Best Museums in San Francisco

A stay in San Francisco, California, is not complete without visiting its most interesting museums. That is why in this list I show you some of the most interesting museums to see in this city.

Visiting the Modern Art Museum or the Asian Art Museum are activities that you cannot miss in your list of things to see and do in San Francisco. If you want to know what other museums you can visit with friends or family, stay and read more.

At the Walt Disney Museum, which is run by the animation genius' daughter Diane Disney, you'll see a wealth of Disney memorabilia from throughout the ages. From scale dolls of the most famous characters of the Disney house to authentic figures that were used in their productions. The Disney Museum is truly the home of the company's relics.

It is undoubtedly a good place to include among the things to do in San Francisco with children, because not only will they be able to see inside the most famous characters of all times, but they will also have a wide vision of what was the life and work of one of the most creative minds in America. Reviewing Walt Disney's childhood will help you understand what his creative process was like, and how he eventually managed to bring his iconic characters to life.

Details of interest

• Location: 104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio. Across from Crissy Field Marsh.
• Hours: Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday closed.
• Price: From 25 euros.

Located very close to the San Francisco Academy of Sciences, this museum is also dedicated to the exhibition of fine arts in the city. It is a magical place where you can admire important art collections dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum has been in operation since 2005.

Before that date it had been open to the public since 1895, but a devastating earthquake in 1989 destroyed the entire structure, which was not renovated until the beginning of the 21st century. It is arranged by regions around the world, with the idea of showing the public art from all continents.

With regard to American art, the museum offers a wide variety of exhibitions of American murals and paintings. Most of these works of art in the De Young Museum are from the Rockefeller family collection.

Although it is not one of the best views of San Francisco, I invite you to climb to the top of the tower of the museum, from where you can have a good view of the city.

Details of interest

• Location: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. Across from Rideout Fountain.
• Hours: Sunday to Tuesday from 9:30 am to 5:15 pm. Mondays closed.
• Price: Adults from 15 euros. Children under 17 are free. On the first Tuesday of the month admission is free. Some tickets include a visit to the Legion of Honor.

A museum dedicated to the 3,600 lives of California soldiers lost during WWI. The building, which is a scale model of the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Paris, was built around 1924. From decorative paintings to sculptures to artwork dating back 4,000 years, the museum is more than a war memorial. It is a place where you can admire the history of mankind at first hand.

Up to 70 works by the artist Agustin Rodin are exhibited inside, in addition to multiple pieces that belong to other important artists such as Rembrandt, Monet and Rubens. But definitely the work with which you will want to take more pictures inside the enclosure is the "The Thinker" which is exposed in the outside of the museum.

This is a place to visit calmly, to stop and admire each work and take pictures of each of the interesting pieces you see. It is very close to the Young Museum, and some of its entrances are even shared by both places. Another activity you won't want to miss at this museum is its breathtaking view of the Golden Gate and the Pacific Ocean.

Details of interest

• Location: 100 34th Ave. Next to the El Cid statue.
• Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:30am-5:15pm. Mondays closed.
• Price: Adults from 15 euros. Seniors over 65, from 12 euros. Children under 17 years are free. The first Tuesday of each month the entrance is free.

It is an attraction that stands out for being one of the most emblematic of San Francisco. Thousands of visitors frequent this place to see what is ranked as the second greatest museum in the world, highlighted by The New York Times. One of the best things to see here are the impressive interactive exhibits, where you can discover the attractions for yourself.

I recommend you to include a visit to the Exploratorium among the things to do in San Francisco with kids because they definitely love it. Every space, every environment and every exhibit makes them even more curious. It is impressive because it is much more than a regular museum, with more than 600 attractions to see, I guess you already have an idea of what I'm talking about.

But it doesn't end there, the Exploratorium, which was inaugurated by physicist Frank Openhaimer in 1969, offers an After Dark only for those over 18, where you can have a great evening , dance and even have a few beers while touring the most amazing attractions of the place. This also makes it a good place to go if you are thinking about what to see and do in San Francisco at night.

Among the interesting things you will be able to learn inside the place, you will be able to know in depth how insects live, you will also be able to know how a car works. You will have the chance to see how a tornado works, and you can even see in real time how the tides and clouds work.

Interesting details

• Location: Pier 15 Embarcadero & Green Street. Before you get to the Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery.
• Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00. Monday closed. After Dark on Thursdays from 18:00 to 22:00.
• Price: Adults from 30 euros. Children under 4 years old are free.

Since its creation in 1995, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has quickly become a major attraction in downtown San Francisco. In recent years it has become even more colorful and dynamic as new functions are added with the use of new technologies.

Although it currently operates in the building created especially for this museum, it actually opened its doors in the 1930's. In those years it was named the San Francisco Museum of Art and was the first museum dedicated expressly to art produced during the 20th century. It was then located on the top floor of the War Memorial Veterans Buildings. Its current location lives up to its purpose, and one of the things that first impresses you when you enter the museum are its own facilities.

An impeccable distribution and architecture only possible with the hand of architect Mario Botta. Inside, extravagant exhibitions are the order of the day. So if you are an art aficionado, you will certainly not be bored during your visit to the museum. It is home to important works by Picasso and Dalí, while other exhibits are temporary on the premises.

Details of interest

• Location: 151 3rd St. across from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
• Hours: Friday to Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday closed. Thursday from 13:00 to 20:00.
• Price: From 19 euros for adults. Children are free.

What is most appealing about this place is the antiquity of most of its pieces, which date back more than 6,000 years. The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is a place to know and recognize the characteristics of the Asian culture in all its splendor. The more than 2,400 elements coming from Asia that are exhibited in the museum make the place a true jewel of millenary art.

This museum seeks to create a bridge between the American society with the knowledge and the rich Asian culture. This, which counts as one of the best museums in San Francisco, offers guides in Spanish that will help you understand a little more about each of the elements that you can appreciate during your visit.

I recommend that you make the tour of the museum starting on the third floor, so you can see in detail the organization by areas that has arranged the museum, to better explain part of the ancient Asian history through ornamental and everyday elements of their culture.

You will be able to see wooden and bronze figures, as well as representations of deities, fantastic animals of Asian mythology and everyday utensils of antiquity. More than a cultural tour, visiting this museum is the clear representation of an interesting journey through time.

Interesting details

• Location: 200 Larkin St. next to the Pioneer Monument.
• Hours: Friday to Monday from 10:00 to 17:00. Thursdays from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday, closed.
• Price: Adults from 15 euros. Students, young people between 13 and 17 years old and adults over 65 from 10 euros. Children under 13 years old are free.

If you are interested in the history of transportation and want to learn a little about how Americans moved in the 19th century, then the Cable Car Museum is the place to visit. It is an interesting museum where you can see an impressive collection of old photographs of the operation of the cable car that was active until the late 1800s.

Also on display are cable car artifacts such as tools, scale models, rails, cables, brake mechanisms and the like. On the other hand, you can also look at some surviving carriages from the cable car company that operated at that time.

Details of interest

• Location: 1201 Corner of Mason St. and Washington St. next to the Betty Ann Ong Recreation Center along Maison St.
• Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Friday through Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on Mondays.
• Price: Admission is free.

It is a museum for the pleasure and fun of passionate lovers of drawing and comics, with more than 6,000 original pieces on display, this museum becomes the true jewel in the crown for those who love to admire animated art. One of the best things about the Cartoon Art Museum is that it has both permanent and temporary exhibits, this helps ensure that when you return, you won't find the same exhibit as the previous time.

One of the things you will find inside this museum is a large number of cartoons, being the first museum in the United States that dedicates its spaces to pay tribute to this form of art expression. Without a doubt, this is a place you can't miss if you enjoy animated art in a big way.

Details of interest

• Location: 781 Beach St. across from the Maritime Garden.
• Hours: Thursday to Tuesday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Wednesdays.
• Price: Adults from 10 euros. San Francisco residents pay from 7 euros. Children under 4 years old are free.

It is a museum dedicated to the railroad and also to cable cars that were part of the San Francisco F line. The thing about this museum is that it is a compact place where you will have a really nice vintage experience, knowing a little bit about the history of the F line railroads and how they impacted the society of 1800.

You will also get to know how the technology of the 19th and 20th centuries is reflected in the construction of railroad trains that were a landmark since they started to be built and during the whole time they were in operation. Another of the interesting elements that you can see inside the San Francisco Railway Museum is an almost exact replica of what was the engineer's platform of the streetcar. You can see it as it looked in 1911.

Details of Interest

• Location: 77 Steuart St. Diagonal to the Ferry Building across from The Embarcadero St.
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 17:00. Closed Sunday and Monday.
• Price: Free of charge.

From the entrance you can imagine that what awaits you inside the Contemporary Jewish Museum is much more than just art. Inside, the work of multiple Jewish artists is on display. The place tries to envelop you in the atmosphere of Jewish history and culture, to interpret and understand their roots and of course their way of seeing life.

It is an interesting art museum, beyond crowded, modern and popular. The art exhibited there is not only to admire but also to reflect on a whole culture apparently different from the American one.

Among the activities you can enjoy inside are different exhibitions of music, paintings, films and other Jewish artwork. These exhibitions are divided into temporary and permanent. Each one of them tells a different story and tries to attract the public from different perspectives and points of view.

Details of interest

• Location: 736 Mission St. next to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
• Hours: Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Monday to Wednesday.
• Price: From 14 euros. Children under 18 are free.

This is a museum located in many cities in the United States. In this case I propose you to visit the Wells Fargo History Museum located in San Francisco. It is interesting what you will get in this museum because it is in charge of telling you the history of a country through the history of the Wells Fargo company.

As you well know, this financial company has been operating for many years, so it has grown with the development of the United States. Part of what you will find in the museum is a large collection of items that have belonged to and been acquired by the company from the gold rush to what it is today.

It is a dynamic exhibition, where you will have guides inside the museum who will explain the history behind each of the objects presented in its exhibits. It is a place where you can go with friends, family and children. Especially the latter will enjoy a lot of what the place has to offer.

Details of interest

• Location: 420 Montgomery St. Next to Wells Fargo Bank which is on the corner of Montgomery St. and California St.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• Price: Free of charge.