San Francisco has museums for modern art, Asian art, natural history, hands-on science and the city’s own history, and most are easy to reach by Muni. Two clusters make planning easier. Golden Gate Park has the de Young and the California Academy of Sciences facing each other across the Music Concourse. SoMa has SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Museum of the African Diaspora within a couple of blocks.
In this guide
This guide is part of our San Francisco attractions hub. To save money, see our list of free museum days in San Francisco.
SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in SoMa fills several floors with modern and contemporary art, including painting, sculpture, photography and design. Visitors 18 and under get in free.
de Young
The de Young in Golden Gate Park shows American art, art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, and textiles and costume. Its copper-clad building has a tower with a free observation level that looks over the park toward the ocean. Pair it with the Japanese Tea Garden next door.
Legion of Honor
The Legion of Honor sits in Lincoln Park above the Golden Gate, near Lands End. Its collection is mostly European art, including Rodin sculptures, and the building is modeled on a Paris palace. The same ticket rules as the de Young apply, including Free First Tuesdays.
Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum at Civic Center, across from City Hall, holds one of the largest collections of Asian art in the country. General admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.
California Academy of Sciences
The Academy in Golden Gate Park combines an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a four-story rainforest under one living roof. It is one of the best stops in the city for kids. On Thursday nights it runs NightLife, for adults 21 and over.
Exploratorium
The Exploratorium on Pier 15 along the Embarcadero is a hands-on science museum with hundreds of exhibits that visitors of any age can try. On Thursday evenings, After Dark opens it to adults 18 and over.
Walt Disney Family Museum
This museum in the Presidio tells the story of Walt Disney’s life and work through drawings, films and models. It is open Thursday to Sunday.
Smaller museums worth a stop
The free Cable Car Museum on Nob Hill shows the working machinery behind the cable cars. The Musée Mécanique at Fisherman’s Wharf is a hall of antique arcade machines that still work for coins. The Museum of the African Diaspora in SoMa has changing exhibitions of art from across the diaspora.
Official resources: SFMOMA, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Asian Art Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, Walt Disney Family Museum.
Frequently asked questions
Which San Francisco museums are the most popular?
The California Academy of Sciences, the de Young and SFMOMA all draw big crowds. Book tickets ahead on weekends and holidays.
Which San Francisco museum is best for kids?
The California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium are the most popular with families. See our San Francisco with kids guide for more.
Can you see two museums in one day?
Yes. The de Young and the Academy face each other in Golden Gate Park, and SFMOMA and YBCA are across the street from each other in SoMa.
Photo credits
Featured image: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; de Young: Mark Miller / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.