If you are visiting San Francisco or living in and around the area, there are many places to go to for families with children of all ages. Toddlers can enjoy San Francisco in many different ways by going to places where they can have hours of enjoyment and learning. Some of the places offer activities that will help toddlers learn and explore new things. Other places allow for fun and games to help them stay active.
San Francisco Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a place that sparks people’s curiosities, no matter how young or old they are. There are things to see, hear, smell and touch. Toddlers will enjoy the interactive exhibits, displays and artworks. They will particularly enjoy the exhibits showing a kaleidoscope of lights and the wall of mirrors. Furthermore, the Exploratorium is at the Palace of Fine Arts, which is a spectacular place where your toddler can enjoy watching the ducks that swim on the lake. It is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf
Another popular place for a family to visit in San Francisco is the Fisherman’s Wharf. Toddlers will enjoy watching the seals right outside the boardwalks of Pier 39. They will also enjoy a ride on the beautiful and colorful carousel. Visiting the Fisherman’s Wharf is free, so you can walk in, enjoy the scenery and enjoy good food while there. An added bonus is the Aquarium of the Bay, also located at Pier 39. It is open year round except for December 25. Summer and holiday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. There are over 20,000 aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and surrounding waters on exhibit at the Aquarium of the Bay. To find out more information about the Fisherman’s Wharf, call (415) 674-7503 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Golden Gate Park
The Golden Gate Park is the biggest park located to the south of Sunset district and to the north of Richmond district. There is a playground for children, which features a 1912 carousel that toddlers can enjoy. You can stroll along acres of beautiful landscapes or learn about the different types of flowers at the San Francisco Botanical Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers. While at Golden Gate Park, you can put a blanket on the grass and bask under the sun during warmer months. There are also places to have a picnic within the park, where toddlers can also run and play all day long. It is open year-round from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo is another popular place to visit for families with toddlers. There are different animals on exhibits from exotic and wild ones, to the farm and domesticated ones.
The Family Farm and Hawk Hill in the Fisher Family’s Zoo is a place for your toddler to experience touching and petting small farm animals. There are a couple of rides that toddlers will surely enjoy: the Dentzel Carousel and the Little Puffer miniature steam train. The average admission fee at the San Francisco Zoo in 2009 for non-resident adults is $15, for non-resident children 4 to 14 years old is $9 and children 3 and under is free. For San Francisco residents the average price in 2009 for adults is $12, children 4 to 14 is $5.50 and children 3 and under is free.
