Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, you become familiar with all the local tourist destinations. Every time my family has visitors in town, they want to see what the city has to offer, and one of our favorite ‘must-do’ sites is the famous PIER 39 and have #FunAtPier39. A hub of shopping, dining, sightseeing, and other family-friendly activities, it offers something for everyone!
Of course, we don’t need to have guests visiting for an excuse to visit PIER 39. Because of its family friendly events and activities, we love to go as a fun, local weekend outing. For Northern California residents, PIER 39 actually offers a FREE discount program, Local Advantage, which provides exclusive discounts all year round.
Located on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, the scenery is gorgeous, with views of both the bay and the city skyline.
Multiple levels of stores, restaurants, entertainment, and even the Aquarium are located right on The PIER!
My kids’ favorite part is definitely the Aquarium of the Bay. Filled with hands-on and interactive exhibits, this aquarium features 20,000 different sea creatures and is open 364 days a year!
And if you enjoy fresh crab, lobster or fish, PIER 39 boasts great seafood dining for every taste and budget. We enjoyed the fabulous Fog Harbor Fish House which serves 100% sustainable seafood. In addition, Fog Harbor Fish House has sweeping views of the bay and delicious crab cakes worth sharing.
For those looking for the boardwalk experience, PIER 39 also provides the feel of an old fashioned midway, featuring the gorgeous two-story San Francisco Carousel, street performers, caricature artists, and more. The kids loved walking through the old fashioned candy store, and my husband was lured in by the smell of fresh fudge, while I couldn’t pass up the nutella and strawberry crepes!
No visit to The PIER would be complete without a trip out on the San Francisco Bay! At PIER 39, your options are endless: Blue & Gold Bay Cruises, RocketBoat and tours around Alcatraz, sailing charters, or San Francisco whale tours. You can find hundreds of ways to spend time out on the water. 
As a family with young children, we love the 60-minute Bay Cruise (with seating both inside and out in case of cool weather). This tour takes you along the famous San Francisco Bay shoreline and directly under the Golden Gate Bridge. Finally, a quick cruise by Alcatraz and past the Bay Bridge before returning to shore and seeing the famous PIER 39 Sea Lions.
There is no better way to view the city. 
Our recent visit just scratched the surface of all the things you can do at PIER 39. One trip is never enough! That’s why the Local Advantage program is such an awesome perk! You can keep coming back again and again and save money each time with all their great discounts.
The program consists of three different promotions. In the winter and spring (February 1st - June 30th) kids eat and play free. In the summer and fall (July 5th - Oct 31st) you will get “buy one, get one free” discounts on dining, boat tours, bike rentals, activities, and shopping. Finally, in the winter (November 1st - Dec 31st), PIER 39 features its Holiday Half-Off specials.
Now is your chance to enter to win your very own PIER 39 VIP experience!
This prize includes:
(4) PIER 39 VIP Passes, valid for admission to 7D Experience, San Francisco Carousel, Aquarium of the Bay and Blue & Gold Fleet's Bay Cruise Adventure or RocketBoat ride
along with (1) $100 gift card to Fog Harbor Fish House and one 6-hour parking validation to the PIER 39 Parking Garage.
Total value: $442.
PIER 39 VIP Experience: Includes four (4) PIER 39 VIP Passes, valid for admission to 7D Experience, San Francisco Carousel, Aquarium of the Bay and Blue & Gold Fleet's Bay Cruise Adventure or RocketBoat ride; one (1) $100 gift card to Fog Harbor Fish House; and one (1) 6-hour parking validation to the PIER 39 Parking Garage
