Greater Farallones Visitor Center

 

Credit: Justin Holl/NOAA

Where: 991 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129

When : School year, by arrangement

Who   : Grades K-12 (although it will be easier if ages are close together). Max 34 students.

Cost   : $250/class, as of Jan 2026

Note: The parking may be confusing - to get to the visitor center, we had to drive down a road that was marked "authorized vehicles only". 

We booked this field trip at the beginning of the school year, when the Farallones Visitor Center had just re-opened. At the time of booking, it was recommended to reserve a spring trip (January or later) if our group would include younger students (2nd grade and below). 

The docents were very responsive, and when we inquired about a mixed age group like ours, were quick to suggest a combination of activities which were all a hit. 

a squid dissection, and an exploration of the beach. At the last minute, they added plankton viewing through the microscope, which was a wonderful bonus. 

 

Looking at plankton: Students plankton through their microscope and learned about phytoplankton and zooplankton.One student was overjoyed to learn what she had always suspected: that a little creature lives in a sand dollar.

Squid dissection was also amazing! Students took out the squids' beaks, hearts and ink sacs. They learned how to distinguish between male and female squid. They also wrote using the squid pen and its ink. One especially memorable fact was how a squid squirt ink at its enemies to evade its enemies.

Bird watching at the beach, the group learned about sea gulls' migration pattern in the Bay Area (including loving to eat KFC!). They even got to see a red-footed booby and surf scoter duck! 

In the words of a group member, "I've been to many field trips, this is by far the best one, with great materials presented to the students, hands on exploration on plankton & squid dissection, and an amazing view of the ocean & Golden Gate bridge!"