Museums · San Francisco · United States
4 best museums in San Francisco
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Lu ( User:dllu ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum and Exploratorium. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 10–11 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 10–11 hours
- Areas
- Golden Gate Park, Embarcadero and SoMa
Museums in San Francisco
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Museum · Golden Gate Park
1.California Academy of Sciences
Under a living roof planted with native wildflowers, the Academy combines an aquarium with a Philippine coral reef, a four-storey rainforest dome with free-flying butterflies, the Morrison Planetarium, African penguins and a natural history museum.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Golden Gate Park
2.de Young Museum
Facing the Academy across the Music Concourse, the copper-clad de Young shows American art, art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, and textiles.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Embarcadero
3.Exploratorium
On Pier 15, the Exploratorium fills a waterfront shed with hundreds of hands-on exhibits on science, perception and art, from a fog bridge to the pitch-dark Tactile Dome.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- After dark
Gallery · SoMa
4.SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, expanded in 2016 with a rippled white extension, is one of the largest modern-art museums in the United States, with works by Warhol, Rothko, Kahlo and Richter and a strong photography collection.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Park | California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum | 3 hours + 2 hours |
| Embarcadero | Exploratorium | 3 hours |
| SoMa | SFMOMA | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 3 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for California Academy of Sciences. The longest visit is California Academy of Sciences; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- California Academy of Sciences: Buy timed tickets online in advance for weekends and holidays.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Golden Gate Park): California Academy of Sciences, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Golden Gate Park): de Young Museum, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Embarcadero): Exploratorium, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (SoMa): SFMOMA, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Showery, with greening hills and sunny spells; Lunar New Year brings the city's biggest night parade.
- January: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and the wettest time of year, with crisp, clear days between storms; hotel rates are among the lowest of the year.
- May: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 2 rainy days, moderate crowds. Pleasant spring days as the fog season begins to build; one of the better months for walking and hiking.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Union Square — Department stores, theatres and the Powell Street cable car turnaround
More of San Francisco
All things to do in San Francisco · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in San Francisco?
California Academy of Sciences. Under a living roof planted with native wildflowers, the Academy combines an aquarium with a Philippine coral reef, a four-storey rainforest dome with free-flying butterflies, the Morrison Planetarium, African penguins and a natural history museum.