Wha should a trip to SF include for the weekend with family and 10,8,6 yr. olds (between, science)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque

Funny that I couldn't remember the name of Fort Point, haha. Been a few years since I toured it.

Yeah, it's a Civil War historic site, but I don't think that part would be interesting to little kids.

[Kafkaesque]

It was to me. But I think I was 12 or 13 then, not 6. The whole deal can't be tailored for a 6 year old really.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque

It was to me. But I think I was 12 or 13 then, not 6. The whole deal can't be tailored for a 6 year old really.

One's 6, one's 8. We don't even know how much time they'll have in the city; a day? Two days? Evenings only? Need more info.

[Kafkaesque]

Yeah, just what I said to do is a pretty full weekend really. Unless you just rush everywhere.,
Didn't even mention the bay cruise on the red and white or whatever that line is or Alcatraz,
either hehe.
We usually stay in Burlingame though, and drive into SF. Cheaper hotel rates and more cash
to spend on fun stuff.

[ccm123]

Sorry, I misread the OP's original post and did not see that they wanted "night only" activities.

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

?? Riding the ferry at night? I don't think it has a night run. The exploratorium is perfect. Try Googling it to find out hours.
Here's the link for CA Academy of Sciences Morrison Planetarium, which has astronomy shows, but it only runs until 5 pm. What are you going to do at night with a 6-year-old, anyway?
Morrison Planetarium | California Academy of Sciences

[family first]

Would be driving into the city, showing the kids some of the spectacular sites...looking for a hotel that is reasonable. Obviously they would be winding down at early evening so a hotel in a central location to the mentioned sites would be ideal. Probably not a ferry trip and not sure pier 39...so touristy. We can find souvenier shops anywhere usa. They want to see the GG Bridge, I think the Exploratorium would be fun, where is the planetarium and aquarium? Tell me more about the Ghiradelli Square please. Again, can anyone give me reasonable hotel choices???

Thanks

[Kafkaesque]

The planetarium and aquarium is in GG park. Ghiradelli Square is a bit touristy also, though.

What's your budget for "reasonable"? We usually stay out of the City actually when we go over.

[tetka_grunya]

aquarium at Pier 39

also Kid's museum could be fun

Children's Creativity Museum - Financial District - San Francisco, CA

Randall Museum - Corona Heights - San Francisco, CA

small Wells Frago museum in downtown SF
Wells Fargo History Museum - Financial District - San Francisco, CA

Cable Car museum
Cable Car Museum - Nob Hill - San Francisco, CA

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by family first

Would be driving into the city, showing the kids some of the spectacular sites...looking for a hotel that is reasonable. Obviously they would be winding down at early evening so a hotel in a central location to the mentioned sites would be ideal. Probably not a ferry trip and not sure pier 39...so touristy. We can find souvenier shops anywhere usa. They want to see the GG Bridge, I think the Exploratorium would be fun, where is the planetarium and aquarium? Tell me more about the Ghiradelli Square please. Again, can anyone give me reasonable hotel choices???

Thanks

OP, I outlined in an earlier post that Golden Gate Park is one of the main attractions, containing: the Japanese Tea Garden (kids love it), the aquarium and the planetarium, both at the CA Academy of Sciences (all of this and more is in the park). If you drive to the west end of the park, you'll be at the beach , which could be fun for the kids. Otherwise, the park also has a couple of lakes where you can rent a boat and go rowing. The park is huge, like Central Park in NY. Oh, and there's a buffalo herd in the park somewhere. You might be able to find a map of the park online that shows where everything is, but as I explained earlier, the tea garden and the Academy of Sciences attractions are close to each other, you can walk from one to the other. The other attractions are spread out over miles of park. Also: Sundays the park is closed to traffic, and you can rent roller skates to skate through the park.
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/index.htm for info on the Presidio
http://www.calacademy.org/
http://www.calacademy.org/academy/exhibits/aquarium/
http://www.calacademy.org/academy/exhibits/planetarium/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
http://japaneseteagardensf.com/

Parking for the Japanese tea garden and aquarium/planetarium is behind the De Young Museum, or by the Academy of Sciences (free parking).

The Cable Car Museum sounds great, I'd like to see that myself.

If you think pier 39 would be too touristy, so would Ghirardelli Square be too touristy. And there are enough high-quality attractions (like the Cable Car museum) that you can skip G. Square. If you go to the GG Bridge, also visit the nearby Presidio park, which was Mexico's military outpost in the Bay Area. There's a museum there, but the buildings have been given over to a variety of environmental organizations. You may or may not want to go to Chinatown; again--its touristy, but the chinese architecture can be fun for kids. Just a bunch of shops selling somewhat exotic cheap stuff. That can be fun for kids--picking up some embroidered bedroom slippers, or Chinese-style pyjamas, or toys. I loved it as a kid. But it's across town from the bridge, and from GG Park. Not sure it's worth hauling everyone all over town. The Presidio, Bridge, and GG Park are on the west side of town.

If you're going to the bridge, you might consider driving across to Mill Valley, and driving up the hill to Muir Woods, a huge redwood preserve. It might be nice to get the kids away from the bustle of the city and into a redwood forest, where they can see huge redwoods, some of which they can actually crawl inside the trunk of. It's a good way to let them work off some energy, climbing around fallen trees, and would be a quiet break for mom and dad.
http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Honestly, OP, I think the kids might be scienced-out after spending a good chunk of a day at the Academy of Sciences. Adding the exploratorium to the itinerary might be too much. Especially for a 2-day visit. A good variety of activities would be best: ones that involve learning in a formal setting, but also running around a playing, like at the beach, or at Muir Woods.

Also, just as a heads-up, I'd caution you against trying to take the family on the Powell St. Cable Car. There are very long lines with 1-hr. waits to get on the car, as it's become a tourist attraction, rather than local transport, which it used to be. Also, once you get to the end of the line (Ghirardelli Square), you're in the middle of another huge tourist trap, with no way to get back, because it's another 1-2 hr. wait to get back on the cable car. I think you have plenty to do with the other attractions people have offered here.

[Ruth4Truth]

We don't know what your budget is for hotels. If you Google "Hotels near Presidio, San Franscisco", a variety of listings will come up, from Travel Lodge to Hilton. You can explore that yourself. Here's one:
San Francisco Hotel | San Francisco Lodging | Inn at the Presidio