1
Alcatraz Island
Historical place
Notorious prison & once home to Al Capone, now a museum with an audio tour, accessible by ferry.
4.70 (38.3K reviews)
2
San Francisco Zoo
Zoo
Families come for the more than 2,000 animals, kids' zoo, steam train, carousel & special exhibits.
4.40 (12.4K reviews)
3
Fisherman's Wharf
Tourist attraction
Bustling waterfront area with seafood restaurants, shopping, an aquarium, sea lions & ferry tours.
4.60 (9.3K reviews)
4
Exploratorium
Science museum
Hundreds of interactive, educational exhibits & activities illustrating scientific principles.
4.70 (7.9K reviews)
5
Sea Lions
Scenic spot
Docks off Pier 39 that are a favorite hangout of hundreds of sunbathing, barking sea lions.
4.70 (7.3K reviews)
6
Aquarium of the Bay
Aquarium
Aquarium with creatures from local waters, including otters, sharks & jellyfish, plus a touch tank.
4.20 (5.2K reviews)
7
California Academy of Sciences
Science museum
Natural history museum with an aquarium, planetarium & scientists conducting a variety of research.
$$$ $
4.60 (4.9K reviews)
8
Sea Lion Viewing Area
Scenic spot
👍👍 Sea lions are majestic! They are so lazy and fun to watch. I could spend hours here and still want more time. It’s so calming and entertaining to be in this area. They sleep, move around, yell and play with each other. Must visit spot if you’re visiting San Francisco.
4.70 (4.1K reviews)
9
Bison Paddock
Park
Longtime pasture with a grazing herd of American bison, cared for by the San Francisco zoo.
4.40 (1.1K reviews)
10
Penguin Island
Zoo
👍👍 Penguins are very close, easy to see for children. The feeding time is an additional bonus.
4.70 (739 reviews)
11
6th Avenue Aquarium
Tropical fish store
Tropical fish store (& flower shop) offering everything from goldfish to jellyfish, plus equipment.
4.10 (488 reviews)
12
Aqua Forest Aquarium
Aquarium shop
🫤 As others have made comment, customer service needs to be worked on. There's a good selection of brands, livestock, and plants. But quite frankly, I used to come here by default since they're the only aquascape-focused store in San Francisco near me.
Most reviews are of the products themselves. The...
4.60 (299 reviews)
13
Ocean Aquarium
Tropical fish store
Basic spot with freshwater aquarium displays plus an extensive selection of fish & supplies.
4.60 (270 reviews)
14
George's Zoo
Deli
Modest storefront for made-to-order sandwiches, California wine & its own private label bottles.
$ $$$
4.70 (218 reviews)
15
Lucky Ocean Aquarium
Tropical fish store
Fish shop specializing in salt & tropical varieties, plus aquariums, pumps, food & other supplies.
4.70 (174 reviews)
16
Insect Zoo
Zoo
👍 Very cool place to visit! Inside it's a bit creepy, a lot of tagging around and some odd stuff you'll find there! The place is abandoned not many people go there less at night, you'll should find someone walking around though.
4.60 (130 reviews)
18
Steinhart Aquarium
Aquarium
😠 It looks like a great place to visit but sadly just found out you have to be vaccinated in order to enter. I understand COVID is contagious but it's a norm now. Just take precautions and wear mask. Vaccinated or not both individual can still get COVID. I will go somewhere else where Im not judge by...
4.60 (86 reviews)
19
Bernal Beast
Pet supply store
Neighborhood spot selling organic, natural pet foods & supplies plus grooming salon.
4.70 (85 reviews)
20
Hearst Grizzly Gulch
Zoo
👍👍 This was our favorite exhibit. We were so close! My boys loved watching the grizzly swim and play with it's ball.
4.40 (70 reviews)