s not easy to maneuver with a stroller and it’s full of water, so you’ll need to keep a close eye on them. Also, like many other places in San Francisco, this one can be very crowded in the summer–try to come early or late on a weekday to avoid crowds. Tuesday morning before 10:00 a.m. is a good choice because it’s free, and it’s not too hard to find nearby street parking then.

Golden Gate Park details: The buffalo

Two bison were brought from the Great Plains to Golden Gate Park in 1890, and a small herd of them still survives here. Because it’s so unusual to see buffalo (especially here!), it’s worth a quick stop to see them.