San Francisco Travel Forum

Have a 13 year old that has never been to an Aquarium and on trip to California want to take him to one. The Steinhart in San Francisco is a bit cheaper and you can go to the Planetarium, Rainforrest, Living Roof but I've heard Monterey Bay is a must do. Is there really that much of a difference to make it worthwhile?

If you're really interested in fish, you should go to Monterey. If not, you might get your fish fill at the Steinhart. That said, the trip to Monterey is really pretty. If you have time, make it an overnight trip and go down the coast. It's a beautiful drive and Santa Cruz is a great stop along the way. There's a boardwalk with an old-fashioned wooden roller-coaster.

Monterey is really the gold standard in aquariums, as far as I'm concerned. It was a fantastic facility back in the days when I lived there (1989-91) and it has only improved and expanded since then. The last time I went there was in 1999, and I was pretty blown away--even more has been added by now. Don't scrimp on this--the money you pay is well worth it!

Take a look at the web site for the Monterey Bay Aquarium: (www.montereybayaquarium). Attractions on the way to Monterey are the ocean, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and possibly, the Roaring Camp Railroads. Consider you'll spend most of a day for such a trip. To see all those places, you likely would have to rent a car, if you don't already have one,(rental cars are a bad idea in The City, because parking is sparse in many areas, and is sometimes an aditional charge above the cost of your lodging). Then,take a look at the California Academy of Sciences web site, which includes the aquarium: (www.calacademy.org). You have the marine exhibits, the animals, the rain forest, the swamp, and several others, all in one place. You can use public transit to reach the academy, (visit the web site for the "San Francisco Culture Bus", for one option). There are apparently "Wachovia Wednesdays", the third Wednesday of each month, where admission is FREE: (www.calacademy.org/visit/plan_a_visit/sf_free_days.php). Gary

Very helpful info. Thanks so much for responding!

Yes, the Monterey Aquarium is that good. Whin in SF, you must take him to the Exploratorium too. Anything less is child neglect.

Yes, as stated above, Monterey is worth the visit. If your 13 year old gets really interested in marine life, you could also consider a stop at the Long Marine lab on the north side of Santa Cruz. It's associated with UC Santa Cruz.
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is fun for rides and the basic tourist scene. Take note that there are many other beaches in the area that don't have the crowds, if that is what you prefer. I've written about many of them on my Santa Cruz page. There is also a great surf scene in nearby Capitola, if you're interested, at Pleasure Point. Santa Cruz got recognized as the #1 surfing town in the US by surfer magazine just recently.
I used to live just a 5 minute walk from Roaring Camp, which is fun for kids but an really touristy. Adjacent to that is Henry Cowell State Park, which has a nice grove of ancient redwoods.

I agree with the above posts that Monterey is definitely worth the trip, and especially with HarmoniousBotch that the Exploratorium is absolutely a must-do. A tip about the Monterey Bay Aquarium--go early on a weekday. On Summer weekends it is so crowded that there are lines to get in, and inside you can hardly move. To see one of the special shows there are further long lines which waste alot of time.