- Q: What makes California's natural landscapes unique?
- A: California boasts spectacular natural landscapes, ranging from the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains and deep valleys of redwood forests to the rolling patchworks of the Central Valley farmlands and the arid yet beautiful Mojave Desert.
- Q: What are some highlights of California's cities?
- A: The heart of the Hollywood entertainment industry is found in the city of Angels (Los Angeles), and the hilly and healthy San Francisco is best known for the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, iconic Alcatraz Island, and famous tramway cable cars.
- Q: What are some fun activities for kids in California?
- A: Here are some fun things to do with kids around the state.
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1. Children's Fairyland, USA
Children's Fairyland, USA is a 10-acre amusement park on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland that features a variety of small rides, playsets, animals, and the Open Storybook Puppet Theater, the oldest puppet theater in the country. Built in 1950, the park was one of the earliest themed amusement parks in the United States and was thought to inspire Walt Disney when he was touring the country looking for ideas for his amusement park. Attractions include over 60 storybook sets, including Peter Rabbit’s Garden, Jack & Jill Hill, Fairy Music Farm Tunnel, fun rides like the Jolly Trolley, Wonder-Go-Round, and the Flecto Carousel. The park also hosts puppet shows at the Open Storybook Puppet Theater and is home to several animals that can be petted like rabbits, sheep, donkeys, and hamsters.
699 Bellevue Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-452-2259
2. Aerospace Museum of California
The Aerospace Museum of California is dedicated to the history of aviation and houses world-class engine exhibits and an array of over 40 military and civilian aircraft. Located on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base in North Highlands, the Museum explores every era of aviation with hands-on learning exhibits, such as the 2,200 square-foot Hubble Traveling Exhibit that immerses visitors in the mystery of the Hubble mission. Other exhibitions include Engine Evolution, which showcases a variety of engines from the earliest piston engines to rocket engines, an aircraft collection that spans the history of aviation, and includes classic aircraft such as a beautifully restored 1932 Curtiss Wright speed wing biplane. Visitors can fly a plane in a professional flight simulator under the instruction of experienced flight instructors and get up close with colossal rocket engines like the Aerobee 350 Sounding Rocket and the J58 Mach 3+ Turbo/RamJet.
3200 Freedom Park Dr, McClellan Park, CA 95652, Phone: 916-643-3192
3. Aquarium of The Bay
The Aquarium of The Bay is a public aquarium in San Francisco that houses a wealth of local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and watersheds. Located on the edge of the famous PIER 39 at the historic San Francisco waterfront, the Aquarium of the Bay is a Smithsonian-Affiliated museum and is home to more than 20,000 marine animals ranging from rays, sharks and jellyfish to octopus, river otters, and crustaceans. The aquarium features an array of fascinating exhibits, including exciting walk-through tunnels, and habitats such as shorelines, deep ocean waters, and freshwater rivers. The Aquarium of the Bay also offers a range of educational programs, workshops, and conservation projects that focus on critical environmental challenges such as habitat loss, plastic pollution in the oceans, and climate change.
PIER 39 The Embarcadero &, Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133, Phone: 415-623-5300
4. California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and research institute in San Francisco that houses over 46 million specimens, making it one of the largest museums of natural history in the world. Established in 1853 as a learned society, the museum is California's oldest and continues to carry out research today. The building underwent extensive renovations in 2008 and now boasts over 400,000 square feet of space in which several sections of the academy are housed, including the Kimball Natural History Museum, the Morrison Planetarium, Rainforests of the World, and the Steinhart Aquarium. In addition to a wealth of fascinating exhibits, displays, and presentations, the various museums and centers offer educational programs, workshops, and special guided tours for visitors of all ages.
55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118
5. California Living Museum
The California Living Museum (CALM) is a native zoo and garden in Bakersfield that is home to a variety of plants and animals that are native to Kern County in California. The park features beautiful gardens and grounds filled with several habitats and plant communities, as well as animal exhibits of endemic Californian animals like the mountain lion and bobcat. Many of the animals at the park have been rescued from captivity or have physical disabilities and are unable to live in the wild alone and are cared for at the park. One of the top attractions at the museum is the award-winning Cats of California exhibit where visitors can get up close with bobcats and mountain lions. The California Living Museum (CALM) is open daily.
10500 Alfred Harrell Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93306, Phone: 661-872-2256
6. California’s Great America
Formerly known as Marriott's Great America and Paramount's Great America, California’s Great America is a 100-acre amusement park in Santa Clara with a wealth of themed rides, rollercoasters, attractions, and games. The family-friendly park opened in 1976 and features over 40 rides and attractions, including the Gold Striker, one of the premium wooden roller coasters in the country, the Railblazer, and an inverted rollercoaster known as Flight Deck. Other attractions at the park include Boomerang Bay and a range of water-based rides and slides; Thunder Raceway; and Carousel Columbia. There are several food and drink concessions stands and modern restrooms.
4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054, Phone: 408-988-1776
7. Cartoon Art Museum
The Cartoon Art Museum (CAM) is dedicated to the exhibition of all forms of cartoon art and the and preservation of the art of comics and cartoons. Located in the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco, the museum was founded in 1984 and houses a permanent collection of more than 7,000 pieces, including comic books and strips, anime, and political cartoons to graphic novels and underground comix. The Museum hosts up to 12 significant exhibitions annually where visitors can view original cartoon art and learn how to create their own animation and comics at a variety of educational classes, lectures, and workshops for children and adults. The Cartoon Art Museum also houses a research library and a bookstore.
781 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94109
8. Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum in Atwater that celebrates the history of aviation and the evolution of aircraft throughout history. The former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base-turned-museum is home to a fascinating collection of wartime memorabilia, personal military artifacts, historic photos, and uniforms from the past century, along with over 70 beautifully restored vintage military aircraft ranging from pre-WWII to the present-day fighters. The Museum gives visitors an insight into extraordinary history of aviation with a world-class display of Bomber Aircraft that spans nearly 70 years, as well as a collection of U.S. Air Force jet fighters, including America's first operational jet fighter, the Lockheed P-80. The museum also explores the future of aerospace.
5050 Santa Fe Dr, Atwater, CA 95301, Phone: 209-723-2178
9. Charles Paddock Zoo
Located within the beautiful Atascadero Lake Park in the City of Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County, the Charles Paddock Zoo is a small five-acre community zoo that is home to more than 100 animals representing 45 species, many of which are part of globally managed programs to preserve animals and their habitats. Established in 1955 by Charles Paddock, the animal sanctuary is dedicated to the conservation of local and exotic species and features naturalistic habitats to ensure the best care and well-being for the animals. The Charles Paddock Zoo is also involved in several conservation and education programs and globally managed conservation programs that aim to protect and preserve endangered species and the habitats in which they live.
9305 Pismo Ave, Atascadero, CA 93422, Phone: 805-461-5080
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