The City by the Bay is also home to many wonderful attractions that are perfect for families with kids. Below are five top picks to keep even the youngest in your clan happily entertained. These attractions are listed alphabetically, and provide for wonderful learning opportunities about the amazing and diverse world in which we live. Make sure to visit them next time you are in the great metropolitan city of San Francisco.

Aquarium of the Bay

A bat ray glides through the water at the Aquarium of the Bay

Located at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf at Pier 39 by the San Francisco Bay, Aquarium of the Bay is home to more than 20,000 aquatic animals native to the bay and surrounding waters. The 50,000-square-foot aquarium is divided into three exhibit galleries: Discover the Bay, Under the Bay and Touch the Bay. Some of its impressive collections feature a variety of sharks, rays, skates, rock fish, sea stars, eels, jellies and more. A successful breeding program includes pipefish, moon jellies and skates, many of which are donated to educational facilities and public aquariums throughout the country. The aquarium’s water supply comes from the San Francisco Bay itself, where it is filtered and maintained a constant 55 degrees.

Guests can walk through two tunnel tanks for an up-close experience with the aquatic life gliding through their watery world. Several touch pools allow visitors to meet the amazing animals that live there, and include such creatures as leopard sharks, juvenile bat rays, skates, urchins, sea cucumbers, sea stars and anemones. This is an exciting opportunity for children especially to discover what the creatures look like and how they feel — from smooth, slippery textures, to rougher exteriors.

Aquarium of the Bay features daily feeding presentations, an interactive bay lab station with animal encounters including terrestrial critters like tarantulas, hedgehogs and skinks, and hands-on activities like games and puzzles for children to pique their curiosities and further enhance their learning experiences. A theater offers families a chance to see 3D films that immerse one in the mysterious and captivating world of the animals there.

For more information visit their website at www.aquariumofthebay.org

California Academy of Sciences

California Academy of Sciences Entrance

The California Academy of Sciences features a planetarium, a four-story rainforest, an aquarium with 38,000 live animals, and a natural history museum with beautiful dioramas including the African Hall, and exhibits that explore the wildlife of Madagascar and the Galapagos, as well as skeletons of a T-Rex and blue whale. The stunning exhibits are also home to many live plants and animals including a popular 17-year-old albino alligator named Claude.

Guests can watch fascinating shows in the planetarium, observe the educational penguin feedings and coral reef dives, meander through a 90-foot diameter glass-domed rainforest with a lush variety of tropical plants and animals representative of different habitats in our world and  including such creatures as free-flying birds, butterflies, frogs, spiders, snakes, tropical fresh-water fish and more. Programs for adults and kids include a variety of tours, presentations, academy sleepovers, and a plethora of fun in the Naturalist Center with crafts, games and stories, as well as lots of hands-on activities for toddlers in the Early Explorers Cove.

The California Academy of Sciences building is a spectacular sight in itself, with its domed grassy roof with sloping hills and lush vegetation. The Academy also features two delicious dining options, shops and gardens for strolling. This is a must-see while visiting San Francisco.

The California Academy of Sciences in located at 55 Music Concourse Dr. in Golden Gate Park. For more information check out our more detailed article called The California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco.

Exploratorium

As its name implies, Exploratorium in San Francisco is a wonderful place for children and adults to explore its fascinating exhibits while learning about the world in which we live. Established in 1969, this museum of human perception, art and science has hundreds of interactive exhibits that pique our natural human curiosity. The hands-on exhibits allow guests to learn more about things like physics, biology, cognition, listening, and visual perception through the exploration of intriguing subjects like living things, the human body, the mind, astronomy and space, the earth, and the everyday science of things around us.

Exploratorium will be moving to a new location at Pier 15 in spring 2013. This waterfront venue will feature 150 new exhibits, a Bay Observatory, an outdoor gallery and free civic space, and will be an improvement on this already fantastic museum.

With so many things to see and touch, families with kids can have a great time discovering all the artwork, displays and exhibits that have been built on-site. Programs at Exploratorium include film screenings, original plays, lectures, craft demonstrations, and more. For more information visit their website at www.exploratorium.edu

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument is home to the world’s tallest trees. Soaring over 250 feet into the sky, one feels an absolute sense of awe for these towering spires of nature. These coastal redwoods range from 500-800 years in age, with the oldest trees living over 1,000 years. Their long lifespans are a marvel. Just imagine historical events like the California Gold Rush, the American Revolution, or Christopher Columbus’s sailing to America. Then looking around at the trees, it can be rather mind-boggling to realize that many of the trees in this primeval wood existed at the time of those significant moments in history.

A short, comfortable drive from San Francisco, Muir Woods National Monument makes for a lovely family getaway any time of the year. The clearly-marked trails are lush with ferns and fragrant mosses that peek out among the stately trunks of these majestic trees. Being close to the San Francisco Bay, fog and mists rest above the canopy, or creep with haunting beauty through the evergreen branches. Sunlight filters below, illuminating the landscape with a hazy light that seems to transport one to a time of mythical beauty and enchantment.

A visit to Muir Woods National Monument is perfect for families with children of all ages, though will be most appreciated by school-aged children who can roam about on their own feet. Parents with infants and toddlers can carry their little ones in front or backpack carriers for hands-free versatility. Jogger strollers are best for negotiating the trails. For more information visit their official website at www.nps.gov/muwo

Muir Woods National Monument was also featured in a Tots & Travel article titled by the same name Muir Woods National Monument.

San Francisco Zoo

Kangaroo at the San Francisco Zoo

Nestled along the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco Zoo is one of the top 10 zoos on the West Coast, and was featured in a Tots & Travel article in 2011. This 100-acre oasis has everything from feathered friends, ravenous reptiles, magnificent mammals, adaptable amphibians, to intriguing insects and more. Its fabulous exhibits invite guests to roam through the lush grounds and learn about the 700 animals representative of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some of the amazing animals living at the zoo are lions, tigers, kangaroos, bears, monkeys, gorillas, alligators, snakes, frogs, birds and a host of creepy crawly critters.

The zoo also features rides on a miniature steam train, a historic carousel, and a children’s zoo with petting farm, exhibits, insect zoo, and delightful activities for little ones. An interactive storybook with storybook sites spread throughout the park allows visitors to listen and learn about the animals at the zoo. The storybook recordings are activated by keys that can be purchased at the entrance. The San Francisco Zoo makes for a memorable visit that the whole family will enjoy. For more information visit their website at www.sfzoo.org

The majestic coastal redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument are the tallest living things on our planet

There is something about the primeval wood that has enchanted many for ages. Muir Woods National Monument in the San Francisco Bay Area is no exception. Its grove of coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) stand tall with a timeless grace that has captivated visitors with its moss draped branches and variety of lichen that cling like soft fragrant velvet.

This ancient forest of majestic redwoods is often shrouded in mists due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, while light pierces the canopy in long thick rays that seem to set the forest aglow with an emerald fire.

The ferns and fragrant mosses add to this primeval wood's enchantment

I had the opportunity to visit Muir Woods National Monument with my family over the holiday season. I happened to go during a crowded time since many people were off from work and school, and parking was a challenge. The parking lot by the entrance is small and it fills up quickly, leaving many cars to park along the road leading to the entrance. Because of this, it is best to go off-season and early in the day.

The visitor center has a small gift shop with souvenirs and maps

The forest is a short comfortable drive from San Francisco and is found 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, off of Highway 101, from the Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit. Steep and winding roads lead up to the park with signs guiding the way. As of January 1, 2012 the entrance fees are $7 for adults (16 and older) and free for children 15 and under. Food is not permitted in the park other than a light snack on the cafe deck and plaza.

There are 6 miles of trails consisting of a 30 minute loop, a 1 hour loop, and a 1 ½ hour loop. Longer trails that encompass nearby surrounding parks can also be hiked. All of the trails allow hikers to view the regal coastal redwoods. We went on the 1 hour loop trail which was perfect for my two school age children ages 7 and 9. The hike was comfortable and wide enough for a stroller, though a backpack child carrier would be most suitable for transporting tiny tots.

The trails offer breathtaking views of the forest

There were several rest areas with benches to stop and rest along the way. A few fallen hollowed-out logs even afforded children a fun place to explore and take pictures. The paths are well marked and easy to follow with lots of wonderful photo opportunities along the way.

Coastal redwood trees are the tallest living things on the planet, and can reach heights of up to 380 feet, though the tallest tree in Muir Woods stands at over 252 feet. The trees range in ages of 500-800 years old, while the oldest trees are well over 1,000 years old.

Although the redwood is the star attraction at this monument, the ancient forest is also home to the Big-leaf Maple, the Tanoak, and the California Bay Laurel trees. Its lush undergrowth makes the most of the lovely dappled light that filters through the canopy above, thriving in this protected sanctuary. There are cool mosses, sword ferns and a host of pretty little wildflowers that grow in cheerful clumps by decaying fallen logs in this shaded refuge.

The cross-section of this 1000-plus year old fallen tree has an interesting timeline of historical dates plotted along its rings

Informative displays along the trails provide interesting trivia about the trees and the forest. A large cross-section of a redwood is marked with a timeline of significant historical dates along its rings and goes back to the tree’s birth in 909 AD. How fascinating to trace Time’s chronological incidents that have shaped our history and see them plotted on a tree – one that lived through it all as a silent witness in this wooded cathedral.

This particular tree was alive during the building of the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings that began in the year 1100, through the Aztec construction of Teotihuacan, Mexico in 1325, the sailing of Columbus to America in 1492, the founding of Jamestown, Virginia by the English colonists in 1607, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the 1849 California Gold Rush, the establishment of Muir Woods National Monument in 1908, until its falling in 1930.

These gentle giants inspire a deep respect and reverence for life

Fallen trees are a critical part of the forest’s life cycle, as they provide nourishment and refuge to the plants and surrounding trees. And this forest is a lovely place to observe the unending cycle of life and how each stage is essential to the prosperity of the flora and fauna. Hiking here serves as a valuable reminder of our humble place in the grand scheme of things, of time’s continuing march, and of the quiet grace and majesty of these gentle giants of nature. It inspires a deep respect and reverence for life and its unending cycle.

For more information on Muir Woods National Monument, visit their official website at http://www.nps.gov/muwo