I think this is the best family beach in SF. There are amazing views of the bay and the Golden gate bridge, plenty of parking, long bike paths, and tons of sandy beaches to play in. You can push a stroller along the bike/jogging path. There are no big waves to worry about with the kids, so they can splash and play all they want in the water along the shore. There are several loccations with bathrooms. You can also bring the dogs to play with you along some of the beach. There are grassy areas to picnic in and and bookstore and cafe. You can walk down to the fort underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. You can walk out on the piers and watch people fish for crabs and fish. It's really a beatiful place.

After a crazy day at the Academy of Science, the Tea Gardens were a welcome respite and a joy to wander through. The gardens, pools, temples, and waterfalls are splendid. Bring your kids. You'll be amazed at how much all of you will enjoy it. We especially liked the big arching bridge.

We went on a Saturday and it was packed. The tickets for the Planetarium and 3D movie were gone, and the academy admissions were expensive. . . $24.95 each and $19.95 for teens. We decided to exchange our day tickets for a membership, $159 for a family. We returned on Sunday when the first hour is members only. We thought, "Now we'll see the museum without crowds." I guess everybody who was there on Saturday returned as members on Sunday because the line for members extended out the door to Martin Luther King Jr Dr. Once we got inside it was crowded with members and the planetarium tickets were gone for the first few shows, so we had to wait. Maybe weekdays are less crowded, but most people work on weekdays and can't go. Who knows, maybe it is crowded with school field trips anyhow.
The museum and aquarium have nice exhibits, but I would not have chosen to go to the museum if I knew it was going to be so crowded. For me, it was not fun.