San Francisco is a great outdoor destination, but it’s also home to some great world-class museums!

Whether it’s a rainy day or you just want to enlighten yourself, here are some of my favorite museums in San Francisco:

Also, check out:

SF MOMA

The premier modern art museum in San Francisco and perhaps in the whole West Coast - the SF MOMA was reopened in 2016 after a long three year renovation, revealing a twinkling new ten story addition to the original five story museum.

Compared to the NY MOMA, the San Francisco MOMA is larger with a wide range of art from Jackson Pollack to all sorts of modern light installations.

Some of my favorite parts of the new building are the large bay windows with sweeping views of the city and the airy outdoor terrace. There’s a minimalist, designer coffee shop that you’ll love hanging out as well!

DeYoung

Across from the California Academy of Sciences and located in the center of sprawling Golden Gate Park - the de Young Museum, with it’s stunning copper facade, free viewing tower, and Turrell Skylight, is as lovely inside as it is inside.

Inside the museum has American art, global textile arts and costumes, and arts from Oceania, Africa, and ancient Americas. The traveling exhibitions are usually quite spectacular and worth taking a look at.

If you want to just do some free stuff - the James Turrell skylight art piece is in the garden cafe and worth visiting. All of Turrell’s artwork plays with light and space - he has several pieces all over the world.

The other great free thing is the observation deck at the top of the tower - make sure to go at least a couple hours before the museum closes though.

view from DeYoung observation tower (free)

Exploratorium

One of my favorite museums for both kid and adults alike - this hands-on place features over 600 exhibits that are highly interactive and educational. Some of the topics include engineering, biology, psychology, and chemistry, physics, and geography.

Some of my favorite exhibits are the Giant Mirror (where you can high five yourself), Shadow Box (your shadow stays on a wall for a period of time), Sip of Conflict (drink from a faucet that looks like a toilet), Soap Film Painting, and Colored Shadows.

There’s even a tactile dome that is completely dark inside! You have to rely only on your sense of touch navigate through!

They even have an After Dark series on Thursdays after 6 pm (for adults only) where drinks are served, great music is played, and interesting guest speakers give great talks.

Asian Art Museum

If you like Asian Art - this museum has one of the most extensive collections in the world - over 18,000 works in its permanent collection.

Some of the galleries on site include art from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Persia, Tibet, and more.

The jade collection is famous for being the most extensive outside of China.

One of my favorite events is the Annual Mochi Pounding (Omochitsuki) ceremony, where the Japanese New Year is celebrated by a famous mochi group called the Kagama Kai. If you haven’t seen mochi being pounded the traditional way - it’s quite the treat!

The Lunar New Year celebrations are also quite memorable here!

In addition, every Thursday night, the museum turns into an adults only vibe with drinks, music, and talks by interesting artists.

California Academy of Sciences

With its gorgeous living roof, three story rain forest, amazing planetarium, penguins, albino alligator, and living coral reef - this museum really packs a punch for those looking for a wide spectrum!

Just make sure to take a loop at the map of all the exhibits so you can properly plan your way through this amazing museum!

The planetarium is quite an experience and a line usually forms before showtime - so plan ahead if you want to catch the show you want.

The aquarium exhibits have life coral reefs, penguins, mesmerizing jellyfish, an albino alligator, and all sorts of sea life.

The large glass dome rainforest is one of the largest in the world with many interesting tropical flora, butterflies, and creatures.

Every Thursday night, there is a themed program that includes live music, interesting talks, and drinks. The whole museum is lit up with interesting light work, making the whole experience even more surreal.

For a super special experience, the museum offers sleepovers where you can fall asleep next to a coral reef, on top of a rain forest, or inside the planetarium!

Legion of Honor

Located near Lands End park, atop cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean this museum was originally built to honor Californian solders who died in World War I.

The inner courtyard (free to enter), with its Beaux Arts architecture, is an especially popular place for photoshoots - so don’t be surprised if you see many wedding, family, and portrait shoots going on when you arrive here.

Inside the museum, the collection boasts Greek, Roman, Assyrian, and Egyptian art as well as famous works of European art from the 14th century to present.

There’s also a great Rodin collection with one of the original Thinker casts in the courtyard.

San Francisco Best Museums

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