Exploring San Francisco’s Museums: A Guide to Art, Science, and Culture
Renowned for its active arts and culture, San Francisco offers an amazing array of museums to fit every kind of interest. Nestled close to Golden Gate Park are the California Academy of Sciences, a haven for science aficionados with its living roof and spectacular planetarium, and the de Young Museum, which features exceptional worldwide art. The Conservatory of Flowers is the name for the historic greenhouse and living museum spread over the park.
The Yerba Buena region has a unique cultural history thanks to the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and the Contemporary Jewish Museum; modern art aficionados find refuge at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), downtown. The imaginative museum created by the children inspires the adjacent children.
The San Francisco National Historical Park surrounds tourists in the city’s nautical legacy, while the Exploratorium on the waterfront lets people of all ages explore science through interactive exhibits. While the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center offers one of the largest collections of Asian art globally, the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio honors Walt Disney’s legacy.
Every museum in San Francisco provides a different insight into history, culture, or creation, from the eccentric Musée Mécanique at Fisherman’s Wharf, where old arcade machines come to life, to the moving exhibits at Alcatraz Island. The City is perfect for those who want to explore.
American Bookbinders Museum
Location: 355 Clementina St.
Those who value the art of storytelling must visit this museum. The only one of its kind in America, this unusual museum highlights the amazing history and technology behind bookbinding. The collection includes over 400-year-old objects that chronicle how bookbinding transformed world packing, distribution, and intellectual consumption. Tuesdays through Saturdays, the museum provides self-guided audio tours or docent-led visits for parties of five or more; its unique displays are free of charge!
Buy tickets.
Aquarium of the Bay
Location: Embarcadero and Beach Street
Located conveniently on PIER 39, this museum provides a stress-free and remarkable encounter with aquatic life. Wander over three hundred feet of pristine acrylic tunnels containing 700,000 gallons of bay water, touch tidepool life, and get an up-close view of lively river otters.
Asian Art Exhibition
Location: 200 Larkin St.
Located in the Civic Center, the Asian Art Museum is a magnificent institution with one of the most varied collections of art and artifacts from throughout the Asian continent. Covering 6,000 years of human history, the museum presents a broad range of exquisite paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, and armor from Turkey, China, India, Japan, the Philippines, and other Asian civilizations.
California Academy of Science
Location: Golden Gate Park 55 Music Concourse Dr.
One of San Francisco’s must-see sites, the California Academy of Sciences has an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and world-class research and teaching activities. The structure is alive, from the splashing penguins in the African Hall to the wildflowers on the top. For guests of all ages, a four-story rainforest and amazing coral reef environment delight. Immersion planetarium performances simultaneously take you beyond space and time for a fresh viewpoint on our earth. The 2.5-acre living roof of the academy is a key element of its environmentally friendly building and Golden Gate Park activities.
Children’s Creative Museum
Location: 221 Fourth Ave.
Families heading to San Francisco with children might find the Children’s Creativity Museum to be a delightful afternoon activity. Situated in the Yerba Buena Gardens, the Children’s Museum has interactive displays covering animation, music, digital media, and other creative interests. Don’t miss a ride on the hand-carved, antique Leroy King carousel—the ideal partner for a day at the museum.
Modern Jewish Museum
Location: 75 Mission St.
Located in San Francisco’s downtown next to the California Historical Society and the Museum of African Diaspora, the Contemporary Jewish Museum offers vibrant displays and educational initiatives examining modern viewpoints on Jewish history, art, and ideas. The entire family will enjoy the drop-in Art Studios and Textile Laboratory, which are free events that take place all year long with museum admission.
De Young Museum
Location: 50 Hagiwara Drive
Comprising more than 27,000 pieces, the de Young collection is housed at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco It is well-known for its American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, modern and contemporary art, photography, foreign fabrics and costumes, and work from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. See amazing 360-degree views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean by visiting the ninth-floor observation deck of the de Young’s Hamon Tower.
Exploratorium
Location: Pier 15
The interactive museum Exploratorium is housed on Pier 15 of the Embarcadero. Comprising more than 600 hands-on displays, the museum offers families an entertaining and instructive environment. In the magnificent glass-and-steel Bay Observatory, visitors can also savor amazing views of the city and bay.
Institute of Contemporary Art
Location: 340 Montgomery St.
ICA SF relocated to the famous Cube building right in the middle of downtown. Although it does not maintain a permanent collection, this unusual museum exhibits new and intriguing artwork from all around the globe. ICA SF investigates major concerns concerning society and culture, therefore making modern art accessible to everybody and significant. The museum is always changing; better still, entry is free!
Legion of Honor
Location: Lincoln Park at 100 34th Ave.
Designed to honor Californian men who lost their lives in World War I, the elegant neoclassical Legion of Honor edifice faces Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge. The collection of the museum consists of more than 4,000 years of ancient and European art. It also has one of the biggest collections of works on paper in the nation—the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts. Don’t miss a concert on the Skinner pipe organ and savor the amazing sound of 4,500 pipes covering anything from Bach and Gershwin to superb movie soundtracks. The Skinner pipe organ hosts public Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. performances every weekend.
Museum of African Diaspora
Location: 685 Mission St.
MoAD presents the cultural diversity, art, and history resulting from African people scattered around the African Diaspora. The comprehensive exhibitions and common African heritage tie all people together. It provides unique events across the year that combine dance, music, art presentations, and more to connect people of all ages.
Museum of Craft and Design
Location: 2568 Third St.
Among the few establishments in North America committed to modern craft and design, the Museum of Craft and Design is a non-collecting institution. Through unique and touring exhibits, partnerships with museums across the globe, and hands-on learning chances to learn how to create your crafts, the museum aims to investigate the active roles craft and design play in daily life.
Modern Art San Francisco Museum (SFMOMA)
Location: 153 Third St.
Originally constructed in 1935 as the first West Coast museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art, the rebuilt San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopened in 2016. With 170,000 square feet of expanded and refurbished galleries, the Snohetta-designed addition lets SFMOMA show more of its 33,000 modern and contemporary artworks on a whole level devoted only to photography. Free entrance to 45,000 square feet of ground-floor galleries for 18- and younger guests helps SFMOMA to be more friendly and linked to the city than before.
The Walt Disney Family Heritage Museum
Location: 104 Montgomery St.
Celebrating the life and work of Walt Disney, the creator of some of America’s most cherished cartoons, including Mickey Mouse, this museum is housed in a historic structure in the Presidio. Walt’s voice talks about modern interactive galleries and state-of-the-art displays with early sketches, cartoons, movies, music, listening stations, more than two hundred video screens, and a magnificent Disneyland model. See daily Disney movie classic screenings while you are there.
Yerba Buena Center for Arts and Crafts
Location: 702 Mission St.
Tucked in the center of Yerba Buena Gardens, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts showcases modern, contemporary visual art, events, film and video, and community involvement initiatives honoring creativity and experimentation by local, national, and worldwide artists working now. Acknowledged for its vital presence in the San Francisco Bay Area arts scene and the community, YBCA distinguishes itself for supporting modern artists throughout the globe. YBCA presents and exhibits work by artists pushing the boundaries of their art in form and/or content, therefore artistically cutting edge.
San Francisco CityPASS®
The San Francisco CityPASS provides admission to a selection of iconic attractions in the city, including several top museums. Save on entry to the best museums in San Francisco. As of now, the museums included in the CityPASS are:
Core Attractions:
California Academy of Sciences (Golden Gate Park): A world-class science museum with an aquarium, planetarium, natural history exhibits, and a rainforest dome.
Choice of Additional Attractions (Choose 2):
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): An extensive modern and contemporary art museum in downtown San Francisco.
Exploratorium: A hands-on museum of science, art, and human perception, located on Pier 15.
These museums are part of the four attractions included in the CityPASS. The other core attractions are the Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure and an optional cable car and Muni pass (available only in some CityPASS versions).
Before visiting, it’s a good idea to check the CityPASS website for the most up-to-date information on participating attractions!
With San Francisco CityPASS®, save 45% on entry to the best sites in San Francisco. Along with two more sites of your choosing—the Aquarium of the Bay, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Exploratorium, or San Francisco Zoo & Gardens—include the California Academy of Sciences and Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure.
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