Museums
SFMOMA
151 3rd Street (SOMA)
Tel: (415) 357-4000
Open Fri-Tue 11am-5:45pm, Thu 11am-8:45pm. Closed Weds, Thanksgiving, Dec 25 and Jan 1.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the first West Coast museum dedicated to contemporary art, and is considered one of the finest modern art museums in the world. Its stellar collection of modern art became even more exciting in 2009, when the Fisher family (of Gap fame) announced they would be displaying their renowned collection at the museum. The landmark SFMOMA building that currently houses the museum was opened in 1995 – a rooftop sculpture garden was added in 2009. A new expansion is being planned, beginning summer 2013. Please check back for updates.
De Young
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park
Tel: (415) 750-3600
Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm, Fri (Apr-Nov) 9:30am-8:45pm. Closed Mon, Thanksgiving and Dec 25. Closes 4pm July 4 and Dec 24.
This fine arts museum has been holding major exhibitions since 1921. Nearly razed due to damage following the 1989 earthquake, the de Young was renovated using private funds and reopened 2005. The museum houses a permanent collection of African, pre-Colombian American and contemporary American art, as well as traveling exhibitions – but the innovative and controversial building itself is reason enough to go.
Legion of Honor
100 34th Avenue at Clement St (Richmond District)
Tel: (415) 750-3600
Open Tue-Sun, 9:30am-5:15pm. Closed Mon, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25. Closes 4pm Jul 4, Dec 24 and Dec 31.
Built as a memorial for California soldiers who died in WWI, this lovely Beaux-Arts building offers a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. Within are eight centuries of European art, including works by Monet, Rembrandt, and Rodin – the Court of Honor is home to the original cast of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker.
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street (Civic Center)
Tel: (415) 581-3500
Open Tue-Wed and Fri-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu (Oct-Dec) 10am-5pm, (Jan-Sep) 10am-9pm. Closed Mon, Thanksgiving, Dec 25 and Jan 1.
This museum began as a bequest from Chicago industrialist Avery Brundage, who contributed some 7,700 artworks. The collection was once exhibited in a cramped wing of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park – in 1994, the Asian Art Museum moved to its new Civic Center location in the former Main Library. Today it is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, with a collection of more than 17,000 objects spanning over 6,000 years.
Walt Disney Family Museum
104 Montgomery Street, The Presidio
Tel: (415) 345-6800
Open Wed-Mon 10am-6pm. Last ticket sale and entry 4:45pm. Closed Tue.
An interactive journey through the life and career of Walt Disney, including his early years, how he got started in animation and the entertainment industry, and the creation of Mickey Mouse. Although the multi-media displays are engrossing, it may be more interesting for older kids and adults than small children.
Contemporary Jewish Museum
736 Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets (SOMA)
Tel: (415) 655-7800
Open Mon, Tue and Fri-Sun 11am-5pm, Thu 1pm-8pm. Closed Wed, the first day of Passover, July 4, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving, and Jan 1.
Opened in 1984, this museum explores contemporary perspectives on Jewish art and culture. Exhibitions include modern art and historic objects, film, music, lectures and literary readings. In 2005, the museum moved to its dynamic new facility within the historic Jesse Street PG&E Power Substation.
Mexican Museum (Marina District)
Fort Mason Center, Building D
Tel: (415) 202-9700
Open Wed-Sun noon-4pm
This museum’s unique collection of 12,000 objects represents thousands of years of Mexican and Mexican American art and culture, and is considered the best of its kind in the country. Though the museum can exhibit only a small selection of these at a time in their current space, it is a pleasingly intimate experience. Plans are underway for a larger permanent home in the Yerba Buena District, scheduled to open in 2016.
Haas-Lilienthal House
2007 Franklin Street
(Pacific Heights)
Tel: (415) 441-3000
Guided tours only, Sun 11am-4pm, Wed & Sat noon-3pm (occasionally closed on Saturdays for private functions)
An elaborate 1886 Queen Anne-style mansion built by wealthy merchant William Haas, this period-furnished private home is now open as a museum.