Boudin Bakery

Oddities and optical tricks along the wharf. Pricey for what it is, but it holds a school-age kid for an hour on a wet afternoon.

A free room at the wharf packed with working penny arcade machines, from a hand-cranked carnival to old strength testers. Bring quarters and expect to stay.

An observation wheel by the wharf with enclosed gondolas. Twelve minutes up top with the bay laid out, and no scary bits.

Painted rooms built for photographs where you look like you are falling or shrinking. Silly, quick, and made for a phone camera.

The tourist stretch of the waterfront: street performers, crab pots, and the sea lions a short walk along. Crowded, flat, and easy with a stroller.

Wharf hotel with indoor and outdoor play areas, fire pits, and shuffleboard for all ages.