16 Things to Do at Pier 39 with Kids That Won't Break the Bank
Disclosure:
This page may use affiliate links which may earn a commission for purchases at no additional cost to you.
Thanks so much for all your support!
Pier 39 is undeniably one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s the most happening area within Fisherman’s Wharf.
First of all, it has a bunch of great little gift shops and restaurants in it.
Secondly, it’s home to some great Bay Area wildlife.
Best of all, it offers guests some gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay.
It’s no wonder it would be a place visitors flock to. However, like all major tourist attractions around the world, with all its tempting shops and attractions, Pier 39 can get quite pricey.
In this article, we’ll cover 16 ways to enjoy Pier 39 with kids that are fun, memorable, and also budget friendly. Then we’ll answer some frequently asked questions that many first-time visitors have when planning a day at the Pier.
Let’s get into it.
16 Cheap Things to do with Kids at Pier 39
1) Watch the Sea Lions
One free activity you simply can’t miss on your visit to Pier 39 is watching the California sea lions.
These boisterous San Francisco Bay residents started making Pier 39 their home shortly after the big Loma Prieta that rattled San Francisco in 1989.
Now, they are the loudest and most charming attraction at the Pier.
While the number of sea lions you might see out on the docks vary depending on the seasons, your chances of seeing at least a few are really good since the Bay is full of food and is free from predators.
2) Ride the carousel
The San Francisco Carousel is another affordable kid-friendly activity at San Francisco’s Pier 39.
While this colorful carousel was actually made in Italy, it’s theme and facade revolves around well-known San Francisco sites and famous landmarks.
Some things you might see painting on this double-decker carousel include Alcatraz, Lombard Street, the Pier 39 sea lions, Coit Tower, and of course, The Golden Gate Bridge.
As of January 2023, the carousel runs ever day of the week from 11:00am-8:00pm.
3) Share a chowder in a bread bowl
When visiting San Francisco, there is nothing more iconic than a warm serving of creamy, clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl.
Luckily, at Pier 39 there are plenty of place to grab this popular San Francisco food. Here are a couple of great places to grab a bowl of chowder that are also more friendly on the budget compared to the other sit-down restaurants in the area.
Popular menu items inclue:
- Clam chowder in a bread bowl
- Tomato soup in a bread bowl
- Chili in a bread bowl
- Sourdough bread loafs
Popular menu items include:
- Clam chowder in a bread bowl
- Fish & Chips
- Popcorn shrimp
- Crab cakes
5 Iconic San Francisco Foods You Must Try with Your Kids
OTHER SAN FRANCISCO FOOD EXPERIENCES
4) Watch crepes being made
Another cheap activity your kids might enjoy at Pier 39 is watching crepes being made at the Crepe Cafe.
At the Crepe Cafe, patrons can order of a menu of delicious sweet and savory crepes. Customers can also choose to design their own crepes.
The fun part is watching the Crepe Cafe staff expertly create each yummy crepe through the store’s front window.
5) Watch street performers
Every day, several times a day, at the stage located on the Bay End of the Pier, you can find performers doing a variety of super entertaining things.
Sometimes there are musicians on stage, other times you might catch acrobats performing mind-boggling things.
In addition, it also isn’t out of the ordinary to witness talented jugglers and sword swallowers on that stage.
6) Browse the fun magnet stores
San Francisco’s Pier 39 is home to a couple of great magnet stores: Magnets and Magnetron.
Both of these stores have walls lined with hundreds of really fun magnets, so it’s easy to spend lots of time here just looking at the wide variety.
As with many souvenir shops, you’ll find tons of San Francisco-themed magnets here.
However, what’s really fun are the realistic-looking food magnets. They look real enough to eat!
7) Salt water taffy fun
There is nothing more fun than watching a kid’s eyes light up in a candy story.
The Candy Baron is a sweets-filled shop at Pier 39 that features 66 flavors of salt water taffy along with many more nostalgic candies.
To top it all of, The Candy Baron offers great views of the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz.
8) Enjoy some mini donuts
You absolutely cannot pay a visit to the Pier without stopping by Trish’s Mini Donuts. They are definitely a
Pier 39 food icon!
These adorable, bite-sized, sugary morsels will be some of the best donuts you’ll every have.
While you wait for your order, the kids will get a kick out of looking through the shop window to watch the donut machine drop, little donut-shaped batter into hot oil to make these cute, sweet treats.
9) Get in a brain workout
Another fun place to see at Pier 39 that doesn’t cost a lot is a store called Solve It!
This store is filled with great wooden games and puzzles and is owned by an educator who is passionate about encouraging everyone to continue challenging their minds.
At this store, they keep samples of their products out so you can play with them and test them out together with your kids.
It’s a great way to see how your brain takes on new challenges!
10) Explore a shell store
The Shell Cellar is a super fun and colorful store filled with, you guessed it, shells!
You easily lose track of time looking at the wide variety of seashells and sea-themed items in this store.
According to the Pier 39 website, all the seashells sold at the Shell Cellar “are byproducts of the food industry and provide income opportunities for families in developing countries.”
11) Celebrate lefties!
Whether you are left-hand-dominant or not, Lefty’s San Francisco is fun to browse through, because it’s pretty rare to come across an entire store dedicated to lefties!
Some lefty-specific items in the store include:
- left-handed scissors
- left-handed spiral notebooks
- left-handed can openers
- left-handed guitars
After all, lefties deserve love too.
12) Take the plunge
Got any thrill-seekers in your family? Then The Bay Plunge might be a good Pier 39 activity to add to the list.
This past-paced ride takes riders 40 feet up towards the sky, gives them a spectacular 360 view of the Pier and the San Francisco Bay, and then suddenly drops them towards the ground.
Once passengers are at the bottom, they are then quickly propelled back up and down a few more times before the ride finally comes to a stop.
This ride does requires a ticket, which can be purchases at the same ticket booth that sells admission to the carousel
13) Celebrate Christmas all year
Do you love the holidays and wish it was celebrated all year long?
Well, window-shopping through the store Christmas in San Francisco is a budget-friendly activity that will let you do just that.
This store, which is open every day of the year, sells a huge variety of holiday decorations and unique tree ornaments, and it just fun to walk through, especially if you’re missing the winter holiday season.
14) Make music on the piano stairs
Do you need a way to entertain the kids and give them a great workout all at the same time?
Then visit the piano stairs at Pier 39. Its completely free and loads of fun!
This Pier 39 attraction is actually an art exhibit by the same creator as the floor piano in the movie Big!
To enjoy this exhibit, either walk up or down the musical stairs and listen carefully. Each step you take plays a note, creating your very own tune.
15) Admire the view of the Bay
The view at Pier 39 is one of its best features. And it’s free!
The best place to sit and admire the view of the San Francisco Bay as at the Bay End of the Pier.
From here you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the bay Bridge, passing boats, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot the resident sea lions swimming around.
16) Admire the sourdough artistry
One final fun and cheap thing to do at Pier 39 is check out the rows of fun-shaped sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery Cafe.
This famous bakery is home to an ultimate San Francisco classic: sourdough bread.
Boudin bakes their bread fresh every day from the same mother dough that was started years ago during the gold-mining days of the Golden State.
Not only is their bread baked fresh daily, they also form their loaves in fun and adorable shapes. It makes for a doughy, sharable, and tearable snack
Some fun sourdough shapes you might find:
- alligators
- turtles
- bears
- crabs
Frequently Asked Questions
Pier 39
What is Pier 39?
Pier 39 is basically an outdoor shopping center, filled with shops and restaurants, located on a pier right off of San Francisco Bay and is a popular tourist destination within Fishermans Wharf.
What is Pier 39 famous for?
Pier 39 is also popular because it is the home of a herd of California sea lions, which are often times playing in the bay or relaxing on Pier 39’s k-dock.
What are some other family-friendly things to do near Pier 39?
- Visit the Exploratorium
- Visit Ghirardelli Square
- Play at Musee Mecanique
- Check out the view from Coit Tower
Is there Parking at Pier 39?
There is a parking structure right across the street from the Pier where you can safely park your car for a fee.
There is also metered street parking around the Pier where you can park your car.
Where is Pier 39 located?
RELATED POSTS
More kid-friendly San Francisco fun!
