By Nicholas Katers
Fun Things for Teens in San Francisco
is known for major tourist destinations like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Fillmore and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. These attractions are great cornerstones in a San Francisco trip, but every family should look for side trips to keep teenagers interested. The city by the bay is home to attractions aimed specifically at small kids and teenagers with plenty of energy to spare.
Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts
The Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts is an interactive science center open Tuesdays through Sundays. The Accidental Scientist: Science of Cooking exhibit allows teens to play with food while learning interactions between different ingredients. The Sports Science feature at the Exploratorium teaches teenagers the fundamentals of baseball, skateboarding and surfing. The Exploratorium offers a permanent exhibit called Faultline that highlights the science, study and consequences of earthquakes in the San Francisco area.
Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, California 94123
(415) 561-0399
www.exploratorium.edu/
Mission Cliffs Climbing & Fitness
Touchstone Climbing offers seven climbing gyms throughout the Bay Area including Mission Cliffs Climbing & Fitness. Mission Cliffs features 80 rope lines and circuits within a 14,000 square foot indoor facility. The center challenges teenagers to improve their climbing skills with 50-foot walls, arches, cylinders and boulders. Mission Cliffs Climbing & Fitness contains an extensive weight rooms, cardio areas and yoga classes for active teenagers.
Mission Cliffs Climbing & Fitness
2295 Harrison St.
San Francisco, California 94110
(415) 550-0515
San Francisco Zoo
San Francisco Zoo houses 250 species of birds, mammals and reptiles available for viewing. The zoo's daily feedings allow teenagers to see how grizzly bears, chimps and penguins stay healthy. The entire family enjoys hot chocolate, a nighttime safari and a warm breakfast at the San Francisco Zoo's Overnights at the Zoo. Teenagers looking for a unique way to see the San Francisco Zoo can take the 90-minute Bike About bicycle tours offered daily.
San Francisco Zoo
1 Zoo Road
San Francisco, California 94132
(415) 753-7080
Riptide Arcade at Pier 39
Teenagers play prize games, arcade classics and air hockey at the 12,000 square foot Riptide Arcade at Pier 39. This arcade offers tickets redeemable for prizes through games like Spin to Win, Alley Hoops and Wheel of Fortune. Riptide Arcade blends trendy games like Dance Dance Revolution with classic arcade machines like Frogger and Space Invaders.
Riptide Arcade at Pier 39
39 Pier #M3
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 981-6300
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
Photo by slowpoke_sf (Flickr)
