Places to take the Family in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderful place to raise a family, or to visit with a family. There are many things to do and see if you have children and here are some of my favorites.

The area is rich with museums, and my favorite is The Tech in San Jose. Right in the heart of Silicon Valley you can view what is new and innovative. Zeum and the California Academy of Sciences are also family favorites. That latter has recently moved to a new location in the Golden Gate Park.

If you are an animal lover you can visit Oakland Zoo, or for animals and rides in the same park there is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

The area is rich in National Park Area, and there is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Tilden Park both within the Bay Area.

Monterey, south of San Francisco is another of my favorite places. John Steinbeck lived there for a while, and it is the setting of the book Cannery Row.

Zeum is an interactive art and technology museum in San Francisco.It is suitable for children of all ages. It is in downtown San Francisco in Yerba Buena Gardens on 4th Street and Howard. They encourage creativity through arts and technology. One of the many exhibits is where you can make your own clay animation video. You get to take your animated movies home with you. They also offer a number of educational classes.

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of the most visited parks in the country. It is not just one park, but many areas that are in San Mateo County, Marin County and some of San Francisco.

It includes Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz, Land's End and many other locations.

There are many locations you can camp and walk and it includes the famous Bay Area Ridge Trail.

The weather is hot in the summer and rain in the winter with fog in the early mornings.

The Winchester Mystery House was built by Sarah Winchester, the heir to the fortune made from selling the Winchester Rifles. She apparently heard ghosts telling her to keep building rooms onto the house. She kept building, for nearly 40 years. So the house has a very interesting character as she added more rooms and other features.

Tours are available, you can't just walk round the house on your own. It's really for older children and not for toddlers.

The Winchester Mystery House is in the middle of suburbia, but when it was being built it was surrounded by fields.

There is also an evening flashlight tour, for those really brave people. It is held during October and most Friday the 13th's.

It is open every day of the year except Christmas Day.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is full of roller coaster rides and exhibitions with animals. You can see performing whales, dolphins and seals. Also there are some big cats and a performing bird exhibit and other animals. The rides vary in severity with Medusa and Kong being the most severe. There is fun for all ages with rides and an adventure playground for young children.

There are hours of fun for all the family at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, and way too much to do in one visit. Read my article below for more information.

Oakland Zoo is just the perfect size to walk round in one day. There are many animals that appeal to young and old and also a petting zoo. When you have finished walking round the zoo for the day, you can have a ride in the amusement area and there is also a small train that goes round the park and has wonderful views over the bay and if it's not foggy you can see San Francisco.

California Academy of Sciences is located in the Golden Gate Park, and is a museum of natural history. Downstairs there is a huge aquarium.

There is a planetarium where you can really imagine that you are in outer space.

You can visit the rain forest and if you stand still for long, a butterfly might land on you.

The museum mixes technology with animals with outer space in a truly unique way.

Don't forget before you leave to have a look at the roof.

Tilden Regional Park is a wonderful place to go with small children. Apart from the wide area of grass and trees for children to run around, there is a small steam train they can travel on, a carousel they can ride on and horses to ride.

Monterey is by the sea and a very attractive town to walk around. It is home to Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is just over an hour's journey from San Francisco Bay Area. Also in Monterey is Monterey County Youth Museum which is popular with young children and The Museum of Maritime History. You can also rent bikes and surreys and cycle through Monterey if you wish.