Are you headed to San Francisco any time soon? Lucky for you, the Golden Gate City boasts a variety of great activities for the whole family to enjoy. From parks to museums, here are five places that are sure to appeal to kids of all ages on your next trip!

1.) Bay Area Discovery Museum

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The Bay Area Discovery Museum is a unique venue focused on accessing and enhancing children’s creativity and problem-solving abilities. Located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, the museum features hands-on exhibitions, rich activities, and challenges designed to spark creativity and critical thinking (which is always a good thing, right?). The current special exhibition, Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius, is on view through May 8th, 2016. Kids can participate in a traditional tea ceremony, learn Chinese character writing, march in a dragon parade, and more!

2.) Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley

"Patty's" by Roshan Vyas is licensed under CC 2.0.

The major thoroughfare of Octavia Boulevard leads to an urban park, Patricia’s Green (named for Patricia Walkup, a Hayes Valley community activist). Here you can relax at a picnic table, let the kids play for a while, and enjoy one of the park’s rotating art exhibits. The area around the park is worth a stroll, too—you can check out the cutting-edge condos and hip eateries (and even bring the kids into one, if you’re feeling daring!).

3.) Muir Woods

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A hike through Muir Woods is a great way to introduce kids to the majestic redwoods. The areas near the visitor’s center have educational information about the trees and other aspects of this stunning national park. If your family is up for it, you can go on a longer hike into the woods where you can experience the diversity of the flora and fauna at Muir Woods—ladybugs, ancient horsetail ferns, and banana slugs, just to name a few. Bonus: Visitors under the age of 15 get in free.

4.) Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

"San Francisco Chinatown, Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory" by Kārlis Dambrāns is licensed under CC 2.0.

Who doesn’t love a good fortune cookie? Take the kids to Chinatown to experience a behind-the-scenes look at how these favorite treats are made. Located in Ross Alley, Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory has been providing the country with tasty cookies and vague fortunes since 1962. When you visit, you’ll be able to see the bakers making thin circular cookies and shaping them with a steel rod. The best part is that you get to taste them fresh out of the kitchen.

5.) Aquarium of the Bay

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Kids can learn about sea life at San Francisco’s excellent aquarium, where they’ll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with over 20,000 local marine animals. Located at Pier 39 near Fisherman’s Wharf, Aquarium of the Bay is committed to preserving, restoring, and educating people about the San Francisco Bay. With these goals in mind, the aquarium hosts a variety of events from classes to environmental activities.

We’re all ears: Where are your favorite places to take the family in San Francisco? Let us know in the comments section!

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About The Author

An insatiable foodie, art collector, and international literature aficionado, I have traveled throughout Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Canada. For the past fifteen years, I have written about my adventures for various travel and literary publications. I am the owner of Lucidité Writing (www.luciditewriting.com) and Bouchard Design Co.