San Francisco Maritime Visitor Center

Fisherman's Wharf hotel with games to borrow and bikes to rent, a good base for school-age kids.

A kids' menu of spaghetti and meatballs, fish and chips and grilled cheese, and clam chowder in a bread bowl for everyone else.

A small museum on how eyes work, with VR headsets and hands-on displays that show school-age kids what different eye conditions look like.

An alley of murals under a canopy of hanging umbrellas, near the wharf. Ten minutes and a good photograph.

Original comic strip and animation art in one small gallery near the wharf. Quick to walk, and a fair trade for a kid who draws.

Wharf hotel with an in-room fridge and two-queen rooms that work with young kids.