10 Must See Attractions with Baby/Toddler in San Francisco

Of course no visit to San Francisco is complete without at least a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the best view points with a young child is from Crissy field, where your toddler can run to his heart's delight or play in the sand at the beach while mom and dad snap photo after photo of this picture perfect bridge that San Francisco is so famous for. On a nice sunny and mildly windy day, enjoy a walk across the bridge, but remember to bring a stroller or a child carrier for your baby or toddler. The walk across the bridge is way too long for a little one. It can be very windy and cold on the bridge, so if it's a foggy day, you might want to skip a walk across the bridge if you have a little one with you.

A visit to San Francisco just wouldn't be complete without a cable car ride. If you are bringing a young baby or toddler, you'll have to forgo hanging off the side of the cable car because you will be asked to sit inside, but it's still a fun experience. If you are carrying a child, you will not be able to carry your child on the back. So either have your child in a front carrier or an umbrella stroller that is easy enough to fold up.

This floating national park has the world’s largest collection of historic ships. Dozens of antique vessels are open to explore and clamber on, from tiny fishing boats to steam tugs, a houseboat, an 1895 lumber schooner—with 100-foot beams in its hold—and an ornate 1886 square-rigger. Your little one will love seeing all the different types of boats while mom and dad will enjoy the informative presentations. While you are here, walk around Fishermen's Wharf, pick up some crab and take a peek at the sea lions behind Pier 39. Enjoy some lunch or dinner a Boudin's Bakery where you can get some famous San Francisco sourdough bread.

At the Ferry Building on Tuesdays (10am-2pm) and Saturdays (8am-2pm), there is a farmer's market with the most exquisite produce that California has to offer. Mom and Dad can marvel at all the gourmet varieties of fruits and vegetables for sale, while junior can enjoy a sampling of some of California's choice produce. There are also many baby friendly restaurants at the ferry building. A walk up and down the Embacadero offers wonderful views of the bay bridge and boats on the bay. This is also where you'd catch a ferry ride across the bay to Sausalito, Tiburon, and Larkspur.

Koret's Children's Quarter is on the site for the country's first playground (formerly known as Children's Playground) and a few years ago, it was re-design and totally rebuilt to be a wonderland for young kids. Bring a change of clothes for your toddler who might be drawn to the sandy play area that has a water feature in it that the kids just love, but get messy in. It's very crowded on weekends, so if possible, visit on a weekday. There is so much else to enjoy in golden gate park, but a visit with a young child to this playground will make their day. This is no ordinary playground.

A magnificent building in a garden of beautiful flowers makes this a place a feast of the eyes. Mom and dad will enjoy seeing all the interesting varieties of plants in the conservatory. Baby and toddler will love the butterfly room where they can experience a butterfly land right on their shoulder or get really close to one landing on a flower at toddler eye level. It's really wonderful for a young child to get so close to something so delicate.

The land's end trail takes you around the tip of the peninsula that San Francisco is sitting on. There are no better views of the mouth of the bay. The hike with baby requires a child carrier but isn't too strenuous. A stroller would have a hard time going up and down the steps and the hike is long enough that a toddler would not be able to make it the whole way on feet. If you start off near sutro baths, take a walk down to the cave at sutro baths and watch the waves crash into the cave.

The San Francisco Zoo is the perfect size for a young child. It's not the best zoo in the country, but the children's zoo is lots of fun with a farm yard where your child can feed ducks, sheep and goats. Careful some can be fiesty. Try to catch some animal feedings and enjoy the fun steam train with your little one. Kids simply love it.

If you're looking for some of the most stunning views of San Francisco from the bay at an affordable rate, take the Golden Gate ferry from the Ferry Building Terminal to Sausalito, Tiburon or Larkspur. The views are simply priceless on a beautiful day. On a cold and foggy day, I'd avoid the ride because you'll feel compelled to huddle inside. Bring a stroller for baby because once you are on the other side, you might have to walk to the nearest shops.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is simply one of the best and most unique children's museums in the country. Instead of being a one big building the museum is spread across several small buildings with a large outdoor play area and wonderful views that mom and dad will love. It is definitely worth a special trip over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito for. It's a little difficult to get to without a car, but if you don't plan on renting a car, you could hire a taxi either from San Francisco or from the ferry terminal in Sausalito. Your baby will love the water beds, and your toddler will have hours of fun in the tot spot gathering fish in the concerete river, playing with trains on their massive set of brio train tracks, and digging in the gravel pit with Tonka trucks. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here.