Category: Attractions

Now located in the Civic Center on Larkin Street, San Francisco’s main public library system has been officially running since 1879, just 30 years after the Gold Rush brought a new wave of readers from the east. Since then the library’s headquarters has moved several times. When the 1989 earthquake ruined its building, the library moved to its current location in the civic center, a building that the city spent almost 140 million dollars and seven years completing.

The library hosts a variety of events and classes open to the community, enjoyable to both children and adults. Children and their caregivers can attend a one-hour storytime held in the children’s branch of the library, usually from 11-12 in the morning (just in time to get home for lunch and naptime!), where they can read, sing, and play together. Grandparents are even officially invited. The younger storytime, called Laptime, runs from 10:30-11:30, offers children (infants to 3-year-olds) and their caregivers songs, stores, and fingerplays. Older children (over 12) can participate in classes such as Beyond Journal Writing, a nine-week class that give them the opportunity to develop and shard their writing in a nurturing and open atmosphere, led by a Writers Corps teacher.

Parents with children old enough to independently experience the library can settle their kids in the children’s wing, and take adult writing classes, learning such concepts as how writing in their journal can make a difference in their health and happiness. Families together can enjoy performances of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, and learning sessions on subjects like Jazz and American Pop cosponsored by the Art, Music, and Recreation Center, listening to music of an open-horn Victoria, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others.

Forget reading. The building itself is something worth seeing. The beautiful and uncomplicated architecture, the steps leading to the front doors flanked by palm trees, the arched wooden window frames letting in plenty of sunshine. The atmosphere alone sheds a new light on reading. Plus the facility’s impressive amenities. Within the seven-floor library, readers will find room for over one thousand laptops, over three hundred computer terminals, private rooms, and the children’s wing. Children will also love visiting the large atrium and the photo collection on the sixth floor exhibiting San Francisco’s history from 1850 to the present. Children will love returning to both the atrium and the photos.

Not to mention the good old fashioned pastime of sitting and reading with family. Children can attain their own library cards, teaching them the value of choice (Corduroy or Where the Wild Things Are?), organization, and accountability. The library system, one of the city’s oldest institutions, is a pastime that can occur repeatedly, rain or shine, is always a great pastime.

Play is work and work is play, they say. The Habitot Children’s Museum offers kids a quality opportunity to learn and explore through imagination and discovery. A hands-on learning center, the museum includes such sites as a toddler garden with wooden carrots in holes, padded tunnels to crawl through, and a miniature café and grocery store to navigate through. Children around age three and above can spend an unfathomable amount of time playing in a their-size world.

The short 20-minute drive to the museum, located in Berkeley, is absolutely worth experiencing this popular and well-run establishment. The Habitot Children’s Museum even hold its own special exhibits, such as the Fire Station display where kids can touch, move things, climb and jump (and learn as children do best). Other special exhibits include Train Week, where children can run trains at a brand new train table, ride on miniature trains, play with mini BART trains, and even create a boxcar. They can participate in the Day with the Dentist exhibit, and listen to professional dentists talk about teeth health, receive gift bags, make and decorate a giant toothbrush, and play toothbrush limbo. Learning doesn’t get much more fun than this.

Habitot is a great venue for special events, camps, and classes. The museum is a fun and creative way to spend a birthday. Birthday party rental options includes a 2-hour rental for up to s75 guests for $325; a birthday room rental at the cost of $16 per child; and private parties for 30 guests for $295. The museum also holds special classes for both children and parents. Classes for children include such focuses as ceramics, drama, carpentry, and cooking. Parents can take CPR classes and become certified, can learn about anger management, or can learn how to potty train their child. Habitot holds week-long seasonal camps in winter and spring, which includes art, music, stories, dramatic play, and of course free exploratory play and snacks.

For such a great experience, deciding to make the drive is a no-brainer. And the ride back will seem even shorter with a fun discussion that will inevitably ensue. Let your children (and their imaginations) run wild.

Though you’d have to be from another planet not to know about the Golden Gate Bridge, you may not know that the Promenade is a 3 ½ mile trail between Fort Point and Aquatic Park with some of San Francisco’s most famous historical landmarks and shoreline sites. The beautiful and scenic path passes through Crissy Field, and at certain points gives great views of the bay, the Marin Headlands, and even Alcatraz. Pause at Marina and Baker to peek at the Palace of Fine Arts, a structure equally impressive to adults and children alike. The Promenade’s pathway easily accommodates walkers, bikers, skaters, skateboarders, and scooterers. It is a perfect trail for families of all ages to trek—the pathway is mostly dirt (nice for unexpected spills) and is (key word here:) flat.

The Fort Point Pier along the way offers picnic tables set up on a grassy field and, although sometimes rather windy, gives a quiet place to eat or rest or snack while eyeing the amazing views. Most of the pathway is grass-lined, and unobstructed by nearby trees, allowing for Frisbees, kites, and ball-tossing along the way.

Next to the Fort Point Pier is Crissy Field’s warming hut (building 603 in Presidio at Mason and Halleck St). Considering itself a community center and not a museum, the facility (open 9-5 on weekends and Tuesdays) provides a variety of public resources such as hands-on exhibits, an information center, a bookstore, and a café. Stop off for breakfast, lunch, snacks (or a bathroom break!). Browse the bookstore for guidebooks and green toys. The community center even offers urban environmental junior day-camps, and family workshops on weekends such as Turn Trash into Treasure. Along the water’s edge, Crissy Field offers a great view of sailboats and the Golden Gate Bridge; a side trail even leads directly to the bridge.

Plan to hit the Golden Gate Promenade earlier in the morning, where the crowds are the sparsest. Parking is relatively easy, with spaces normally available at Fort Point, off of Lincoln Avenue. For smaller excursions, park halfway along Marina Green. The excursion is definitely worth the planning: fresh air never felt so good.

Does this paint the right picture: you love museums, you want your kids to love museums, your kids could care less at their age about Rubens? Teach them to love museums by taking them to Zeum (Ze-um), a non-profit multimedia arts and technology museum. Their main mission being to foster innovation and creativity, this unusual museum invites people of all backgrounds and ages to “combine hands-on use of animation, digital technology, electronic media, traditional and non-traditional materials, and the power of their imaginations to create high quality stories, movies, performances, music, art and more.” Zeum’s curriculum focuses on project-based learning, constructivist theory, and media literacy—a growing need in this age of technology.

Opened atop the Yerba Buena Gardens as a part of a radical 87-acre urban renovation project in San Francisco’s Market area, Zeum boasts a 34,000 square-foot building designed by the talented Adele Santos. The facility includes technology studios, interactive activity stations, exhibit galleries, community exhibit space, and a theater.

For beginners and experts alike, this crazy awesome museum offers exhibits that focus on five arts and media subjects: Animation, Video Production, Sound Production, Performance, and Visual Arts. Patrons to the museum can play around with clay animation, compose a soundtrack, make a rockin music video, or do digital art. Make up a story, choose your own karaoke tune (from over 2,000 songs!), choose a costume, create clay characters, choose stage sets, work with camera angles, film scenes, work on stop-motion animation, and even act. You can even your finished project home with you!

Such an educational experience requires a stellar staff. Zeum employs a staff that includes events council, an advisory council, programs and experience council, educators, employees and volunteers. And of course this cool museum offers extras such as fieldtrip options like Clay Animation, where students design their own characters and product a short claymation film, News Broadcast, and Music Video. Zeum is also available for birthday party rentals, including themed parties like Pick a Dress-up Party, Mad Hatters Party, and Zeum Scavenger Hunt.

Such an educational experience requires a stellar staff. Zeum employs a staff that includes events council, an advisory council, programs and experience council, educators, employees and volunteers. And of course this cool museum offers extras such as fieldtrip options like Clay Animation, where students design their own characters and product a short claymation film, News Broadcast, and Music Video. Zeum is also available for birthday party rentals, including themed parties like Pick a Dress-up Party, Mad Hatters Party, and Zeum Scavenger Hunt.

When was the last time you took your own child’s advice and visited the zoo? Even if you don’t have children, it is about time you get back to the roots of childhood and go see some of the most amazing creatures that have ever graced this earth. Not just to learn, but to explore and take in their beauty. Visiting the San Francisco Zoo is just one way to spend a day enjoying what you can only see in magazines and on documentaries. Now it’s time to experience the real deal.

With over 250 animal species in their natural habitat, Northern California is proud to boasts this zoological park and conservation center. Located right near the Pacific Ocean, this is a zoo you can visit year round to enjoy the comfortable climate and dedication to preservation. Even if you are a San Francisco local you can take the day and appreciate the respect for animals that the San Francisco zoo shows all of its visitors and guests alike. Currently the zoo is being transformed into the New Zoo, which does more than house exotic animals. It is a conservation oasis for many of the wild life that lives there. If you haven’t been to the zoo since your grade school class trip, it might be time to come into contact with these creatures all over again.

There are a slew of animals to be seen and heard. From the anaconda to the polar bears, you can easily learn to appreciate all of these wonderful creatures. Even the anteaters that live there will make your heart melt. Not to mention the furry and cute Koala bear and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo. For the more fearless there are plenty of amphibians to admire, as well as the tigers and African lions. A trip to the zoo is just what you need to unwind from the pressures of work and school. It is a place you can just let loose with your friends or family and be who you want to be. The animals don’t mind at all!

Getting There

Follow Sloat Blvd until you reach 47th Avenue where the new entrance is located. You’ll notice it because of the infamous Doggie Dinner and Sloat Garden Center that sit across the street.

Admission

If you’re a resident of San Francisco, the Zoo will give you a $2.00 discount off the regularly priced tickets which are $11.00 for adults. Youth from 12 to 17 get $3.50 off of the regularly priced tickets of $8.00. Even the little ones get a discount of $2.50 off of a $5.00 price from ages 3 to 11.

Note: The first Wednesday of every month is free for everyone!

Pier 39, located in the popular Fisherman’s Wharf area, is an attraction all on its own. There is something for everyone at Pier 39 and that’s why so many people flock to it year round. Tourists abound, but locals have to admit they like it as well. In fact, many of the people that shop in the 110 stores and dine at the 14 restaurants are people that just walked in from the surrounding neighborhoods – North Beach and Telegraph Hill.

Pier 39 is an excellent way to show family and friends the sights or just to take in the many street performers and music that seems to be pumped in from everywhere. Summer is a great time to experience Pier 39, but there are seasonal events year round. Fleet week is always a popular event, just as Pumpkin Pandemonium is for the kids. It isn’t just about the shopping and dining, although that is just as wonderful. Pier 39 is more about the overall experience and the stunning views of San Francisco.

Within Pier 39 there are plenty of attractions to broaden the mind and entertain you. First and foremost you have the most popular residents of Pier 39. The sea lions of course! Their barking can be heard throughout the pier and all over Fisherman’s Wharf. Every weekend from 11am to 5pm they do sea lion tours where you can learn about the precious animals that make Pier 39 their home. There are hundreds of them that can be seen at any given time, and the visit alone is worth the trip to Pier 39.

Visiting the Aquarium of the Bay is another stop for animal lovers on Pier 39. San Francisco has amazing marine life that people just aren’t aware of. You can see them all in a very natural setting while you walk through 300 feet of crystal clear tunnels. You can see and sometimes touch many of the creatures that live in the shores of this beautiful city.

If you’re considering going to Pier 39 on a date, you can try a little adventure with the city kayaks that are available for rental. If you are an experienced kayaker, take your kayak and head out to the famed Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz Island to paddle around in more advanced waters. If you are a beginner, you can certainly take in the beautiful waterfront views while enjoying a day in the San Francisco waters.

San Francisco is a beautiful place, but Pier 39 is truly special to the neighborhood locals and the people living in San Francisco. It is easy to get to and you’ll find plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining, recreation, or simply sitting around and passing the day away.

If you have a love for contemporary art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is an absolute must. Just the building in which the museum is housed is a sight to behold. Built by famed Swiss architect Mario Botta, this is one of the most remarkable of the attractions in San Francisco. Whether you meander down the corridors by yourself or take your family, there is going to be a piece that catches your eye and your heart.

The museum is comprised of more than 25,000 works of art ranging from paintings to sculptures, architecture and design, as well as media arts. There are standard exhibits as well as moving exhibits that come through the museum for a few months and then move on to other popular art museums in the world. They want everyone to experience the works of artists such as Matisse, photographers such as Munkacsi, and architects such as Felix Schramm. Whatever medium makes your heart soar you can find at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

The artistic program at the museum remains true to the founder’s original vision and is devoted to the exhibition of works that truly showcase the range of modern art. There are oils, canvas, and acrylics just to name a few. The names of the artists may sometimes be unknown but the paintings and art that you see are unmistakable.

Since the conception of the museum in 1935, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has been exhibiting photographs as a true art form. They embrace a wide range of subjects and give you a view of the world in a much different way then what you would read in history books. The photographs are collected from all over the world and embrace it as we have never seen before.

The architecture and design collections show the modernism of how buildings, appliances, and even furniture have developed over time. They not only include designs themselves but drawings, models, photographs, sculpture, and video to give a factual account how the world has evolved. They are one of the only modern art museums that emphasize experimental work in range of design mediums.

Admission:

Adults: $12.50
Seniors: $8
Students: $7
Children (12 and under): Free

Julia Roberts made Nob Hill famous in the movie Dying Young, but many of the locals of San Francisco already knew about this neighborhood’s wonderful and quaint streets. Renowned for its landmarks and the famous hotels, Nob Hill offers a plethora of unexpected delights. The neighborhood is as much known for its character as it is for the shops and restaurants that adorn it. With the vintage barber shops, corner shops, and nightclubs that seem frozen in time, there is so much to see and do in Nob Hill.

Luxury hotels also dot the landscaping as well as some of the most historic buildings in San Francisco. You don’t have to be a famous person to enjoy this neighborhood though. You’ll find many of the younger people of San Francisco flocking to Nob Hill to enjoy the fabulous apartment buildings and beautiful architecture. Bordered by Polk, Mason, Post, and Washington Streets it isn’t difficult to realize when you’ve reached Nob Hill.

The largest Episcopal Church – Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church – still rises with its entire gothic splendor. With the stained glass and bronze doors you’ll feel like you’re in heaven when you walk by and see this stunning architectural delight. After taking a walk through the church you can experience some of your cities history at the Cable Car Museum. San Francisco has the only operating cable car system in the world, and if you want to fit right into your city you should know the facts about this wonderful mode of transportation. If you get a little tired, take a rest in the heart of Nob Hill at Huntington Park. This pubic park has shady benches that are perfect for reading a good book and catching up with friends from the city.

The shopping is one of a kind – literally. Vintage book shops, a gallery for artisan crafts, and even a sneaker shop run by a former pro skater give you the ability to walk into stores that haven’t been taken over by large corporations and big money. The shops cater to some of the eccentric and most unique customers and there is something to be found by everyone. Whether it is dignified, vintage, punk, or modern…you’ll find it.

Before you end your day in the prime neighborhood of San Francisco don’t forget to enjoy a leisurely dinner at one of the premiere restaurants. Whether you are looking for French, Italian, or old world cuisine the restaurants here are better than some of the 5 star dining around the world.

Going to Nob Hill is a must for a San Francisco resident. It is quieter than many of the more popular areas that tourists come to, and it gives you a feel that you really are at home here. The residents are welcoming and polite, and the atmosphere is truly one of the best around.