Hours And Information For The Cartoon Art Museum In San Francisco
The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is open Thursday to Tuesday and closed on Wednesday. Their hours are from 11am to 5pm.
The museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day , Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Guided tours are not currently running and some of the interactive exhibits are closed at this time. These include the Drawing Room, Reading Room, the gallery activity tables and the interactive iPad stations.
Cartoon Art Museum San Francisco Overview
The Cartoon Art Museum is located at the edge of Fishermans Wharf, close to Ghirardelli Square. The museum is a creative cartoon art and caricature museum with works showcased by local and international artists. It is an aesthetic brick building with ample space for exhibits and art shows. The museum has an engaging collection of cartoon art ranging from comic strips, comic book pages, anime and digital cartoon art.
The Cartoon Art Museum consists of a reading room, a screening area or animation cels, a large gallery for exhibits, a museum store and an education center. They have some conventional pieces on display from the famous Marvel comics, Scooby-Doo, DC comics, etc. by renowned cartoonists like James Dickie, Alex Anderson and Graham Nash. The museum also accommodates several politically aware cartoon art and animation from different artists. It conducts several cartooning workshops and educational programs for kids and the public to unleash their imagination and draw cartoons to create animation.The store has a variety of comic strips and books, apparel, sketchbooks and other stationery. The venue is available on rent for meetings, conferences, receptions and dinners. The building has a splendid view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Nearby Aquarium Of The Bay
Another family-friendly attraction, Aquarium of the Bay is about a 15-minute walk or 5-minute drive from the Cartoon Art Museum at Pier 39 in Fishermans Wharf. Its immersive exhibits include touch pools as well as walk-through tunnels where visitors can get up close and personal with local marine life, such as the sharks and anchovies that call the bay waters home.
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Things To Know Before You Go
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The Cartoon Art Museum is a family-friendly sight thats suited for all ages children 5 years old and younger receive free admission.
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Art lovers and pop culture enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to this museum.
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On the first Tuesday of the month, admission is pay what you wish.
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Residents of certain California counties receive reduced admission prices during designated months these are listed on the website.
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No flash photography is allowed.
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Cartoon Art Museum Reviews
The Cartoon Art Museum is an intimate, boutique museum in San Francisco with original cartoon art. Founded in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum has something for everyonefrom comic strips, comic books and anime to political cartoons, graphic novels and underground comix.
People of all ages can view original cartoon art at exhibitions and screenings, create their own comics and animation in workshops, research thousands of comics and books in the reading room, and mingle with professional and aspiring cartoonists.
Opening hours
Information About The Map
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To help you find your way once you get to your destination, the map you print out will have numbers on the various icons that correspond to a list with the most interesting tourist attractions. This way, youll be able to see where each attraction is.
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Request Of Free Pass Donation
The Cartoon Art Museum provides free passes for fundraising by schools and charitable organizations. Send your organizations official donation request letter and a stamped return envelope to 781 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Free passes will not be donated without a stamped return envelope.
First Tuesday Pay What You Wish Day
The Cartoon Art Museum has returned and so has their Pay What You Wish Days.
Pay What You Wish Days create affordable experiences for all to ignite imaginations and foster the next generation of visual storytellers by celebrating the history of cartoon art, its role in society, and its universal appeal with a visit to the Cartoon Art Museum.
First Tuesdays | 11 am to 5 pmCartoon Art Museum, 781 Beach Street, San FranciscoFREE
Set your own admission price and find inspiration through viewing original art, exploring the reading room or enjoying family-oriented activities in their kids corner.
The vision is to be the premier destination to experience cartoon art in all its many forms from around the world, and a leader in providing insight into the process of creating it. Through exhibitions, artist appearances, and community outreach programs, the museum demonstrates how cartoon art entertains, communicates diversity, and champions self-expression.
Updated 6/1/19 Event info last checked via website
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
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Landmarks In Cartoon Art Museum History
The Cartoon Art Museum is founded by Malcolm Whyte and a dedicated group of cartoon enthusiasts.
A generous gift from Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz establishes the Cartoon Art Museums endowment fund. The museum opens its first location at 665 Third Street in downtown San Francisco. The inaugural exhibition, Drawn to Excellence: Masters of Cartoon Art, showcases original works of comic strip art the exhibition catalog includes a forward by Wayne Thiebaud.
CAM acquires its initial collection of cartoon art with original animation cels, comic strips, and comic book art including Bugs Bunny, Winnie the Pooh, Charles M. Schulzs Peanuts, Morrie Turners Wee Pals, Bill Keanes Family Circus, and many others.
CAMs Batman exhibition opens to rave reviews with innovative exhibition design featuring a Bat Cave entrance to the gallery.
The museum launches the nations first Cartoonists-in-Residence program to provide opportunities for visitors to engage with artists as they create their work.
The museum doubles its gallery space at 665 Third Street.
With a Smile and a Song: The Animation of Snow White exhibition opening event is attended by Marge Champion and four of The Nine Old Men who were core animators of many Disney classics.
The Cartoon Art Museum moves to its second location, a second-floor space at 814 Mission Street in San Francisco.
The second-floor galleries at 814 Mission Street
Security And Prohibited Items
For the safety and security of the museum, all bags and parcels are subject to inspection. Prohibited items include but might not be limited to weapons, knives, box cutters, scissors, flammable liquids, permanent markers, and spray paint. No food or beverage is permitted in the galleries at any time, except bottled water.
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More Things To See & Do Nearby
The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is in a fantastic location. It’s in the heart of one of our busiest districts and close by many top activities and attractions.
Here are a few recommendations to add to your itinerary that are nearby.
Pier 39: One of the top draws to this district is Pier 39. This renovated pier is home to attractions, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. Top options include the 7D Experience, checking out the sea lions in action, and the Players Arcade.
Aquarium of the Bay: This family-friendly attraction on Pier 39 offers several hours of fun. The aquarium features the plants and animals of the SF Bay. You can walk through two aquarium tunnels, spend time on the hands-on pond area, or get lost in the peacefully floating jellyfish.
Bay Cruises: Another popular option in this district is the bay cruises. You can head out during the day for a 60-minute cruise or a 2-hour evening cruise. All ride under the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz, and offer narrative so you can learn more.
About Cartoon Art Museum
As one of just a handful of museums in the United States that focus on cartoon art, the Cartoon Art Museum offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at comics creations and their history. With a view of the San Francisco Bay, the museums new location at 781 Beach Street in San Francisco is just one block from Aquatic Park, the Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square, and the Hyde Street cable car turnaround. The new space is the perfect venue for viewing, discussing, creating, and interacting with all forms of cartoon art and connecting with the artists who make it.
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History Of The Cartoon Art Museum In San Francisco
The concept for this museum started with a group of comic lovers and friends in 1984. They start organizing exhibits based on their personal collections. They found a permanent home for their collections in 1987 in the South of Market district with an endowment by Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic.
They moved around a few times in this district and in 2015 the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco closed due to a substantial increase in their rent. They search for a new home for a while and finally found a great space in the Fisherman’s Wharf district.
They opened at 781 Beach Street on the western side of Fisherman’s Wharf in the fall of 2017.
Admission And Event Ticket Purchase Policies
No refunds and no exchanges for admission or event tickets.
In some instances, the museum may impose limits on tickets available for purchase per household based on capacity of venue and/or special considerations for any ticketed program or event, including non-paid ticketed programs and events. The museum reserves the right to void tickets purchased in excess of this limit.
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Cartoon Art Museum In San Francisco: Visiting Details
I usually spend at least a couple of hours at this museum. However, you can get lost in the exhibits for hours if you decide to stop and read each piece. It’s so much fun to take some time to really examine how much work goes into these comics as well as getting the chance to see some original historic pieces.
If you love comics, you are going to LOVE the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.
Pay What You Wish Days
The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco does not offer free days, but they do offer Pay What You Wish Days. This offers everyone the chance to visit this Fisherman’s Wharf museum at a discounted rate.
On the first Tuesday of the month, you can pay what you can afford. This art museum is open from 11am to 5pm and welcomes you to pay what you can all day long.
Visit their site for a calendar of upcoming Pay What You Wish Days.
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When To Get There
The Cartoon Art Museum is usually less crowded than the more famous attractions in San Francisco, but its location near many major sights makes it easily accessible during a day of sightseeing. In general, expect the biggest crowds from mid-May through early September, which is the citys high season. Also, check the museums website for a list of current exhibitions and an up-to-date art class schedule.
How To Get There
The Cartoon Art Museum is located at 781 Beach Street in Fishermans Wharf, just one block from Aquatic Park, the Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square, and the Hyde Street cable car turnaround. The E- and F-line historic streetcars stop at Jones and Beach streets, about two blocks east of the museum.
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Donate Admission Or Event Ticket
If you have purchased tickets to an event and you are not able to attend, you can donate your tickets back to the museum for resale. You may donate your tickets until 72 hours before the program or event and receive a record of your tax-deductible contribution equivalent to the price. To donate your tickets back, please send an email to indicating the confirmation number for the original purchase. You will be sent a donation receipt via email once your unused purchase has been accepted for donation back to the museum.
Note that the museum is not able to accept tickets for donation after 72 hours prior to the program or event. Workshop registration is not able to be returned as a donation at this time.
We cannot accept donations of tickets over the phone or in person.
