Alamo Square, Viewing Victorian Houses
Between Scott and Steiner Sts. and Fulton and Hayes Sts.
Family friendly: Yes
San Francisco is known for its Victorian architecture, which can be found in any of the city's neighborhoods. To see some of the best examples head to Alamo Square, which is lined with classic Victorians and also provides a gorgeous view of the entire city.

Alcatraz
San Francisco Bay
415-705-5555
Enjoy a ferry ride out to this former federal penitentiary (from 1934 to 1963) that is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Take a ranger-led tour to experience the desolation of prison life.

The Basic Brown Bear Factory (Teddy Bear Factory)
444 De Haro St.
Family friendly: Yes
At the Basic Brown Bear Factory you can bring to life (a.k.a. stuff), then dress and groom your own teddy bear. There are over 30 characters and 40 outfits to choose from. Hours of operation are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Drop-in tours are daily at 1pm and Saturdays at 11am. The factory has been making friends since 1976.

Cable Car Museum
1200 Mason St.
415-474-1887
The Cable Car Museum has been billed one of the "World's Top Ten Free Attractions." Historical displays and actual cars--even some that operated in 19th-century San Francisco--are present; areas above and below the cars offer views of the drive wheels and the electric motors that move the cables used to propel the cable cars. The museum is open year-round except for New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Hours of operation are 10am to 5pm, November through March, and 10am to 6pm, April through October.

Cable Cars
Multiple Locations
Family friendly: Yes
You can still travel up and down some of the city's steepest inclines on the famous cable car system. If you want to start your trek at the beginning, go to Powell Street where it meets Market Street. Here, operators hand turn the cable cars every day and tourists can watch the tradition firsthand. Lines can be long to board at this location, so be prepared for a bit of a wait.

Cliff House
1090 Point Lobos Ave.
415-386-3330
Located on the most western point of San Francisco, the Cliff House offers astounding ocean views and fine dining. The first Cliff House dates back to 1863 but was destroyed by fire. The house was rebuilt in an even grander form again in 1896 but was again destroyed by fire. Today's version was built in 1909 and is owned by the National Park Service. There are several dining rooms, a bar, and a gift shop.

Fisherman's Wharf
Beach St. and The Embaracdero
Family friendly: Yes
San Francisco caters to its booming tourist economy and every visitor must see Fisherman's Wharf, which was originally set aside for commercial fisherman in 1900 and now has everything from crab shelling demonstrations outside old seafood restaurants to seaside shops to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.

Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point
415-775-5500
Home of the famous Ghirardelli chocolate, this shopping center features a store devoted entirely to the famed chocolate, along with two levels of boutiques and restaurants. Make sure you visit the Soda Fountain and order a hot fudge sundae.

Golden Gate Bridge
Family friendly: Yes
One of San Francisco's most memorable icons, this red-orange colored bridge spans the bay connecting the northern part of the city to Marin County. At 1.2 miles long, it is the world's longest single-suspension bridge. To fully experience the majesty of this architectural feat, foot it across the walkway that runs along its entire length.

Museum Mechanique
1090 Point Lobos Ave.
415-386-1170
Family friendly: Yes
This penny arcade, just down the stairs on the right side of the Cliff House, features 160 restored attractions. Everything, from 90-year-old peep shows to a giant Laughing Sal, is crammed into this haven for kids of all ages.

Pier 39
Beach St. and the Embarcadero
415-705-5500
Family friendly: Yes
This colorful two-level waterfront marketplace has over 110 shops (from leather to kites and candies) and restaurants to choose from. There's also Underwater World, where you can spot sharks and sea urchins, a two-tiered Venetian carousel, street entertainers, and a great photo spot for the many sea lions who sunbathe on the rafts (called Pier 39's K-dock) just off the walkway. On Pier 39's Blue & Gold Fleet you can take a tour to Alcatraz or cruise San Francisco Bay; Pier 39 houses a 300-berth marina with slips available for full-time rental and overnight guest docking. (For information about the Pier 39 Marina call 415-705-5556.) Also, each year around March, Pier 39 presents its Tulipmania Festival, which showcases 39,000 tulips in full bloom.

Sony Metreon
101 Fourth St.
415-369-6000
The mega Metreon has 15 first-run movie screens and San Francisco's first SONY IMAX® Theatre, eve r-changing attractions, restaurants, shopping, and dining. (The Taste of San Francisco, with five restaurants chosen from around the Bay Area, is like a neighborhood in itself.) Hours vary according to movie, attraction, and event--phone in advance or visit the Web site for detailed information. Event planning is also available.

Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks Blvd.
Drive to the top of Twin Peaks for a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city. To the East, the bay and Oakland beyond and to the west the expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

"Best of San Francisco" Walking Tour
816 Fillmore St.
415-749-0332
Family friendly: Yes
This walking tour focuses on Chinatown, but also covers the Gold Rush of 1849, cable cars, Union Square, the big Earthquakes, and more.

Coit Tower
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd.
415-362-0808
Family friendly: Yes
This landmark was created in 1933 to memorialize volunteer firemen. Inside, you can see Depression-era murals created by 20 different artists and ride the elevator up to the top to enjoy panoramic city views. The tower is open 10am to 7pm daily.

Flower Power Haight-Ashbury Walking Tour
Call to arrange a meeting point
415-221-8442
This walking tour explores and examines the famous Haight-Ashbury district, the home of hippies and activists in the 1960s.

Fort Point
The Base of the Golden Gate Bridge
415-556-1693
Family friendly: Yes
Once the guardian of the bay with 149 cannons, this 1861 brick fort situated beneath the Golden Gate Bridge now hosts guided tours and features an amazing view looking up at the bridge. If you walk around the backside of the fort to check out the views be aware of that huge waves often crash on the walkway.

Mission Dolores
3321 16th St.
415-621-8203
Family friendly: Yes
Mission San Francisco de Assisi--also called Mission Dolores--is the oldest intact building in San Francisco. It is the only one of California's 21 missions to be established by Father Junipero Serra. Don't miss the gardens and cemetery whose flora has been restored to its 1791 character.

The Palace of Fine Arts Rotunda
3301 Lyon St.
415-563-6504
Family friendly: Yes
Built for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition, this Greco-Roman structure was never meant to be permanent and began to fall into ruin. It was reconstructed in the 1960s and you can now wander around the structure and the beautiful pond and grounds. Be prepared to see more than one bride and groom posing before the ornate structure. Inside the palace's great exhibition hall is the Exploratorium, a museum dedicated to making learning fun for children.

The Presidio and Presidio Museum
415-563-4331
Family friendly: Yes
Juan Bautista de Anza first selected this site for a fort in 1776. The U.S. military set up encampments here that lasted for 220 years. Now part of Golden Gate Recreation Area, it contains over 1,500 acres of cypress, eucalyptus, bay views, trails, and meadows. History buffs can visit the Presidio Museum, which was originally a Civil War-era hospital. Items and displays are from the history of the Presidio and some major events in San Francisco, from the World's Fair to the 1906 earthquake.

San Francisco City Hall
1 Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.
415-554-6131, 415-554-6023
Referred to as "The Crown Jewel" of the finest ensemble of classical architecture in America, San Francisco City Hall first opened its doors in 1915; it is now a designated national landmark. Over 500,000 square feet, the building covers two city blocks. Damaged in the 1989 earthquake, the hall was renovated and is now fully accessible to people with disabilities. Over 1,000 people work within these grand walls. The San Francisco City Hall Docent Tour Program provides free public tours Monday through Friday at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm; and on weekends at 12:30pm and 2pm. The tours begin on the main floor Van Ness entrance at the Docent Tour Kiosk. Sign up is available for the first 25 people.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Hyde Street Pier
415-556-1871
Family friendly: Yes
The park, next to Fisherman's Wharf, has numerous sailing artifacts including a World War II submarine, a tug boat, schooners, and a huge side-wheel ferry. The National Maritime Museum (415-556-3002) located here houses an impressive collection of maritime artifacts, oral histories, periodicals, and temporary exhibits. Also onsite, for lovers of maritime literature, is the J. Porter Shaw Library (415-556-9870), which has over 14,000 volumes, back issues of periodical titles, and a number of maritime related bibliographies. If you feel like learning a chantey, or sailor's song, stop by the library's audio department.

Victorian Home Walk, San Francisco Historical Walking Tours
Call to arrange a meeting point
415-252-9485
View over 200 carefully restored Victorians on this tour; area includes Japantown, Pacific Heights, and the Union Street shopping district (Cow Hollow). Part of the tour includes a scenic trolley bus ride passing through Union Street , Russian Hill, North Beach, and Chinatown.

Wok Wiz Chinatown Walking Tours
654 Commercial St.
415-981-8989
A variety of Chinatown walking tours are offered (a stop for lunch is included). Emphasis is on the culinary delights of the district. Personalized tours are also available.

Asian Art Museum
415-379-8801
Adjacent to the M. H. de Young Museum, the Asian Art Museum has permanent collections spanning over 6,000 years of history and representing over 40 Asian countries. Admission is free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month.

California Academy of Sciences
415-750-7145
This trilogy of museums includes the Morrison Planetarium, Natural History Museum, and the Steinhart Aquarium. The planetarium features night sky shows in its domed theater, the natural history museum includes exhibits on everything from an African safari to insects, and the aquarium lets you get up close and personal with over 600 different kinds of fish. Admission is free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month.

California Palace of the Legion of Honor
415-750-3600
Commissioned by a wealthy society lady who was also an art student, this neoclassical building was designed as a memorial to Californians killed in World War I. Situated on a bluff that enjoys views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands, the museum features ornate architecture and a collection that is as exquisite as its surroundings. One of the five original bronze casts of Rodin's The Thinker sits near the museum's entrance, while an extensive Rodin collection awaits inside.

Cartoon Art Museum
814 Mission St.
415-CARTOON
Family friendly: Yes
The collection begins with a 1731 animation cell of a tick and works its way to the present, including everything from magazine illustrations to original comic strips. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.

Curran Theater
445 Geary St.
415-551-2000c
Built in the 1920s, this theater hosts a Best of Broadway series that attracts long running classics.

Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
415-561-0360
This hands-on museum, located in the great exhibition hall of the Palace of Fine Arts, will amaze children of all ages. Every exhibit encourages interaction and learning, focusing on science, technology, and human perception. Don't miss the Tactile Dome, an hour-long journey through a light-tight maze based entirely on touch. An advance reservation is needed for the dome.

Fort Mason
Laguna St. and Marina Blvd.
415-4 41-3400
Over 1.5 million men were shipped out from here during World War II. Today it is the site of cultural activities and scenic walks. Several attractions are clustered here including the Mexican Museum of San Francisco, Museo Italiano Americano, the African American Historical and Cultural Society, and the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum. Many events are also hosted here including the Annual Robot Wars, which pits robots of various weight classes against one another to the delight of a boisterous crowd.

Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Ave.
415-621-6600
City Arts and Lectures series presents 30 events per year here along with the Woman's Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Baroque.

Levi Strauss Museum
250 Valencia St.
415-210-0110
Levi Strauss first added rivets to miners pants here in the city and the blue-jeans legend was born. Visit this museum that is also a working factory to learn how the jeans are made. Free tours are operated on Wednesdays.

M.H. de Young Museum
415-863-3330
This oldest public museum in San Francisco was built in 1894. It features an extensive American art collection along with African, textile, and pre-Columbian art. Admission is free of charge every first Wednesday of the month.

Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA)
151 Third St.
415-357-4000
Housed in an architectural wonder as sleek as the art displayed on the inside, this museum attracts some of the best traveling modern art exhibits. Everything from the postmodern sculptures by Alexander Calder to the pop art of Roy Lichtenstein has graced its halls. Don't forget to stop in at the museum's store, which has an extensive stock of art books. Admission is free of charge every first Tuesday of the month.

Orpheum Theatre
1192 Market St.
415-551-2000
Recently the exterior of this 1925 theater was restored, bringing back the cast iron window frames and the heavily detailed facade. Inside an intimate theater hosts popular musicals like Evita.

San Francisco Ballet
455 Franklin St.
415-861-5600, 415-865-2000
San Francisco Ballet is America's oldest professional ballet company. Founded in 1933, the Company first performed as the San Francisco Opera Ballet. In 1974, San Francisco Ballet faced bankruptcy, but the Company and the community responded with a grassroots effort called "S.O.B." (Save Our Ballet), which focused national attention on San Francisco Ballet and successfully brought the Company back from the brink. San Francisco Ballet is now one of the largest and most important ballet companies in the country. The Company has performed Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle, amongst other pro ductions. San Francisco Ballet School, which attracts students from as far away as Canada, Spain, and South America, trains approximately 300 students annually.

San Francisco Opera
301 Van Ness Ave.
415-864-3330
The opera hosts 11 performances from September through July at the War Memorial Opera House, which recently underwent an $85-million renovation. The spectacular building is lavishly accented with gilded chandeliers, 3,400 seats, and an orchestra pit on hydraulic lifts.

San Francisco Symphony
210 Van Ness Ave.
415-864-6000
The symphony performs in the 2,700-seat Davies Symphony Hall, which is fully equipped with a 9,000-pipe Ruffati organ. If you can't make it to a performance here the hall is open for tours during the week.

Smuin Ballets/SF
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
415-978-2787 (Box Office)
Former director of San Francisco Ballet, Michael Smuin, founded this ballet company in 1994. Smuin Ballets/SF performs at a number of Bay Area venues and also tours to such cities as New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Performances have included Smuin's The Christmas Ballet, Frankie & Johnny, The Blue Angel, and Pinocchio. Though not opposed to traditional ballet, the mission of Smuin and his performers is "to bring ballet to as wide an audience as possible... ."

Yerba Buena Gardens/Center for the Arts
701 Mission St.
415-978-ARTS
The center includes a 755-seat auditorium and a 55,000-square-foot auditorium that features modern art exhibits. A recent addition is Zeum, a high-tech, interactive arts center for kids ages eight to 18.

Baker Beach
Off Lincoln at Pershing Dr.
415-556-8371
In full view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands, this beach is an outstanding relaxation spot. As with all of San Francisco's beaches, the water is cold and the tides are strong; the far end is a nude beach.

China Beach
Sea Cliff Avenue at El Camino del Mar
415-556-8371
This small, cliff-enclosed beach has an air of privacy and solitude. To reach it, you must wind through the exclusive Sea Cliff neighborhood and then climb down a long flight of stairs. There is a massive rock outcropping that makes for a perfect perch from which to watch the sun set.

Golden Gate Park
What was originally 1,017 acres of barren sand dunes is now one of San Francisco's most treasured recreation areas. The best day to explore is on Sunday when the main thoroughfare through the park is closed to cars while bicyclists, rollerbladers, roller skaters, and pedestrians fill the streets. There are endless activities within the park grounds including the Academy of Sciences, 12 miles of bridal paths, lakes, Japanese Tea Gardens, a band concourse, an archery range, and a fly-casting pool. If you want to take a break, head to Stow Lake and rent a paddleboat to cruise around the parameters of Strawberry Island. If you are looking for a bit of history, head to Old Dutch, a windmill on the west end of the park built 95 years ago to irrigate the park. Golden Gate Park is bounded by Fulton Street on the north, Lincoln Street on the south, the Great Highway on the west, and Stanyan Street on the east.

Ocean Beach
The Great Highway
Just under five miles long, the beach runs from the Cliff House as far south as the Olympic Country Club Golf Course. There is a cement boardwalk and several parking lots. The undertow is strong along this stretch and there are white sharks, so swimming is not advised.

San Francisco Zoo
Sloat Blvd. at 45th Ave.
415-753-708
Family friendly: Yes
The zoo houses over a 1,000 animals and covers 65 acres of an 125-acre plot that is due to be completely filled up by the year 2000. There's also a four-acre kids' park where the animals can be fed and petted. Another favorite is the lion house where visitors can observe feeding time. Open 10am to 5pm daily.

Six Flags Marine World
Marine World Parkway
707-643-ORCA
Family friendly: Yes
Six Flags Marine World, 30 miles (48 km) from San Francisco, is America's only combination wildlife park, oceanarium, and theme park, with over 30 rides, 10 shows, and 35 marine and land animal exhibits. Six Flags Marine World is generally open from mid-March through to Halloween.

Sutro Baths
Point Lobos at the Great Highway
Built in the 1880s, the baths housed six massive indoor pools filled with salt water. Surrounding the pools was seating that could hold 7,000 spectators. The recreation area lasted for 80 years and is now just beautiful coastline and some ruins of the former glory. The area is a great place to explore and you can even hike around the cliff and see spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Waterworld USA
1950 Waterworld Pkwy.
925-609-1364
Family friendly: Yes
Waterworld USA is a 20-acre adventure waterpark situated 33 miles (53 km) northeast of San Francisco. "Cliffhanger," "Hurricane," and the "Honolulu Halfpipe" are a few of Waterworld's wet and wild rides. The park is generally open in late May.