Museums in San Francisco

60+ San Francisco Museums

San Francisco is known for its famous landmarks, delicious food, and vibrant culture. But, did you know that it’s also home to some of the best museums in the country?

Whether you’re a history buff or an art enthusiast, there’s something for everyone in the Bay Area. So, here are our picks for some fun museums in San Francisco and a list of more than 60 more!

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Children's Creativity Museum, museums in San Francisco, Children's Creativity Museum in San Fran

Children’s Creativity Museum

The Children’s Creativity Museum is ideal for kids two to 12 years old and is located in Yerba Buena Garden Park.

This museum in San Francisco offers numerous inspirational exhibits. You’ll find activities like an animation studio where you can make characters and movies. There are also a tech lab where you can program a robot and an imagination lab where you can design something out of the box. You can also take the Mystery Box Challenge, which inspires you to create your own original innovations.

The Creativity Theatre conducts concerts, seminars, and other educational activities for children.

Museum Details

Website – Children’s Creativity Museum

221 Fourth Street – San Francisco 94103

$15 on Thursday and Friday 10 am to 12:30 pm

$20 on Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm

Year-long memberships available

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Cartoon Art Museum, Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco

Cartoon Art Museum

The Cartoon Art Museum is near Ghirardelli Square on the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a cartoon art and caricature museum featuring works by both local and foreign artists.

The venue is a welcoming beautiful brick structure with plenty of room for exhibits and art shows. Comic book fans will particularly appreciate the exciting collection of cartoon art, comic strips, pages from comic books, anime, and digital cartoon art.

One of the more permanent exhibits is The Batman Armory. It showcases costumes and Props from the Bronze Armory Studios. Plus, you’ll see events like the Graphic Novel Readathon on the schedule.

About the Cartoon Art Museum

Website – Cartoon Art Museum

781 Beach Street, San Francisco 94109

Open daily except Wednesday – 11 am to 5 pm

Individual Membership $50/year – Family $80/year

$10 adults – $7 for San Francisco residents – senior/military/students $6; kids 6-12 free

Musee Mecanique San Francisco, San Francisco museums

Musée Mécanique

The Musée Mécanique (meaning “Mechanical Museum” in English) is a for-profit museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. It’s family-owned and operated since 1933.

Visitors will appreciate a coin-operated arcade from the twentieth century and other fascinating artifacts. This location has an extraordinary collection of over 280 mechanical amusement machines. Musée Mécanique boasts one of the world’s most extensive private-ownership collections, ranging from fully-automated orchestras to ancient slot machines.

More Information

Website – Musée Mécanique

Pier 45 Fisherman’s Wharf – San Francisco 94133 (at the end of Taylor Street)

Open every day 10 am to 8 pm

Free admission

Legion of Honor San Francisco, fine arts museum San Francisco

The Legion of Honor

Legion of Honor is a historical fine-art museum in San Francisco that exhibits works by European artists. It’s located in Lincoln Park with a beautiful view of the city, the Pacific Ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The museum’s permanent collection contains works by Louis XV, Rodin, Salone Dore, Gerome, and others and decorative art, photographs, sculptures, paintings, and antiquities. It also hosts temporary exhibitions of Tissot, Rubens, Degas, and other international artists.

Museumgoers will also appreciate photo exhibits by Bill Owens, Eadweard Muybridge, John Gutmann. The cafe serves delicious food, and the store sells various books, puzzles, and accessories. And, organ concerts are held at the museum regularly.

Details

Website – Legion of Honor

Lincoln Park – 100 34th Avenue San Francisco 94121

Tuesdays through Sundays – 9:30 am to 5:15 pm

Tickets vary depending on the event – select a reservation time along with tickets – in the $30 to $35 range with discounts available for seniors and students

California Academy of Sciences

California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a San Francisco-based research center and natural history museum. It was founded in 1853 as a research organization.

Kimball Natural History Museum, the Morrison Planetarium, Rainforests of the World, and the Steinhart Aquarium are the Academy’s four principal museum programs. These interactive displays around the museum allow the entire family to learn in a fun and instructive way.

About the California Academy of Sciences

Website – California Academy of Sciences

Golden Gate Park – 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco 94118

Monday through Saturday 9:30 to 5 pm

Sunday – 11 am to 5 pm

Thursday Nightlife 21+ – 6 to 10 pm

Admission varies based on dates, times, and events (in the $35 range)

Museums in San Francisco, CA

San Francisco MuseumsAddressWebsite
African American Art & Culture Complex762 Fulton Sthttp://www.aaacc.org
American Book Binders Museum1962 Harrison Sthttps://bookbindersmuseum.org
Asian Art Museum4051 Judah Sthttps://asianart.org
Beat Museum540 Broadwayhttp://www.thebeatmuseum.org
Cable Car Museum1201 Mason Sthttp://www.cablecarmuseum.org
California Academy Of Sciences55 Music Concourse Drhttps://www.calacademy.org
Cartoon Art Museum781 Beach Sthttps://www.cartoonart.org/
Children's Creativity Museum221 4th St.https://creativity.org
Chinese Historical Society Of America Museum And Learning Center965 Clay Sthttps://chsa.org
Ck Contemporary357 Geary Sthttp://ckcontemporary.com
Counterpulse80 Turk Sthttps://www.counterpulse.org
Curiodyssey1651 Coyote Point Dr.https://curiodyssey.org
De Young Museum50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.http://famsf.org
De Young Museum-Golden Gate Park50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drhttps://deyoung.famsf.org
ExploratoriumPier 15https://www.exploratorium.edu
Fantasy Arts Museum2339 Irving Street, 2nd Floorhttp://www.fam.sitecity.ru
Fort Point National Historic SiteLong Ave & Marine Drhttps://www.nps.gov/fopo/index.htm
Fouladi Projects1803 Market Sthttps://fouladiprojects.com
Glbt History Museum4127 18Th Sthttps://www.glbthistory.org
Haas-Lilienthal House2007 Franklin Sthttps://www.sfheritage.org/haas-lilienthal-house
Haight Street Art Center215 Haight Sthttps://haightstreetart.org
Henry Wilson Coil Masonic Library And Museum1111 California Sthttp://www.masonicheritage.org/contact.htm
Hiller Aviation Museum601 Skywayhttps://www.hiller.org
International Museum Of Women222 Sutter Sthttps://www.imow.org
Keane Eyes Gallery349 Geary Sthttps://www.keane-eyes.com
Legion of Honor Museum100 34Th Avehttps://legionofhonor.famsf.org/
Madame Tussauds San Francisco145 Jefferson Sthttps://www.madametussauds.com/san-francisco
Magnes Museum282 2Nd Sthttps://www.thecjm.org
Maritime Museum-San Francisco Maritime National Hi2 Marina Blvdhttps://www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm
Musee Mecanique45 Pier Ste D7http://museemecanique.org
Museum Of 3D Illusions San Francisco55-61 Jefferson Sthttps://sfillusions.com
Museum Of African Diaspora90 New Montgomery Sthttps://www.moadsf.org
Museum Of Glbt History657 Mission Sthttps://www.glbthistory.org
Museum Of Ice Cream1 Grant Avehttps://www.museumoficecream.com/
Museum Of Russian Culture2450 Sutter Sthttp://www.mrcsf.org/home
Museum Of Vision655 Beach Sthttp://www.museumofvision.org
Neo Modern1898 Union Sthttp://www.neomodern.com
Octagon House2645 Gough Sthttp://www.octagonhouseca.org
Pacific Coast Air Museum2330 Airport Blvdhttps://pacificcoastairmuseum.org/
Pacific Heritage Museum608 Commercial Sthttp://www.ibankunited.com/phm
Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation447 Sutter Sthttps://philippinefolklifemuseum.org
Randall Museum199 Museum Wayhttps://randallmuseum.org
Ripley's Believe It Or Not!175 Jefferson Sthttp://www.ripleys.com
Romer Young Gallery1240 22Nd Sthttps://www.romeryounggallery.com
San Francisco De Asis - Mission Dolores3321 16Th Sthttps://www.missiondolores.org
San Francisco Fire Department Museum655 Presidio Avehttp://www.sffiremuseum.org
San Francisco Jewelry Museum888 Brannan Sthttp://www.jewelryexchangeco.com
San Francisco Maritime Museum/Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building900 Beach Sthttp://www.nps.gov/safr/planyourvisit/hours.htm
San Francisco Railway Museum77 Steuart Sthttp://www.streetcar.org
SF MOMA (Museum of Modern Art151 Third Sthttps://www.sfmoma.org/
Sfo MuseumSan Francisco International Airporthttps://www.sfomuseum.org
Society Of California Pioneers101 Montgomery St Ste 150https://www.californiapioneers.org
Studio For Urban Projects917 Bryant Sthttps://studioforurbanprojects.org
Tenderloin Museum398 Eddy Sthttp://www.tenderloinmuseum.org
The American Book Binders Museum355 Clementina Sthttps://bookbindersmuseum.org
The Contemporary Jewish Museum736 Mission Sthttps://www.thecjm.org
The Gregangelo Museum225 San Leandro Wayhttps://www.gregangelomuseum.com/tours-sf-tickets-to-another-world
The Mexican Museum649 Mission Sthttps://www.mexicanmuseum.org
The Randall Museum745 Treat Avehttps://randallmuseum.org
Treasure Island Museum300 Montgomery Sthttp://www.treasureislandmuseum.org
Uss Pampanito45 Pierhttp://www.maritime.org/pamphome.htm
Walt Disney Family Museum104 Montgomery Sthttps://www.waltdisney.org
Wells Fargo Museum420 Montgomery Sthttps://www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums/san-francisco

Did we leave your theater off the list? Send us the info and we’ll be sure to add it.


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Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the best museums in San Francisco?

There’s no lack of museums in the Bay Area with over 60 prominent venues right in the city. Some of the best include MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), DeYoung Museum, Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum, Exploratorium, and San Francisco Maritime Museums.

Are there museums for children in San Francisco?

Many of San Francisco’s museums have at least one exhibit targeting younger visitors. Families will appreciate the Children’s Creativity Museum, Cartoon Art Museum, Exploratorium, Madame Tussauds, and Museum of 3D Illusions.

What is San Francisco’s Museum of 3D Illusions?

The Museum of 3D Illusions in San Francisco describes itself as the “most fun museum!” That’s because it’s fully interactive. Visitors step inside 3D art exhibits creating incredibly unique photo opportunities. And, for visitors needing to relieve some stress, the Museum of 3D Illusions also hosts a “Smash It” room.