Family fun in a former fort - Sausalito, California - Sunset's Travel Guide

Sunset, Oct, 1991

Putting a new twist on the proverbial beating of swords into plowshares, the Bay Area Discovery Museum has converted an obsolete portion of a U.S. Army compound near Sausalino into an educational fun house for children, where they can play and learn about the world around them.

Formerly squeezed into an unprepossessing space in a shopping mall, the museum has expanded into four modest but appealing turn-of-the-century buildings in East Fort Baker (now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area). Three more buildings will also be renovated.

Exhibits have been designed to appeal to children ages 2 to 12. Accompanying parents can enjoy the scenic bayside setting.

Inside a building devoted to architecture and design, activities simulate those of engineers, architects, and construction workers. Next door, exhibits focusing on San Francisco Bay's natural environments and human pursuits include a crawl-through tunnel with an easy-on-the-knees foam floor that replicates the bottom of the bay, complete with starry flounders, discarded tires, and underwear sounds.

Special programs--centering this month around Halloween and the Day of the Dead--supplement the permanent exhibits. For details, call (415) 332-9646.

Hours are 10 to 5 Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $5, $3 for ages 2 through 17. From San Francisco, take U.S. 101 north to the Alexander Avenue exit and follow signs to the museum; southbound on 101, take the last Sausalito exit (just before the bridge) and follow signs.