Recommended by Jennifer Kollmer

California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

Address 55 Music Concourse Drive San Francisco, CA 94118 Map, Tel 415 379 8000 Call, Website

DeliciousBaby says:

This museum is among our favorite activities for kids in San Francisco, and among our favorite museums anywhere. Part aquarium, part natural history museum, part planetarium, there's enough here to keep the family busy for a full day. We especially loved the enclosed rainforest habitat which winds itself up through four stories of habitat so that you can experience being inside every level of a rainforest (and see the animals who live at each level)

Tips: The cafe is crowded at lunchtime. Plan to dine early, bring your own lunch, or reserve a spot at the tony moss cafe. Buy tickets online to avoid the line at the museum.

Jennifer Kollmer says:

An aquarium, a tropical rainforest, a planetarium--and they have penguins. What's not to love? Older kids will love the exhibits, and the little ones (5 and under) can have a blast in the playroom.

One-day tickets are a bit pricey, but kids 5 and under are free, and if you're going to visit more than once a year, the individual membership covers you and one other person all year.