San Francisco for kids: 20 true stories
Driving through San Francisco, California? Here are 20 true stories about places you'll pass. Each one is fact-checked, read aloud in about 1 min and ends with a quiz for the back seat. Tap one to play it here, free, no sign-in.
Stories
The Island of Pelicans
Look across the water, toward the city. See that rocky little island with a lighthouse on top?
The Fort Under the Bridge
Psst! Down below the bridge, right at the edge of the water, there's a real castle-looking fort made of bricks.
The Hill That Used to Be Rocks
Look up at the hill with the rocky top. Do you think it was always here?
The Room That Is a Camera
Look at that little building next to the Cliff House. Do you know what is inside?
The Lighthouse With a Helicopter Hat
Look out toward the ocean. Far, far away, there is a tiny lighthouse sitting on a rock.
The Rock Full of Sea Lions
Arf arf arf! Do you hear that?
The Emperor Who Wanted a Bridge
Whoa, you are on the Bay Bridge! Here's a funny story.
The School That Became a Hotel
Look for a fancy old house with lots of pointy roofs and pretty paint. That's the Queen Anne Hotel on Sutter Street!
The Marsh That Came Back
Look out toward the water! See the flat, soft land by the bay?
The Windmill That Watered a Park
Look up! Do you see a giant windmill?
The Oldest Subway Stop in the West
Rumble, rumble! Did you know there's a train station hidden inside a hill near here?
The Tunnel Bigger Than Any Other
Hold on tight, we're going into a tunnel on an island! This is the Yerba Buena Tunnel, and the cars go through it on two floors, one on…
The Giant Clock by the Bay
Look up! Do you see a very tall tower with a clock on it?
The Synagogue in a Tent
Can you picture a place of worship made of cloth? Long ago, in the Gold Rush, a small group of traders and merchants gathered in San…
The Giant Cross on the Tallest Hill
Look up, look up! You are near the tallest hill in all of San Francisco!
Yoda Lives in a Fountain
Here's a riddle for the car. Where did a hospital become the home of Yoda?
The Pier That Went Too Far
Look toward the water. Long ago, a pier stuck out from this shoreline farther than almost anyone thought a pier should.
The Secret Troll Under the Bridge
Psst! Want to hear a secret about the Bay Bridge?
The Biggest Wooden Ship
Splash, splash! Look toward the water for a giant old wooden boat!
The Train Station Under the Ground
Whoosh! Way down under the street, a train is zooming by right now!Nearby towns
Roads
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).