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De Young Museum Reciprocal Membership

Virginia Museum Of Fine Art

San Francisco’s de Young Museum reopens with new Frida Kahlo exhibit

Richmond, VA

Visitors can customize their membership based on artistic interest at VMFA, ensuring that all the perks attached to the membership will be of interest. The VMFA also coordinates discounted art-based travel tours across the globe that are open to their members going everywhere from around the US to Nepal to French Polynesia to Morocco.

California Academy Of Sciences Membership

Fasten your seatbelt the California Academy of Sciences is an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum. All of them in the heart of San Franciscos Golden Gate Park. A renowned scientific and educational institution, its exhibits and tours are dedicated to exploring, explaining, and sustaining life on Earth.

Events highlights include the Coral Reef Dive a spectacle watching as a diver plunges into one of the worlds deepest living coral reef tanks. Additionally, the Swamp Talks, where you can learn about alligators and their other swamp-dwelling residents. You can also sleep over if youre brave enough.

An individual membership, at $109, includes:

  • Unlimited daily admission

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Cable Car Museum: Best For Gearheads

Hear that whirring noise coming from beneath San Franciscos cable car tracks? Thats the sound of the cables pulling the cars, and they all connect inside the citys historic Washington and Mason Cable Car Barn. Grips, engines, braking mechanismsif these mechanical wonders warm your heart, youll be besotted with the free Cable Car Museum.

This intriguing museum isnt just a warehouse for antiques its the functioning powerhouse that keeps the popular Powell-Mason line running. You can track the cables running down the street, through an open channel and into the powerhouse, where they wind around massive bull wheels without losing momentum or tension. Head to the upstairs deck to see the mechanisms in action and watch cables whir over the wheels as awesome a feat of engineering now as when Andrew Hallidie invented the technology in 1873.

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My Company Has A Matching

Yes. The Internal Revenue Service has identified the MFAH as a nonprofit organization and as such is eligible to receive your companys matching gift. Please fill out the form you have obtained from your company. Matching gifts may be applied at any time during the 12 months of your membership. Please note that matching gifts may not be used to upgrade memberships.

Legion Of Honor: Best For Museum

Reciprocal Membership Programs

A museum as eccentric and illuminating as San Francisco itself, the Legion of Honour showcases a wildly eclectic collection spanning Monets water lilies and John Cage soundscapes, ancient Iraqi ivories and the counterculture comics of Robert Crumb. Upstairs are blockbuster shows of work from old masters and Impressionists, but dont miss the Legions Achenbach Foundation of Graphic Arts collection, which covers 90,000 works on paper, from drawings by Rembrandt to the graphic designs of Ed Ruscha.

The Legions setting rivals its art. There are dazzling views of the Pacific and trails lead to the Lands End Lookout with its arresting views of the Golden Gate. On a warm day, stroll on to the ruined Sutro Baths below the lookout, once San Franciscos most stylish bathing area.

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Reciprocal Benefits For Bampfa Members At The $175 Sponsor Level And Above

Enjoy your BAMPFA membership even when you travel!BAMPFA members at the $175 level and above have access to two reciprocal membership programs: North American Reciprocal Museums and Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums . Eligible members receive free general admission for one person per membership card, free admission to special exhibitions when no additional ticket is required, and discounts on store merchandise at more than 1,000 North American museums.

Museums Making The Most Of Membership Programs

Museums know the best visitor is one who becomes a member. The expense of museum membership can often be off-putting, so member benefits are used to sweeten the deal but, discounts on gift shops or member lunches can feel outdated and stale.

So how are museums competing for visitor attention? By making membership programs with awesome perks!

Here are some of our favorite ways museums are making the most of membership benefits:

Read Also: How To Be A Museum Curator

Explorer Membership1 Year: $120 Or 2 Years: $230

Memberships will be processed as soon as it is safe for staff to return to our administrative offices, and expiration dates on new and renewed memberships will be extended accordingly.

Visit the COVID-19 page for more information and updates on our temporary closure. For questions or assistance, contact the membership department at . Thank you!

Benefits:
  • Admission for up to 4 adults & all household children 18 & under
  • 4 personalized member cards
  • Free admission for 1 guest on weekends
  • 4 guest passes
  • 10% discount at the Museum Store & Gold Rush Grille
  • Reciprocal benefits at over 1,100 institutions across North America through Time Travelers & North American Reciprocal Museums Association including the de Young Museum, Walt Disney Family Museum, California State Railroad Museum, California Automobile Museum & over 900 more*
  • 100% tax-deductible
  • $10.00 discount on 2 year membership
To sign up, complete the form below & submit payment on next screen.

*Effective Nov. 15, 2021, SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity no longer honors reciprocal admission from members of NARM museums within a 15 mile radius. Effective Sept. 15, 2016, Crocker Art Museum no longer honors reciprocal admission from members of NARM museums within a 15 mile radius. The California Museum does not extended NARM reciprocal admission to members of institutions that restrict its members, or on fundraising and ticketed events.

Art Museum Reciprocal Network

San Francisco’s de Young Museum Reopens Friday For The First Time Since COVID-19

Members at theContributing Friend level and above are enrolled in The Art Museum Reciprocal Network and receive unlimited admission to the museums listed below. Upon presentation of a valid membership card while visiting one of the museums listed, you will be entitled to the following privileges:

  • Free admission during regular museum hours
  • A discount on purchases in the art and bookshops at participating museums
  • Ticketed exhibitions and special events are not included and may carry an admission fee
  • Please note: Reciprocal members may reserve general admission tickets online for a specific time and we will refund your purchase of up to two tickets upon presentation of a valid card. Day-of walk ups will be accommodated if there is availability at the time of your visit. For more information, please see our Ticket Help page.

Participating Museums as of January 2021

Austin, TX

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Why Its Cool To Have A Museum Membership

First of all, If youre passionate about culture, a museum membership is not only beneficial for your gallery visits. Museums and galleries enrich and serve the community through exciting exhibits, educational programs, and events. So by joining as a member you are supporting the preservation of your local creative institutions.

Luckily, if youre in San Francisco you can enjoy seeing some of the best traveling exhibitions in the US, as well as landmark contemporary art institutions and museums with highly acclaimed permanent collections to see with a museum membership.

Many of the museum memberships below offer free guest privileges meaning you can enjoy the experience with a partner, friend, or family member. Some others also offer entry to sister institutions or other associated museums around the world.

Similarly, if youre moving to San Francisco and looking for a furnished apartment, looking into the flexible options through Blueground. Discover one neighborhood of the city at a time by moving from Nob Hill to SoMa, even as far as San Jose, all on the same lease.

Here is our selection of essential museum memberships to try in San Francisco.

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Membership Levels And Benefits

Basic Benefits for All Members

  • Free year-round general admission
  • Free or discounted tickets to special exhibitions
  • Discounted parking at MFAH garages
  • Free or discounted lectures and programs
  • Discounted admission at Bayou Bend and Rienzi
  • Discounts at the MFA Shop
  • Discounted tickets to MFAH Films
  • Invitations to exhibition preview parties
  • Complimentary subscription to weekly e-newsletter

$70 Individual / $40 Student

  • All basic benefits valid for one individual
  • Student price available to full-time students with valid student ID

$95 Dual

All basic benefits valid for two individuals, plus:

  • Two membership cards

$115 Family

All the benefits listed above, plus:

  • Free general admission for two adults and all children 18 and under living in the same household
  • Free admission to the Museums family programs
  • 10% discount on regular price of admission at the Glassell Junior School
  • Family art-making activities for members

$200 PatronBest Value!

All the Family benefits, plus:

  • Invitations to exclusive Patron-Plus preview parties
  • Subscription to the Museums official publication, h Magazine
  • 5% discount on one adult studio course, art history course, or workshop at the Glassell Studio School
  • Reciprocal privileges at more than 30 U.S. museums, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

$350 Supporting

All the Patron benefits, plus:

$800 Sponsor

All the Supporting benefits, plus:

$1,500 Benefactor

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Operating The Fine Arts Museums Of San Francisco

The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco operate differently than many other major museums, because these institutions dont utilize an endowment to keep them running. Instead, the museums meet their daily expenses by donations, ticket sales, store revenue and membership dues. Because the City of San Francisco owns the two museum buildings, the city pays insurance on the buildings and also furnishes security for the museums.

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Yerba Buena Arts Museum Membership

Your Local Museum Can Get You Into Others For Free When ...

Located next to the Yerba Buena Gardens, the YBCA is a multi-disciplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco. The museum showcases visual arts, performance, and video that celebrates local, national, and international artists.

Reflective of the Bay Areas diverse communities, its a place to see edgier exhibits and performances. From the citys vibrant cultural district, the museums two modern buildings offer areas both indoors and outside to experience the visual arts.

A Discoverer membership goes for $165 which offers you:

  • Unlimited free gallery admission for four people
  • 20% off tickets for all YBCA programs and events
  • Free admission to Opening Night Parties for up to four people
  • Discounts on YBCA catalogs and merchandise

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De Young Museum: Best For Globe

The de Youngs camouflaged, oxidized green exterior barely hints at the fantastic range of artistic wonders within. Exhibitions here boldly broaden artistic horizons, from ceremonial masks from Oceania and trippy hippie handmade fashions to James Turrells domed Skyspace installation, built into a hill in the sculpture garden.

Featuring African masks and Turkish kilims alongside California crafts and avant-garde American art, this cross-cultural collection has been expanding minds for a century. Rotating main-floor installations are riveting and diverse, from early Inuit carvings to documentary photography from US prisons. Access to the Osher Sculpture Garden is free, as is the 144ft observation tower with its 360-degree viewing room.

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Chinese Historical Society Of America: Best For Personal Stories Of Immigration

Visitors can picture what it was like to be Chinese in San Francisco during the gold rush, transcontinental railroad construction and Beat heyday in this excellent museum, originally built as Chinatowns YWCA in 1932. Historians have unearthed some fascinating artifacts relating to the Chinese history of San Francisco, including 1920s silk qipao dresses, WWII Chinatown nightclub posters, and Frank Wongs Chinatown miniatures.

Exhibits feature personal insights and Chinese American perspectives on national milestones in history including the Civil Rights movement, the Cold War, and the Chinese Exclusion Act, which officially excluded Chinese immigrants from US citizenship and civil rights from 1882 to 1943.

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Use Your Membership Benefits To Experience More Art

Simply show your Art Center membership card, validated with a sticker on the back, at participating museums and receive free general admission and member discounts for gift shops, cafes, parking, special events, and more .

*Please note:

Individual museums may define family/household benefits differently from the Des Moines Art Center and restrict some reciprocal privileges. We recommend that you visit the NARM website, ROAM website, or contact participating museums before your visit.

Museums denoted as MOD-CO provide free admission and reciprocal membership benefits to Art Center members at the Influencer and above only.

Why I Do Not Renew My Membership Of Sfs De Unge Museum

San Francisco’s de Young Museum Reopens With Frida Kahlo Collection

It seems I did the unthinkable for a journalist: missed a deadline. As the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco keeps reminding me, my membership of the Young Museum and Legion of Honor expired in October, and its far past time to renew.

As the emails repeat, memberships help pay for museums exhibits, programs and permanent collections. We could not do this without your continued dedication, enthusiasm and support, the prayers read.

Well, they have to. I will not renew my membership as long as the museum continues to lobby for car-free JFK Drive to return to a dangerous highway used primarily by shortcut drivers driving between destinations outside the park.

What museums do not say in emails is that membership fees helped fund at least $ 55,000 in lobbying to complete the hugely popular 24/7 closure of JFK Drive for cars. Reports to the citys ethics commission show that art museums have spent at least as much on paying Platinum Advisors to lobby supervisors, as well as commissioners at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Recreation and Park Department, to turn the lovely promenade back into a motorway.

We are still far from six or more supervisors who commit to voting yes in the spring, Medeiros said.

The website asks people to send a form letter to city officials, requesting that the roadway return to its pre-pandemic status as being closed to cars on only Sundays and some Saturdays.

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Copy Of Membership Benefits

Priority ticketing for special exhibitions
10% off at the Museum Stores and 20% off during seasonal members-only sale days
Discounts on audio tours, lectures, films, curator talks, and other programs and events
Insider information, tips, and perks with your free subscription to Fine Arts magazine and to the Member Monthly e-News
Admission for 6 children up to age 17
Invitation to select Member Opening Nights
Reciprocal admission to more than 1,000 participating museums in North America
Invitation to Annual Daytime Film Series
Priority invitations to select museum events, including the Bouquets to Art Gala, ArtPoints Annual Gala, and more
Invitation to the Annual Fine Arts Museums Luncheon with Fine Arts Museums Director and curators.
Single-use general admission passes for unaccompanied guests 0 4 8

*Senior, Teacher, Student, and Out-of-State memberships are available at a discounted rate of $79 and enjoy Individual Level benefits.

Admission includes full access to the permanent collections and special exhibitions at the de Young and Legion of Honor.

Cartoon Art Museum Membership

This fun museum is dedicated to cartoon art and animation is one of a kind in the San Francisco Bay Area. Including editorial cartoons, Sunday funnies, graphic novels, and moving animation.

The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the Western United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of all forms of cartoon art. To round out a visit, members can view original cartoon art as well as produce their own comics and animations at classes and workshops. Plus, theres the chance to meet and mingle with professional and aspiring cartoonists.

An individual membership costs $45 and includes:

  • Free admission for member and a guest
  • 15% discount in the bookstore
  • Invitations to openings and special receptions
  • Also, it includes reduced rates at special events

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Asian Art Museum: Best For Asian Culture

The most comprehensive collection of Asian art outside Asia covers 6000 years of history and thousands of miles of terrain. A trip through the galleries is a treasure-hunting expedition, from cutting-edge Japanese minimalism and seductive Hindu temple carvings to a jewel-box gallery of lustrous Chinese jade just dont bump into those priceless Ming vases!

The museums displays follow the evolution and migration of Asian art from West to East, along with Buddhist pilgrimage trails and trade routes toward San Francisco. If youre tight on time, follow the mapped trail of masterworks parents can pick up Explorer Cards for kids to find favorite animals and characters in the galleries.

The San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art Membership

Pin on Past Exhibitions

The SFMOMA is located in San Franciscos bustling SoMA district. It prides itself in pushing the boundaries of the art world, with over 30,000 internationally acclaimed paintings, sculptures, and performance art pieces from contemporary and modern artists, including Frida Kahlo, Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, and Julie Mehretu.

Notably, visitors can also enjoy the outdoor sculpture garden with a thirty-foot living wall, or try out one of the three eateries onsite with handcrafted coffee.

Members benefit from wide-open access to amazing exhibitions and events, like most modern museums, SFMOMA has an app to guide visitors through exhibitions.

To begin with, dual membership is $180 making it a great option for visiting with friends and family:

  • Discounted admission to films, lectures, and other education programs
  • Free museum admission all year long, tickets for special exhibitions for an additional member and guest
  • Members-only parties
  • Free subscription to SFMOMAs member publications

Furthermore, If youre enamored by the SFMOMA and also have time and a passion for the arts, you can also consider becoming a volunteer. Best of all, the membership includes admission year-round.

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