Attractions

San Francisco's parks, museums, tours, and landmarks are favorites for travelers the world over and offer an array of activities to suit every visitor. But no particular activity or place makes the city one of the most popular destinations in the world. It's San Francisco itself -- its charm, its atmosphere, its perfect blend of big metropolis with small-town hospitality. No matter what you do while you're here -- whether you spend all your time in central areas like Union Square or North Beach, or explore the outer neighborhoods -- you're bound to discover the reason millions of visitors keep leaving their hearts in San Francisco.

Finding Your Way -- When asking for directions in San Francisco, be careful not to confuse numerical avenues with numerical streets. Numerical avenues (Third Avenue and so on) are in the Richmond and Sunset districts in the western part of the city. Numerical streets (Third Street and so on) are south of Market St. in the eastern and southern parts of the city. Get this wrong and you'll be an hour late for dinner.

Earthquake Advice -- Earthquakes are fairly common in California, though most are so minor you won't even notice them. However, in case of a significant shaker, there are a few basic precautionary measures to follow: If you are inside a building, do not run outside into falling debris. Seek cover -- stand under a doorway or against a wall, and stay away from windows. If you exit a building after a substantial quake, use stairwells, not elevators. If you're in a car, pull over to the side of the road and stop -- but not until you are away from bridges, overpasses, telephone poles, and power lines. Stay in your car. If you're out walking, stay outside and away from trees, power lines, and the sides of buildings. If you're in an area with tall buildings, find a doorway in which to stand. And if you're having cocktails find a straw.

San Francisco Segway Tours -- Segways are those weird-looking upright scooters you've probably seen on TV. The two-wheeled "human transporter" is an ingenious electric-powered transportation device that uses gyroscopes to emulate human balance. After the free 40-minute lesson, riding a Segway becomes intuitive: lean forward, go forward; lean back, go back; stand upright, stop. Simple. The San Francisco Electric Tour Company offers Segway-powered narrated 2-hour tours of the San Francisco waterfront daily, starting from Fisherman's Wharf and heading out all the way to the Marina Green. For $70 it's not a bad deal, and it's the closest you'll come to being a celebrity (everyone checks you out). Note: You have to be at least 12 years old to join the tour. For more information log onto www.sfelectrictour.com or call tel. 415/474-3130.

Funky Favorites at Fisherman's Wharf -- The following attractions clustered on or near Fisherman's Wharf are great fun for kids, adults, and kitsch-lovers of all ages. My favorite is the ominous-looking World War II submarine USS Pampanito, Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf (tel. 415/775-1943; www.maritime.org), which saw plenty of action in the Pacific. It has been completely restored, and visitors are free to crawl around inside and play Das Boot. Admission, which includes an audio tour, is $9 for those 13 to 61, $5 for seniors 62 and older, $3 for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under; the family pass (two adults, up to four kids) costs $20. The Pampanito is open daily at 9am. Also on Pier 45, the free Musée Mécanique is worth a look.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, 175 Jefferson St. (tel. 415/771-6188; www.ripleysf.com), has drawn curious spectators through its doors for over 30 years. Inside, you'll experience a world of improbabilities: a 1/3-scale matchstick cable car, a shrunken human torso once owned by Ernest Hemingway, a dinosaur made from car bumpers, a walk through a kaleidoscope tunnel, and video displays and illusions. Robert LeRoy Ripley's infamous arsenal may lead you to ponder whether truth is, in fact, stranger than fiction. What it won't do is blow your mind or feel truly worth the money. That said, with the right attitude, it's easy to enjoy an hour here playing amid the goofy and interactive displays with lots of laughs included in the admission price, which is $15 for adults, $9 for children 5 to 12, and free for children 4 and under. The museum is open Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 11pm, and 9am until midnight on Friday and Saturday (open 10am in winter months).

Conceived and executed in the Madame Tussaud mold, San Francisco's Wax Museum, 145 Jefferson St. (tel. 800/439-4305 or 415/202-0402; www.waxmuseum.com), has long been a kitschy tourist trap. The museum has 270 lifelike figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, former President George Bush and current president George W. Bush, Giants baseball star Barry Bonds, rap artist Eminem, and "Feared Leaders" such as Fidel Castro. The Chamber of Horrors features Dracula, Frankenstein, and a werewolf, along with bloody victims hanging from meat hooks. New additions include pop icons such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Nicole Kidman. Admission is $13 for adults, $9.95 for juniors 12 to 17 and seniors 55 and older, $6.95 for children 6 to 11, and free for children 5 and under. The complex is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 11pm.

GoCar Tours of San Francisco -- If the thought of walking up and down San Francisco's brutally steep streets has you sweating already, considering renting a talking GoCar instead. The tiny yellow three-wheeled convertible cars are easy and fun to drive -- every time I see one of these things the people riding in them are grinning from ear to ear -- and they're cleverly guided by a talking GPS (Global Positioning System), which means that the car always knows where you are, even if you don't. The most popular computer-guided tour is a 2-hour loop around the Fisherman's Wharf area, out to the Marina District, through Golden Gate Park, and down Lombard Street, the "crookedest street in the world." As you drive, the talking car tells you where to turn and what landmarks you're passing. Even if you stop to check something out, as soon as you turn your GoCar back on, the tour picks up where it left off. Or you can just cruise around wherever you want (but not across the Golden Gate Bridge). There's a lockable trunk for your things, and the small size makes parking a breeze. You can rent a GoCar from 1 hour (about $44) to a full day. You'll have to wear a helmet, and you must be a licensed driver of at least 18-years of age. The GoCar rental shop is at 2715 Hyde St., between Beach and North Point streets at Fisherman's Wharf. For more information call tel. 800/91-GoCar or tel. 415/441-5695, or log onto their website at www.gocarsf.com.

Especially for Kids

The following San Francisco attractions appeal to kids of all ages:

• Alcatraz Island
• Cable Car Museum
• Cable cars
• California Academy of Sciences
• The Exploratorium
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Golden Gate Park, including the Children's Playground, Bison Paddock, and Japanese Tea Garden
• Maritime Museum (San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park) and the historic ships anchored at Hyde Pier
• The Metreon Entertainment Center
• The San Francisco Zoo

A number of playgrounds are of particular interest to kids. One of the most enormous, fun playgrounds for kids is in Golden Gate Park, where you'll find a fantastic kids' playground just west of the Stanyan Street entrance. But other playful perks include Stow Lake's boats and peeks at the bison in the bison paddock. Apartment buildings surround the Cow Hollow Playground, Baker Street between Greenwich and Filbert streets, on three of four sides. The landscaped playground features a bi-level play area fitted with well-conceived, colorful play structures, including a tunnel, slides, swings, and a miniature cable car. Huntington Park, Taylor Street between Sacramento and California streets, sits atop Nob Hill. This tiny play area contains several small structures particularly well suited to children under 5. Julius Kahn Playground, West Pacific Avenue at Spruce Street, is a popular playground inside San Francisco's great Presidio Park. Larger play structures and forested surroundings make this area attractive to children and adults alike. Go to www.parks.sfgov.org and click on "Programs" for more info.