Places to visit in San Francisco Area with kids

More interesting for 10 and older. A visit to the notorious prison is interesting plus the views of the San Francisco skyline makes the trip worth the while.

Known as the "Ellis Island of the West", it is a great place to take your bikes and spend the day. The views aren't bad either.

Welcome to the Academy - the only place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.

The striking 52,000 square foot purple building, designed by Mexico City-based architect Ricardo Legorreta, signals the purpose of Children's Discovery Museum to serve the needs of children, families and schools as a center for learning and discovery.

Kids will enjoy the walk across the bridge and back. It could get a bit noisy from all the traffic over the bridge, so choose your time wisely.

A good place to take the kids on warm weather days. Rent bikes and hit the park for a whole day of fun.

Take a scenic ride on a hot air ballon in Napa Valley!

The Jelly Belly Factory makes candies, chocolates, food, and drink. The tour takes you behind the scenes of this internationally known candy company that is loved by millions.

Lick Observatory, the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for more than 100 years. Enjoy an insider's tour of Mt. Hamilton's major telescopes and hear Lick's astronomers and astrophysicists talk about the Observatory's remarkable accomplishments - from early discoveries to modern day research.

Lombard Crooked Street - San Francisco Lombard's crooked street is a postcard-perfect image that represents San Francisco around the world. But what exactly is this attraction and what does it have to offer the San Francisco visitor? Lombard Street in San Francisco is one of America's crookedest streets.