Family Vacation Ideas in San Francisco

Written by Posted On Monday, 30 October 2017 11:11

Taking your family on an exciting outing isn’t too hard in the bay area. San Francisco is filled with great things to do for everyone, from several parks to picnic in to the bigger institutions of culture. Take a trip just around the city, because you don’t need to go far to really entertain the whole family.

Among the first stops in a family day in San Francisco is the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge. It’s more accurately called the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, because it encompasses much more than the bridge itself. Take a trip across the bridge in the midday and see out at the great view of the Pacific. While there’s plenty of beach to do on the bayside, the Recreation Area includes Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods National Monument. Alcatraz includes an audio tour with a ferry ride to and from the island. The whole family can enjoy the sightseeing and if you plan for it, a great picnic with a view. The whole park is filled with California history that you can experience all over the San Francisco area. The Muir Woods National Monument is filled with massive, ancient redwood trees that are breathtaking for anyone to behold. A trip through any part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is something the whole family will remember for the rest of their life.

If you’re feeling the beach, sun, and sand, try out Half Moon Bay, just outside of San Francisco. It’s one of the largest beach areas in San Francisco and will provide limitless fun for everyone. Children will get excited from just the possibilities of long beaches and explorable trails, and it’s just close enough to civilization to keep even older kids interested. The bay offers opportunities to kayak along the shore or even learn horseback riding.

For those with an interest in sports, head for AT&T Park. Home of the San Francisco Giants, a Major League baseball game is memorable and exciting for the growing little baseball star in any family. Any good weekend can be made with taking the family there with hopes of catching a foul ball, or at the very least, peanuts and cracker jacks. While it can be more expensive, the most memorable games are the home season opener, so try to swing that—you’ll be glad you did.

Golden Gate Park is a key stop in any day of family fun around San Francisco. Bigger than central park by almost twenty percent, it contains several lakes and the famous bison paddock. The bison paddock is home to the park’s own small herd of bison, open to the public for viewing. The park also contains a carousel for the younger ones of the family to be entertained by while the others explore the other park attractions. Also present is the famous Shakespeare Garden, where a large bust of the famous playwright and several plaques of his quotes are arranged for visitors to see.

The best view in the city is right at the top of Mount Davidson, a nearly 40-acre park home to the nearly thousand-foot mountain. From up there, anyone can see the skyline of the city, right next to the massive concrete cross marking the highest point in all of San Francisco. It’s a great trip for a picnic and play on a sunny day with the kids, provided you’re ready to make the hike up the mountain.

Down at Fisherman’s Wharf is a peculiar sight you won’t see elsewhere in this day and age. The Musée Mécanique is the world’s largest running antique penny arcade, dating back as long as the arcade was a concept. Located just along Taylor Street, the Musée Mécanique has free admission every day to actually play all of their antique games and coin-operated musical instruments. It’s the perfect opportunity to peel your kids away from their Xboxes and PlayStations and show them the grandparents of all their games.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is yet another possible destination for the family, though it might be better to hold off with the younger kids. It’s been recently expanded to include 19 exhibits and many more temporary showcases. Children get in free to experience the public art space that shows how accessible and fun art can be. The museum even runs school tours, so your children can be excited to return with their classes and proudly know the place inside and out.

San Francisco is ripe for places you can take the whole family to visit on a beautiful day. Even if you’ve exhausted all the beach days your kids can stand, or you’re just not ready to do another park picnic, the city has all the novelties you could ever want to keep the kids excited and entertained. All it takes is a just getting out there and seeing it for yourself.

Rate this item
(0 votes)

Agent Resource

Limited time offer - 50% off - click here

Realty Times

From buying and selling advice for consumers to money-making tips for Agents, our content, updated daily, has made Realty Times® a must-read, and see, for anyone involved in Real Estate.