California for kids: true stories by area
32 true stories about places in California, in 5 areas. Fact-checked, read aloud and free to play, each with a quiz for the back seat.
Marin County 19 stories
The Crookedest Railroad in the World
Choo choo! Right here in downtown Mill Valley, where the bookstore and café are, there used to be a train station!
The Golden Gate Bridge
Hey explorers! Look out the window.
The Lighthouse and the Fog Cannon
Way out at the tippy-tip of these cliffs is the Point Bonita Lighthouse. To get there, you walk through a tunnel dug into the rock by…
Shark Point and Angel Island
Do you know what Tiburon means? It means shark, in Spanish!
The Sleeping Lady Mountain
Look up! That big mountain is Mount Tamalpais.
The Giant Redwoods
Okay, explorers, use your quiet voices. We're coming into Muir Woods, a forest of giant redwood trees.San Francisco 6 stories
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 Island of Pelicans
Look across the water, toward the city. See that rocky little island with a lighthouse on top?
The Marsh That Came Back
Look out toward the water! See the flat, soft land by the bay?
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 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 Biggest Wooden Ship
Splash, splash! Look toward the water for a giant old wooden boat!Santa Cruz County 4 stories
The Roller Coaster Built in 47 Days
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack! Look way up!
The Octagon That Would Not Burn
Look for a red brick building with lots of sides! Count them if you can.
The House With 21 Kids
Psst. Guess how many kids lived in one tiny old house near here?
The Radio That Came Back
Can you pretend to turn a radio dial? Go ahead, twist it!Sonoma County 2 stories
Mendocino County 1 story
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).