San Francisco Attractions

When it operated as a federal prison from 1943 to 1963, Alcatraz housed gangster Al Capone and a number of other hardened criminals, many who unsuccessfully attempted escape over the years via the chilly, choppy waters of the San Francisco Bay. Today it's a museum that offers a truly captivating tour complete with sound effects that recreate the prison days. But the journey to Alcatraz is just as entertaining. The only way to get there is by ferry, which the kids will love this short ride across the bay. Alcatraz is open every day of the year, except for Christmas and New Year's, with tours starting most days at 9 a.m. Different packages are available but the typical cost for a ferry/tour combo is $41 for adults, $34.50 for seniors, $36 for teens and $26 for children under $12.

They might look to the kids like something out of a museum, but cable cars, which were introduced in San Francisco in 1878, remain a popular form of public transportation today. They are also a great way for your family to take in some of the best views San Francisco has to offer. All of the three San Francisco cable cars cross over the top of Nob Hill, a great vantage point for the entire city, and the two lines that originate on Market Street in the heart of San Francisco's downtown, will take you to Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf. Rides cost $3 per person, but families who are in town for a few days or longer should look into buying a passport that costs $9 for one day $15 for three days and $20 for seven days, and provides unlimited riding on the city's trains, busses and cable cars.

Three of San Francisco's greatest neighborhoods converge in this park that occupies four city blocks and features a playground, tennis courts, plenty of outdoor movies and concerts, and sloping lawns offering -- that's right -- more great views of the city. Bounded by 18th St, 20th St. Dolores Street and Church St. -- Dolores Park is not touristy in the least, but is centrally located and provides a gateway to so many other spots that the visitors too often miss. Head north to get to the Castro, the center of gay life in San Francisco; west to the residential streets of Noe Valley where many families live; or South to the Mission, a lively Mexican neighborhood with many inexpensive burrito stands. Another nearby attraction is Mission Dolores, an old Spanish mission founded in 1776.

Located on the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts the Exploratorium is a fascinating science museum that will add an educational aspect to your trip. Its highlight is the Tactile Dome, an interactive tour through total darkness where your sense of touch becomes your only guide. The Exploratorium is generally open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Monday and major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it does open on Mondays such as Martin Luther King Day and Memorial Day that are holidays, so check the schedule first. Kids three and under are admitted for free. Admission is $9 for children four to 12, $11 for ages $13 to $17 and $14 for adults. But you might be better off buying a $17 Tactile Dome ticket (open to kids 7 and older) which also admits you to the museum.

History, scenery and wonderful food, along with the hustle-bustle of Bay Area commuters merge in this working ferry terminal and busy marketplace that's a short walk from San Francisco's Union Square. Originally opened in 1989 for ferries traveling into the city from points north and east, the Ferry Building was later rendered obsolete after the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1936 and other roads helped make cars the preferred form of travel. But San Franciscans gradually came to their senses and realized that having an afternoon cocktail while riding a boat home from work across a shimmering bay might be preferable to sitting in traffic. In recent years, amid a surge in ferry travel, The Ferry Building was refurbished as a market full of locally grown produce and locally produced cheeses and wines, flower stores, chocolate boutiques and fine restaurants. There are multiple ferry terminals in San Francisco but only one Ferry Building. It's located where Market Street meets the Embarcadero, by a long stretch of waterfront that's also recently been overhauled with walking paths and bike trails that look over the East Bay. The Ferry Building is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday but sometimes stays open later for concerts or other events.

Fisherman's Wharf is probably the city's most over-the-top and crowded tourist destination. It encompasses a broad swath of north-facing waterfront packed with everything from sweat shirt stores (ideal for those tourists who forget to pack layers in the chilly summer months) to a wax museum, seafood restaurants and all the various street performers that tend to accumulate in such areas. You may rub elbows with people from Minnesota, Milwaukee or Munich here, but are less likely to find locals, who have long since discovered other places in the city that are just as scenic and less crowded. Recently, when friends of mine visited with their 5- and 7-year-old daughters, I advised that they avoid Fisherman's Wharf as it was just too touristy. They decided not to take my advice and reported back that it was actually a wonderful spot for children. I dropped by a couple of weeks later with my own daughter, and realized they were right. What I'd forgotten was that even though it is rather honky-tonk, it's also set right on the beach, offering splendid views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate. There's plenty of entertainment and good food -- as well as good chocolate at Ghirardelli Square -- to be had, and it's free and easy to get to from one of the city's street cars and cable cars. In fact, Fisherman's Wharf is close enough to downtown that adventurous families can walk over without too much trouble. Be prepared for large crowds and some tacky souvenir shops; try to head out to the waterfront and relax with a bowl of clam chowder.

The world-famous red suspension bridge isn't just for driving. Families can walk or bike across the 1.7-mile bridge on its sidewalks until dark. The bridge's Gift Center is also a fun visit. Housed in the 1938-designed "Roundhouse" (originally a restaurant), the center affords fantastic San Francisco views, as well as historical collections on the Golden Gate Bridge. A cafe rests on the southeast side of the bridge so you can reenergize after your hike or ride across the bridge.

Golden Gate Park is to San Francisco what Central Park is to New York: a massive rectangle of green in the middle of the city that connects diverse neighborhoods, displays local foliage and offers lots of kid-friendly entertainment in the form of museums, duck ponds, bike paths and animals. One of my favorite parts of Golden Gate Park is the buffalo herd that resides on a hilly area toward the west side of the park. Where else can you see a live buffalo these days? Other highlights include the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the de Young Museum of Art, which showcases some of California's best known and more obscure contemporary artists. Bordered by Haight-Ashbury on the east and Ocean Beach on the west, Golden Gate Park is easy to incorporate into your visit.

San Francisco's unofficial "Little Italy," North Beach is a lively neighborhood of sidewalk cafes, Italian restaurants, bars and boutiques that's walking distance from either Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf. Centered on Columbus Avenue, this is a great part of the city to walk around, whether you stay on the flat streetsor venture up into the hills. City Lights Book Store, which was founded in 1953 and has a longstanding connection with the beat poets, is based in North Beach. And Coit Tower, one of San Francisco's best known landmarks, is a short -- but steep -- walk up Telegraph Hill.

The Presidio is San Francisco's largest park and although it was a U.S. military base until 1995, its natural beauty has been preserved so that today it is a great place to enjoy a hike through the woods down to Baker Beach, a north facing beach that frames the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Just don't expect to go swimming here. It is almost always too cold. But visitors who bundle up in sweatshirts can enjoy a brisk beach walk. The coastal part of the Presidio will also lead you down to Crissy Field by the Marina District, where you can walk, jog, or bike along the ocean. For those of you ambitious enough for a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field will lead you there.

This is a must see for families who are drawn to the urban downtown areas or the shopping districts of the cities they visit. Adjacent to the city's financial district, Union Square itself is a wide open city square surrounded by large department stores and upscale boutiques, art galleries and a multitude of restaurants. If you want to go to the so-called "center of it all," this is arguably the place. Along with shopping and people watching, Union Square is a great spot for the family to enjoy an urban picnic before embarking on a cable car ride. You can walk just a few blocks south from here to get to the Museum of Modern Art (151 Third Street), which houses an extensive collection of the work of modern masters, and nearby Yuerba Buena Gardens, an extensive public park and entertainment area also on Third Street, that features an elaborate, hand-carved carousel built in 1906.