San Francisco: Best Places for an Educational Day Out (That’s Fun Too!)

Well of course, this is Silicon Valley. If kids don’t get immersed in the wonders of science and technology here, where will they? Fortunately because we are the the seat of global innovation, these institutions have also figured out how to make learning fun, and any child, regardless of interests or age will have a blast at these wonderful centers:

California Academy of Sciences: Recently renovated and situated on prime property in the heart of Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum, planetarium, aquarium, rainforest dome and research center all in one. The building is large and spectacular and the exhibits are beautifully displayed, so as to capture and hold anyone’s attention. Here children can learn about the Earth’s rotation at the giant pendulum, touch and marvel at sea creatures in the aquarium and go gaga over the rare white alligator in the swamp. They can enter the solar system at the planetarium, learn about climate change in California and visit Madagascar at the rainforest, all without leaving the building!

The Academy is such a popular location with locals that it can actually get quite crowded on weekends and rainy days so if you are a tourist, try to get in during the week (the third Wednesday of every month is a free day). Tickets are not cheap and will cost you about $100 for a family of four (kids 3 and under are free), but given how much you get, it’s worth it and you can spend the whole day here.

The Exploratorium: Like the Academy, the Exploratorium is also sitatuated in one of San Francisco’s most picturesque locations, the Palace of Fine Arts. In their own words: “The Exploratorium isn’t just a museum, it’s an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception”. Wow! Sounds like a lot for a day out with the family but the Exploratorium offers small, child-size exhibits that demonstrate one phenomenon at a time. Karam loved chucking tennis balls down a tube and learning about gravity – he could have done it all day. But most kids will happily spend a couple of hours going from one interactive stand to the other, learning about space, the human body, sound, gardening and much more!

Check out Karam at the Exploratorium:

When you are done, walk around the Palace dome, a gorgeous structure that stands out in the SF landscape or drive up to the Golden Gate bridge for some of the most famous views in the world. Tickets here are a little more affordable ($15 for an adult, $12 for 13-17 year olds, $10 for 4-12 year olds and kids under $3 free). Student and senior discounts available. Free admission on the first Wednesday of every month and it’s closed on Mondays. Yay science!!

Aquarium of the Bay: It’s certainly not the largest aquarium in California but the Aquarium of the Bay is just the right size for younger kids to be entertained, but not overwhelmed. Children can watch live feedings, learn about shark conservation and descend into the underground tunnels for a closer look at over 1000 species of aquatic life. On your way out, make sure to grab a chance to pat a ray and grab a souvenir at the gift store. Check out their combo ticket options to save a few dollars on admission plus other SF activities such as a Bay Cruise or City Pass.

Zeum, San Francisco’s Children’s Museum: Zeum located just a few minute’s walk from Union Square is an interactive, multimedia space where kids can learn about animation, digital music, special effects and much more. The various rooms offer different activities such as puppet making, cartooning and other arts.
For the 3-6 year olds, there is a newly opened designated space where the kids can play with soft blocks, try on costumes and bounce of walls (literally!). They also run weekly workshops for 3-5 year olds at $10/family (first Fridays free) designed to build creativity, communication, literacy and motor skills for the little critters.

When you are done at Zeum, take a ride on the carousel, go bowling or veg out on the gardens at the Yerba Buena center.

San Francisco Zoo: I love this zoo because it offers really fun family events like the BikeAbout, where you get in before the crowds and take a guided bicycle tour of the zoo. As zoos go, it is well planned out, with good exhibits and all the usual suspects animals. The highlight for younger kids is the Children’s Zoo where they can pet an owl, check out some turtles or take a class at the Fisher Price Learning Center. There is also a carousel, steam train and playground to keep the entertained if the animals are not putting up much of a show. Avoid paying for overpriced pizza at the zoo by bringing your own collection of snacks but remember, don’t feed the animals!

We have memberships at the Academy and the Exploratorium because there are enough foggy days in San Francisco when you need to plan backup!