Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco, Ca

My husband and I just got back from a San Francisco getaway, and I can’t wait to go back with the entire family.  As we enjoyed all the fun and inexpensive attractions that Fisherman’s Wharf had to offer, we keep finding ourselves saying “The kids would love this!”.  There is so much to do and see in this area of San Francisco, you may not have to go anywhere else!  Still, when you are ready to move on, the cable cars are nearby so you can hop on and explore the rest of this great City.  Here are some of the  best inexpensive attractions and restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf :

Musee Mechanique, Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

Best Place to Spend Your Spare Change:

Be sure to have your kids save some nickels dimes and quarters for their Fisherman’s Wharf adventure.  The Musee Mechanique is a privately held collection of mechanically operated musical instruments and antique arcade  machines.  Lucky for us, the owner Edward Galland Zelinsky chooses to share these machines with the general public.  Kids can play with machines that their great grandparents may have enjoyed as children.  These range from the famous San Francisco Icon the animated clown Laughing Sal to vintage Atari arcade machines.   Having spent several years in riding the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk I found the working roller coaster made out of toothpicks to be particularly fascinating.

Toothpick Roller Coaster, Musee Mechanique San Francisco

Best Place to Sit Down and Enjoy Some San Francisco Sourdough

Boudin's Bakery, Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

We were lucky enough to have a Boudin’s gift certificate, so we decided to enjoy the classic clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudin’s out on the patio. Heat lamps and a fire place kept things toasty. Fellow diners were eating a wide variety of sandwiches, soups, and breads. Bistro Boudin is a great place to take kids.

Best Cheap Souvenir

Penny Machines, Musee Mechanique

When I go back with the kids I plan to purchase a penny book for our family and have the kids collect pressed penny souvenirs.  The Musee Mechanique had a wide assortment of San Francisco attractions and historical events represented.    I loved how these pennies preserve the memory of the kids visit, and in the case of coins like the Rosy the Riveter souvenir, give me a chance to teach my kids a little bit about US History.

US Pampanito, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

The USS Pampanito is a real World War II submarine docked at Fisherman’s Wharf.  Admission is a little steep, $10 for adults, but you can purchase a family admission for $20. That would bring the price of our visit down to $4 a person for our family of five. The $2.00 audio tour is definitely worth the rental. It explains every facet of these extremely complex vessel and contains historical accounts from the real submariners who served on the Pampinito as well as a fascinating account of a submarine rescue.

You enter and exit the submarine by very steep stairs, and the audio tour is pretty long and complex so I think this attraction would be best for school age children.  We didn’t have a chance to visit the nearby Jeremiah O’Brian but that larger ship might make a better visit for younger children.

Marine Historic Park San Francisco

Best Free or Cheap Way to Learn a lot about San Francisco History

I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the San Francisco Maritime Historical Park!  This is truly the best attraction bargain in San Francisco.  Admission to the historic boats  is very inexpensive and good for seven days.  Children visit free.   The park offers an amazing number of tours and activities throughout the day as well as free cell phone tours that give a rich background to the boats you are visiting. Click here for more information.

I look forward to sharing more details of my Fisherman’s Wharf adventures in a future post.  If you are heading to San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf is a great place for your kids to have fun and learn about the history of the City of San Francisco as well as our nation.

Fisherman’s Wharf is also a great destination for group travel since there are so many varied things to do. Here is a good resource for finding group travel discounts.

*All photos taken by  Bridget Smith from Family Adventure Guidebooks