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SAN FRANCISCO · CA

12 best museums in San Francisco

Free admission, world-class collections, and an unusual concentration of small specialist museums (cable cars, glass, comics) make SF a strong museum city for its size.

Updated Apr 2026 · 10 min read · 12 museums ·9 bookable ·2 free
San Francisco · 12 results

San Francisco’s museums divide between two main concentrations. Golden Gate Park holds the de Young, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Asian Art Museum’s planning office (the museum itself is in Civic Center). The downtown core — SoMa, Yerba Buena, and the Embarcadero — holds SFMOMA, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and the Exploratorium.

Bay Area residents get free first-Sundays at most major museums, including the de Young, Legion of Honor, and Asian Art Museum. The Cable Car Museum and the GLBT Historical Society Museum are always free.

The Exploratorium’s After Dark on Thursdays (21+) is worth a separate evening — it’s the city’s best after-hours museum experience.

The full directory of every Bay Area museum (80+) is at the bottom of this page.

The ranking

  1. de Young Museum

    de Young Museum
    Art · Golden Gate Park, near the Japanese Tea Garden

    Herzog & de Meuron building in Golden Gate Park. American and Oceanic art.

    4.6 / 5
    9,959 Google reviews
    $20
    general admission
    Get tickets
  3. California Academy of Sciences

    California Academy of Sciences
    Natural History · Golden Gate Park, opposite the de Young

    Aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and rainforest under one living roof.

    Family favoriteNightLife Thu 21+
    4.6 / 5
    6,551 Google reviews
    $45
    general admission
    Get tickets
  4. Legion of Honor

    Legion of Honor
    Art · Lincoln Park, Outer Richmond

    A neoclassical replica of the Paris Légion d'honneur, perched over the Pacific.

    4.8 / 5
    5,322 Google reviews
    $20
    general admission
    Get tickets
  6. Exploratorium

    Exploratorium
    Science · Embarcadero, Pier 15

    The original hands-on science museum. Frank Oppenheimer's 1969 founding template.

    After Dark Thu (18+)Family favorite
    4.7 / 5
    8,823 Google reviews
    $35
    general admission
    Get tickets
  9. Walt Disney Family Museum

    Walt Disney Family Museum
    Specialized · Presidio, near the Main Post

    The full personal and professional life of Walt Disney, in the Presidio.

    4.6 / 5
    4,262 Google reviews
    $25
    general admission
    Get tickets
  10. Cable Car Museum

    Cable Car Museum
    History · Nob Hill, on the Powell-Mason cable line

    The actual working power station that pulls every cable car in the city.

    Always free
    4.7 / 5
    7,237 Google reviews
    Free
    always free
    View details
  11. PHOTO
    CLOSED

    Cartoon Art Museum
    Specialized · Fisherman's Wharf, near Ghirardelli Square

    A small, suggested-donation museum focused on comics and animation.

    Temporarily closed Suggested $5
    4.2 / 5
    422 Google reviews
    Free
    suggested $5
    View details