These are the best museums in San Francisco:
1De Young Museum
San Francisco, CALocated in the Golden Gate Park, this long-operating museum (opened in 1895) offers its visitors a look at great collections of art. It is one of the two fine arts museums in San Francisco and was founded by newspaperman M. H. de Young. From modern paintings and sculptures to ancient American pott 2San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, CAKnown also as SFMOMA, this huge museum houses incredibly rich collection of modern and contemporary art. Even before stepping inside, spend a while with admiring the imposing architecture of the building. Inside, you will have the chance of exploring more than 30 000 works of art, including paintin- Online discount!
3Aquarium of the Bay
San Francisco, CAAquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at The Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California . The aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and watersheds as far as the Sierra Mountains. Since 2005 th 4Alcatraz Island
San Francisco, CAThe well-known Alcatraz used to function as a prison with famous prisoners such as Al Capone. Nowadays, this place is a great museum of its history. You are invited to see its cellhouse, dining room, library, lighthouse and much more. Though you can easily explore the island on your own, there is 5Exploratorium
San Francisco, CAThe Exploratorium is a museum of science , technology , and arts in San Francisco , California . Characterized as "a mad scientist's penny arcade, a scientific funhouse, and an experimental laboratory all rolled into one", the participatory nature of its exhibits and its self-identification as a cen 6Legion of Honor
San Francisco, CAOverlooking the city's bay, this fine arts museum is housed in a marvelous building. It features a rich collection of mostly European art, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. A part of the museum is also dedicated to graphic arts. Thanks to its unique architecture, the palace feat 7California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, CACompletely rebuilt in 2008, this new environment-friendly building houses one of the largest natural history museums in the world - more than 25 million specimens. You should not miss seeing the Living Roof - the building's rooftop which is actually covered by fields. Apart from the museum, the co 8Musée Mécanique
San Francisco, CA 9The Walt Disney Family Museum
San Francisco, CAA museum dedicated to Walt Disney, his personal life, and his achievements. The exhibition includes ten permanent galleries, organized chronologically. The museum also organizes various spotlight talks and film screenings. The rear side of the building features a glass wall which offers magnificent 10Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, CALocated in the famous Golden Gate Park, this conservatory dates back to 1878, which makes it the oldest building in the park. It houses more than 1500 plant species, including exotic and rare ones. If you want to learn more about the conservatory, you can join a guided tour led by a docent. 11Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
San Francisco, CAThe Asian Art Museum of San Francisco – Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture is a museum in San Francisco , California that specializes in Asian art . It was founded by Olympian Avery Brundage in the 1960s and has more than 18,000 works of art in its permanent collection, some as much 12Boudin Bakery
San Francisco, CAFounded in 1849, this bakery has been catering to San Franciscans the best sourdough French bread in California. This is no ordinary bakery - apart from buying bread and dining with a view of the bay, you can also see bakers at work through an observation window. It also houses a museum which will i 13USS Pampanito
San Francisco, CAUSS Pampanito (SS-383/AGSS-383) , a Balao -class submarine , was a United States Navy ship, the third one named for the pompano fish. She completed six war patrols from 1944 to 1945 and served as a Naval Reserve Training ship from 1960 to 1971. She is now a National Historic Landmark , preserved as 14Cable Car Museum
San Francisco, CAThis San Francisco museum is the place to visit if you are in the least interested in cable cars or machines. Not only will you be able to enjoy going through their exhibition here, you will also be allowed to drive a cable car yourself. The museum, founded in 1974, is run by Friends of the Cable C 15Madame Tussauds San Francisco
San Francisco, CAMadame Tussauds San Francisco is a wax museum located in Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco in California . The attraction opened on June 26, 2014 and became the 17th Madame Tussauds museum to open worldwide. The attraction features wax figures of famous figures from movies, music, politics, popular c 16SS Jeremiah O'brien
San Francisco, CADocked in the Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 45, this historic ship fought in the Second World War. This fully functional Liberty ship still makes cruises and also serves as a living museum. Explore its inside including the engine room, which also featured in the famous Titanic movie. 17Cartoon Art Museum
San Francisco, CAYou think that cartoon is not a true form of art? Well, take a peek into this newly relocated museum and you may as well change your mind. The main aim of this institution is to spread knowledge about cartoons and showcase its history and social impact. The permanent collection includes more than 70 18Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum
San Francisco, CAGood Vibrations is a sex-positive San Francisco -based corporation selling sex toys and other erotic products. It operates nine retail stores: seven in the San Francisco Bay Area , one in Brookline, Massachusetts , and one in Harvard Square ; a mail-order business; an e-commerce website; a wholesal 19Yerba Buena Center For the Arts Gallery
San Francisco, CAYerba Buena Center for the Arts ( YBCA ) is a multi-disciplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco , California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens , YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that celebrates local, national, and international artists and the Bay Area 20Children's Creativity Museum
San Francisco, CAThe Children's Creativity Museum is an interactive museum for children aged 2-12 years, located in Yerba Buena Gardens , in San Francisco, California . It offers workshops and exhibits that allow children to produce their own media through various interactive, creative processes: stop motion animati 21The Contemporary Jewish Museum
San Francisco, CAThe Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) is a non-collecting museum at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California . The museum, which was founded in 1984, is located in the historic Jessie Street Substation, which was gutted and its i 22Maritime Museum - Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building
San Francisco, CAThe San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco , California , United States. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility. The park used to be referred to as the San Francisco Maritime Museum , ho 23Crissy Field Center
San Francisco, CAEducational lectures, cultural events and public workshops are organized in this environmental educational center. Very enjoyable! 24Chinese Historical Society of America
San Francisco, CAThe Chinese Historical Society of America ( simplified Chinese : 美国华人 历史 学会 ; traditional Chinese : 美國華人歷史學會 ; pinyin : Měiguó Huárén Lìshǐ Xuéhuì ; Jyutping : Mei gwok Waa jan Lik si Hok wui ; abbreviated CHSA ) is the oldest and largest archive and history center documenting the Chinese American e 25International Art Museum of America
San Francisco, CAThe International Art Museum of America ( IAMA ), originally the Superb Art Museum of America , is an art museum located at 1023 Market Street between 6th and 7th Streets in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California . It was founded in 2011 by H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III 26Ripley's Believe It Or Not
San Francisco, CABelieve it or not, this museum houses a collection of the most extraordinary items. Two floors, 17 galleries, and more than 400 weird and quirky objects including, for example, duct tape art, a mummified foot, or statues made from toothpicks. The exhibition rooms are beautifully designed so they wou 27San Francisco Main Library
San Francisco, CAThe San Francisco Public Library is the public library system of the city of San Francisco . The Main Library is located at Civic Center , at 100 Larkin Street. The library system has won several awards, such as Library Journal 's Library of the Year award in 2018. The library is well-funded due to 28Haas-lilienthal House
San Francisco, CAThe Haas–Lilienthal House is a historic building located at 2007 Franklin Street in San Francisco , California , United States, within the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Built in 1886 for William and Bertha Haas, it survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire. The house is a San Fr 29California Historical Society Museum
San Francisco, CAThe California Historical Society ( CHS ) is the official historical society of California . It was founded in 1871, by a group of prominent Californian intellectuals at Santa Clara University . It was officially designated as the Californian state historical society in 1979. Its headquarters are in 30Wells Fargo History Museum
San Francisco, CABuilt on the site of former Wells Fargo Bank, this museum features various exhibits on the history of banking. The exhibition is both interesting and educational - drive a stagecoach or see how vintage bank machines worked. 31Southern Exposure
San Francisco, CASouthern Exposure (SoEx) is a not-for-profit arts organization and alternative art space founded in 1974 in the Mission District of San Francisco, California . It was originally founded as a grassroots, cooperative art gallery in conjunction with Project Artaud which was a live/work artist community 32Bay Area Discovery Museum
San Francisco, CAThe Bay Area Discovery Museum is a children's museum located in Sausalito, California inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area , which is right at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge . It was founded in 1987. The museum is geared to children from 6 months to 10 years of age with different are 33Museum of the African Diaspora
San Francisco, CAThe Museum of the African Diaspora ( MoAD ) is a contemporary art museum in San Francisco , California. MoAD holds exhibitions and presents artists exclusively of the African diaspora , one of only a few museums of its kind in the United States. Located at 685 Mission St. adjacent to the St. Regis H- 34
Museo Italo Americano
San Francisco, CAMuseo ItaloAmericano , also known as the Italian American Museum , is a museum in San Francisco , California , that focuses on Italian-American history, art and culture. 35Balclutha
San Francisco, CABalclutha , also known as Star of Alaska , Pacific Queen , or Sailing Ship Balclutha , is a steel-hulled full-rigged ship that was built in 1886. She is representative of several different commercial ventures, including lumber, salmon, and grain. She is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is cur 36American Bookbinders Museum
San Francisco, CAWe tell the story of the book as a physical object, preserving and promoting the art and history of Western bookbinding, from the hand processes of the 16th century through the mechanization of the 19th century. Through tours, hands-on experiences, and exposure to the materials, techniques, and tech 37Glbt History Museum
San Francisco, CAThe main aim of this museum is to promote and support LGBT society via showcasing exhibits on the community's history, culture, and arts. See exhibitions depicting the birth of San Francisco queer life. 38The Beat Museum
San Francisco, CAWhether you are a fan of the Beat generation or not, this museum full of memorabilia is simply one of its kind. The museum also organizes walking tours that will take you along the footsteps of the Beats. 39Headlands Center For the Arts
San Francisco, CAHeadlands Center for the Arts hosts an internationally recognized artist-in-residence program, and interdisciplinary public programs. It is situated in a campus of artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands , in Marin County, California . 40Steinhart Aquarium
San Francisco, CA 41San Francisco Railway Museum
San Francisco, CA 42San Francisco Armory
San Francisco, CAThe San Francisco Armory , also known as the San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal or simply The Armory , is a historic building in the Mission District of San Francisco, California . As of 2018, it is owned by SF Armory LLC, an affiliate of AJ Capital Partners .- 43
Autodesk Gallery
San Francisco, CA 44California Society of Pioneers Museum and Library
San Francisco, CA 45Pacific Heritage Museum
San Francisco, CA 46Nike Missile Site SF-88
San Francisco, CA 47CCA Wattis Institute For Contemporary Arts
San Francisco, CA 48Randall Museum
San Francisco, CA- 49
Museum of Craft and Design
San Francisco, CAA museum devoted to showcasing contemporary craft and design. Its exhibitions are primarily focused on everyday usage of design. - 50
Tenderloin Museum
San Francisco, CAAs the name suggests, this museum will guide you through the history of San Francisco's neighborhood connected mainly to prohibition, immigrants, and LGBT - Tenderloin. You can also join various walking tours through the district.