Ansel Adams Center for Photography
250 4th Street, San Francisco, CA; (415) 495-7000;
Open Tue-Sun 11Am-5PM;
Small museum housing five galleries of contemporary and historical photographs.
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture;
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102; Museum Website;
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art.
Its holdings include nearly 15,000 treasures spanning 6,000 years of history, representing cultures throughout Asia.
The museum's mission is to lead a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture.
- AsiaAlive - A free, interactive, drop-in program for all ages, featuring live artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, and videos and books on rotating monthly themes.
- Storytelling - Every Sunday and the first Saturday of every month at 1:00 PM, the Asian Art Museum Storytelling Corps offers an entertainingar. and educational outreach program for children and adults.
- Japanese Mochi Pounding Ceremony - (Early Jan) - One of the most popular ceremonies to celebrate the New Year is the traditional Japanese practice of mochitsuki (mochi pounding).
- Chinese New Year Celebration - (Early Feb) - Students from the Chinese American International School perform a lion dance to welcome the new year.
- Resource Center - Visitors of all ages can browse the extensive collection of books, slides, video documentaries and hands on materials providing background information on the arts and cultures of Asia.
- Japan Gallery - Space devoted to two major art forms: the Tearoom and the bamboo basket. This space includes a fully functioning example of a traditional Tearoom custom built for the new museum.
Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) CAR-TOON;
Museum Website;
In 1984, a group of cartoon art enthusiasts began organizing exhibitions by using art work from their own collections.
In 1987, with an endowment from Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz, the museum established residence in the heart of
San Francisco's new vibrant art center, Yerba Buena Gardens. The only museum in the United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of
cartoon art in all its forms, this unique institution houses approximately 6,000 original pieces in its permanent collection.
Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94108; (415) 474-1887;
Museum Website;
Open Daily 10AM-5PM (exc: major holidays); Free Admission;
Located in the historic Washington/Mason cable car barn and powerhouse, the museum deck overlooks the huge engines and
winding wheels that pull the cables. Downstairs is a viewing area of the large sheaves and cable line entering the building through the channel under the street.
The museum houses three antique cable cars from the 1870s.
Cable Car Rides - Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines stop at the museum. Fare is $3 each way.
Tour California Academy of Sciences
Discover the universe around you with these facilities that include a quality
aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and many special learning programs
located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Chinese Historical Society
Located in Chinatown. Numerous artifacts and exhibits dedicated to Chinese-American culture.
Chinese Cultural Center
Located in Chinatown. Numerous artifacts and exhibits dedicated to Chinese-American culture.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
21 Steuart Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 344-8800;
Museum Website; Open Sun-Thurs Noon-6PM;
Located one block west of the Embarcadero where artists of all backgrounds make
us think afresh by creating original interpretations of traditional Jewish ritual objects using a variety of media.
Exploratorium - at the Palace of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-0399; Museum Website;
Open Tues-Sun 10AM-5PM (Closed Mondays except is open for major holidays);
An experimental, hands-on museum designed to spark curiosity – regardless of your age or familiarity with science, with hundreds
of exhibits to touch, look through, pick up, and tinker with, let curiosity be your compass to endless discoveries!
- Traits of Life - Exploratorium's Life Science exhibits - Featuring over 30 new and revitalized biology exhibits and demonstrations, the Traits collection examines the fundamental elements common to all living things.
- Tactile Dome - Discover the unseen world of the Tactile Dome—an interactive excursion through total darkness, where your sense of touch becomes your only guide!
- The Learning Studio - the Exploratorium’s library/computer center, supports the educational and informational
needs of its patrons by providing a wide variety of electronic, multimedia, and print-based learning resources.
Tour Fisherman's Wharf
This historic shopping district is home to Pier 39, The Cannery, Ghihardelli Square
and the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.
Golden Gate Railroad Museum
Located at Hunter's Point Naval Base;Museum Website;
Open Weekends 10AM-5PM;
Since 1991, the GGRM has been collecting relevant artifacts, rolling stock and
securing the machinery and parts needed to establish the museum as a unique "hands-on" facility for the public.
The museum is based on an ex-SP engine, #2472, a 1921 Baldwin steam locomotive.
Tour Golden Gate Park
1017-acre urban park located on the west side of the City of San Francisco.
A lush landscaped oasis that is home to a number of attractions, scenic trails and man-made
lakes. Home to aquarium, planetarium, museums, tea garden, arboretum, beach chalet, and more.
Tour Golden Gate NRA
Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of the largest urban national parks
in the world and offers many historically significant places and spectacular natural areas to
visit where a wide variety of recreational activities are possible.
Haas-Lilienthal House
2007 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109; (415) 441-3004;
Queen Anne Victorian house built in 1886 and survived the 1906 fire.
Legion of Honor - Fine Arts Museum
34th Avenue & Clement Street, Lincoln Park, San Francisco, CA 94121; (415) 863-3330;
Museum Website;
Open Tues-Sun: 9:30AM-5PM; (Every Tuesday is Free Admission.)
The Legion of Honor displays a collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art in an exquisite Beaux-Arts building in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.
- European Paintings - rich collection of masterworks from the 14th to 20th Century.
- European Decorative Art - special display collection of furniture, sculpture and other unique decorative items.
- The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts collection - includes more than 70,000 prints, drawings, and illustrated books spanning six centuries.
- Ancient Art - antiquities (pottery, sculpture and metalwork) from throughout the ancient Mediterranean world and the Near East, including Greece, Rome, Egypt, Assyria, and Mesopotamia.
- Illustrated Books - Reva and David Logan collections spans over 20 years
- 18th Century Porcelain - French and English Porcelain
- Art Classes - Saturday Morning tours - Students learn about art by seeing and making it. Different topics and tours each week. Art activities include drawing, painting, printmaking, mask making, and working with clay.
The Mexican Museum
Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 202-9700;
Museum Website;
Open 11AM-5PM Wed-Sat;
Check for updates on museums move to a new location.
Since 1975, the museum has given voice to the complexity and richness of Latino Arts and Culture found throughout the Americas.
- Pre-Conquest Art -his collection contains examples of ceramic figures, beads and bowls from areas and cultures such as Chupícuaro, Colima, Huastec, Jalisco, Nayarit, Remojadas,
Toltec, Maya, Zapotec, Aztec, Veracruz and Yucatán in Mexico. It also includes dramatic vessels, tools and mythological figures from the Inca, Nazca, Moche and Chancay civilizations of Peru.
- Colonial Art - Often religious, Mexico's colonial art manifested the syncretic combination of pre-conquest indigenous imagery and ceremony with Spanish Catholicism.
- Popular Art - In the early 1920s, arte popular was recognized as a source of national pride for Mexico and a revived interest to preserve and document these art forms was initiated.
- Modern Art -Mexican artists from this era reached international acclaim and inspired a break from the past in search of new forms of expression.
- Chicano Art - Developed in the 1960s during the political eruption of the civil rights movements - Chicano Art explores identity, humor, religion and individual expression through a uniquely cultural perspective.
- Family Sundays Series - Introduces families to a range of art forms and artists, through free interactive, intergenerational cultural activities and events.
- Public Forums - Public lectures, symposia and performances examine issues related to the Museum's exhibitions and permanent collection.
- Street SmArt - Program offers free after-school classes in a variety of art media to youth.
Museo ItaloAmericano
Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, San Francisco, California 94123-1382; (415) 673-2200;
Museum Website;
The Museo is dedicated to research, collection & display of works of Italian
& Italian American artists & promotes educational programs for the appreciation of Italian
art & culture. The Museo is the only museum in the US devoted exclusively to Italian &
Italian-American art.
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, San Francisco, California 94123-1382; (415) 775-0991;
Museum Website;
Open Tues-Sun 11AM-5PM; Free Admission Only on First Wedz of Month;
MOCFA offers a range of fun and enlightening programs for adults, families and private groups, including evening lectures, symposia, artist's demonstrations, family art workshops and gallery tours. See the listings below for upcoming events.
lassroom workshops are an exciting way to link the arts with science, math, social science, language arts, and anthropology.
Students are given the opportunity to participate in a traditional craft making project and complete an art project.
- The Artist Registry - a listing of contemporary artists involved with MOCFA and are categorized by medium - clay, metal, fiber, glass, wood, etc.
Pacific Heritage Museum
Located in Chinatown.
Plymire Schwarz Museum & Center - Fire Museum
519 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco; (650) 875-6988;
Open : Wedz 2PM-4PM and by appointment;
A 1905 home originally owned by the first doctor in town and was used as the only
hospital between San Francisco and San Mateo. The Fire Museum, with
an extensive collection of memorabilia, is located in the basement level.
Presidio of San Francisco
Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, The Presidio of San Francisco offers many
historically significant places and spectacular natural areas to visit where
a wide variety of recreational activities are possible.
San Francisco Airport Museum
San Francisco International Airport; (650) 821-6700;
Museum Website;
An extensive museum of 20 fine art galleries started in 1980 now winds its way through most of the airport terminals
that add a dramatic ambience and character to this public facility.
- International Terminal Aviation Museum -
San Francisco Fire Museum
655 Presidio Avenue, San Francisco, CA. 94115-2424; (415) 563-4630;
Museum Website; Open Thurs-Sun 1PM-4PM;
Free Admission;;
A variery of showcase exhibits portray the history of the San Francisco Fire Department since its formation as an
all volunteer service in 1849. Special exhibits cover the earthquake and fire of 1906, cast iron toys, antique
chemical fire extinquishers and many antique fire patrol vehicles. Their weblink lists historic fire station buildings
and fireboats.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art [SFMOMA]
151 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-3159; (415) 357-4000; Museum Website;
Open Daily 9AM-6PM (Exc: Closed Wedz)
The first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art, when it opened in 1935 under the direction of Grace L. McCann Morley.
The museum has a number of ever-changing exhibitions. The museum offers special exhibition-related events such as
artists' talks and lectures; talks and classes about art history; tours for schools, adult groups, and walk-in visitors;
family days; monthly hands-on family studios; and creative projects for youths with all levels of familiarity with modern and contemporary art.
- Architecture & Design Gallery - collection comprises architectural models and drawings, furniture, and other design objects, as well as print work, prototypes, and Web sites.
- Media Arts Gallery - collection encompasses all applications of time-based media, including videotape, video installation, film, sound installation, multimedia, and new media.
- Photography Gallery - one of the first museums in the country to examine photography as an art form and embraces a wide range of subjects and authors from such diverse purviews as science, industry, government, entertainment, media, amateur amusement, and the fine arts.
- Painting & Sculpture Gallery - The department is devoted to the acquisition and exhibition of works that reflect the full range of modern and contemporary art.
San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum
401 Van Ness Ave, Veterans Bldg, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102; (415) 255-4800;
Museum Website; Open Wed-Fri 11AM-5PM /Sat 1PM-5PM;
SFPALM has over two million items about the performing arts, with a special emphasis on documenting and preserving the San Francisco Bay Area's rich
and diverse performing arts heritage from the Gold Rush to the present. SFPALM also houses the archives of many local performing arts organizations,
such as the San Francisco Ballet, Opera, and Symphony, as well as the Stern Grove Festival, the Ethnic Dance Festival, Pickle Family Circus, and The Lamplighters.
Special theme collections cover dance, music, theater, opera, musical theater and design.
South San Francisco Historical Society
601 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94083; (650) 829-3825;
Open : Tues / Thurs 1PM-3PM and by appointment;
Historical Society Museum housing photographs and artifacts tracing the history of
the "Industrial City." One of the major highlights of this museum includes a
special exhibit about the early families who came to South San Francisco.
Vintage wedding gowns and other clothes are also displayed.
The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf
145 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; (800) 439-4305;
Museum Website;
Open Daily 10AM-9PM (9AM-11PM Weekends);
Every year new realistic, life-size superstar figures are added to
appear among the dignitaries, celebrities and villains at the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf.
Wells Fargo History Museum
420 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94163; (415) 396-2619;
Museum Website;
Open Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM; Free Admission;
On the site where Wells Fargo first opened for business in 1852, this museum features a Concord Coach used by Wells Fargo in the 1860s and an impressive display of gold dust and ore from California’s Gold Country.
Exhibits include Wells Fargo’s role in San Francisco history, from the “Sudden City” of the ’49ers to the great earthquake of 1906,
dealing with Black Bart and other stagecoach robbers, and a special collection of Gold Rush letters carried by hundreds of express companies.
DeYoung Museum
Golden Gate Park - ReOpens Oct 15, 2005
On October 15, 2005, San Francisco's beloved de Young museum re-opens in a magnificent new building. Visit the de Young site in Golden Gate Park to see the construction progress.
More San Francisco Museum Resource Links
S.F. Museum and Historical Society - preserves, interprets and presents the historical heritage of San Francisco from its variegated natural history to its lively human history.
The Museum of the City of San Francisco - Primarily a research and educational site for scholars, this site features the interesting, the amusing, and the unusual in San Francisco's history.
Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage -
Gold Rush Trail Foundation - offers educational experiences in the City's historic districts to residents and visitors via a clearly marked walking trail.
San Francisco Public Library System - Historical division
Treasure Island Museum - Closed in 1997, but hoping to eventually reopen.
Queen Anne Hotel
MainTour Online Hot Rates Available Here!
1590 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA, 94109; [
Overview /
Rates /
Map /
Video ]
A Victorian jewel in the heart of The City, The Queen Anne puts San Francisco at your doorstep. Two blocks west to Japantown and five blocks from the Fillmore Shopping District.
Forty-eight rooms present four levels of accommodations, but look for either the Superior corner
rooms or luxury suites for the best value.
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Northern California editions have coupons for many area Theme Parks and Museums!
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The American Riviera
Tour Santa Barbara - Popular romantic seaside escape on the central California coastline.
Visit historic landmark, beautiful gardens and eclectic shops. Home to many cultural art venues.
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