USS Pampanito

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.

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.

Sourdough landmark at the Wharf with a kids' menu and bread animals to look at while you wait.

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.

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

Wharf hotel with an in-room fridge and two-queen rooms for families with little ones.