Wells Fargo History Museum
These days, Wells Fargo is best known as a financial services company. But the history of the corporation is far more interesting than you might have thought. In fact, Wells Fargo and its famous stagecoaches were key to opening up the West to settlement, and San Francisco owes not just its prosperity but even its existence in some part to this fabled company.
The Wells Fargo History Museum is located in San Franciscos financial district, and it gives a valuable glimpse into the Wild West days of the city. Check out the gold nuggets and go for a ride in a stagecoach to see what life was like back when San Francisco was very much on the frontier of the emerging country that became the modern-day United States.
Thanks to this museums central location, you wont struggle for lunch options once youve enjoyed the exhibits. Check out our guide to the best street food in San Francisco to learn more.
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.
What Are The Best Free Museums In San Francisco
There are so many free museums in San Francisco that it can be hard to know where to start. The Randall Museum is one of the best in the city, paid or unpaid, and if you’re traveling to San Francisco with kids, you have to check out the collection here. For something a little more quirky, the Cable Car Museum is a quick but interesting visit, and is convenient to reach by cable car. Additionally, the de Young is great for art lovers on a budget.
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Getting To The San Francisco Museums
Hop On/Hop Off Tour: If you want to save a little time, one of the easiest ways to get around to the San Francisco museums is by taking the Hop On/Hop Off tour. You can buy a one or two-day pass, which will get you around the city all day. There are several stops throughout the city and most of the major ones are less than a block or two from each of the stops. Learn more about the Hop On/Hop Off Tour and find out how to book your ticket today.
Public Transportation: It is easy to take public transportation here. You can choose from buses, trains, cable cars or light rails. There are several main bus lines that will get you to and from the main tourist attractions. In each of the San Francisco museums sections, you will find the right bus to take for that one. In addition, visit the SF public transportation page for pricing and other tips on riding it while you are here.
San Francisco Taxis: A taxi is always the fastest and easiest way to get around, but also one of the most expensive. If you only need to go a few miles, the cost is not that bad. However, if you need to get across town, a ride might set you back $20 or more. It is a great option if you missed your bus or need to get somewhere quickly. Read more about what to expect from SF taxis.
San Francisco Railway Museum
If youve fallen in love with the vintage cable cars still riding the streets of San Francisco, this small museum is a great stop to learn more about San Franciscos rail transit history.
Although compact, theres plenty to see here, including a replica of a 1911 motormans platform, where youre more than welcome to play with the controls.
There are also audiovisual presentations, historical photographs and artifacts, and plaques full of interesting tidbits of information. Temporary exhibits usually focus on things of local importance, such as the 1906 earthquake or the history of transportation in San Francisco.
Entrance to the museum is free and visitors can also pick up unique memorabilia and San Francisco-themed souvenirs at the museums gift shop.
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International Art Museum Of America
No other museum in San Francisco has the kind of unusual background as the International Art Museum of America . The museum was originally founded by Chinese-American artist Yi Youngao, who calls himself H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and claims to be Buddha reincarnated.
When the museum originally opened in 2011, it only featured works by Yi Youngao himself. The collection has since grown to include a large number of works of Chinese ink paintings and calligraphy, as well as contemporary Chinese art.
The museums new Western Collection is much more eclectic, featuring works by both American and European painters as far back as the 17th century.
The museum has an unusual feature called The Treasure Room, which can only be accessed via private viewings available every three months. The room holds sculptures created by Youngao.
Museum Of Performance & Design
The Museum of Performance + Design is San Franciscos only museum dedicated exclusively to the performing arts.
While the emphasis of the collection is on local artists and works, the museum doesnt just chronicle contemporary performances instead, it goes back all the way to the Gold Rush era.
With a massive rotating collection of over 3 million items, the museum offers a new experience every time you visit. Photos, original costumes and artwork of performances in the Bay Area are always exhibited and often grouped into special displays to match anniversaries or events.
There are also recording of live performances always playing or available to watch.
While major organizations like the San Francisco Ballet and Opera are well represented here, you can also see plenty of interesting materials related to other types of performing arts, including The Pickle Family Circus, which inspired the creation of the world-famous Cirque du Soleil.
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Exploratorium: Best For Kids
Is there a science to skateboarding? Do toilets really flush counterclockwise in Australia? Combining science with art, San Franciscos dazzling hands-on Exploratorium challenges you to question how you know what you know. As thrilling as the exhibits is the setting: a 9-acre, glass-walled pier jutting out over San Francisco Bay, with vast outdoor areas you can explore for free.
The 600-plus exhibits have buttons to push, handles to crank and dials to adjust, all made by artists and scientists at the museums’ in-house workshops. With such fun activities as trying out a punk hairdo, courtesy of the static-electricity station, its one museum children wont want to leave.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
This botanical garden is a great place to visit if you love exotic plants, flowers, and trees.
This place is a hit for nature lovers of all stripes.
Free on the second Tuesday of every month, along with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
And as a bonus for the locals, the gardens are always free for SF residents!
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The Cartoon Art Museum
Fishermans WharfCheck out 7,000 original pieces of cartoon memorabilia, including comic strips, comic books, anime, political cartoons, graphic novels, and underground comics, discover when and why they were created, and more. The exhibits rotate, but right now youll be able to see YAY Comics! Hilo, Phoebe and Her Unicorn, and Friends , and A Treasury of Animation, which showcases original production art from the 1920s and upward . During normal times there are also in-person workshops, but those are all happening online for the foreseeable future.How to visit: $10 for adults . Go on the first Tuesday of the month, and pay what you want.
Which Are The Best Museums In Downtown San Francisco
The Wells Fargo Museum couldn’t ask for a better location, situated as it is right in the heart of downtown. Additionally, the California Historical Society is only a few blocks away. And SFMOMA and the Contemporary Jewish are also located in downtown San Francisco, so you could spend days visiting just the museums in this area.
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National Japanese American Historical Society Peace Gallery
The National Japanese American Historical Society preserves and showcases important pieces of art and documents from the Japanese American community. Their display includes some permanent pieces and traveling exhibits featuring Japanese and Japanese American pieces.
Hours: Temporarily Closed
Location: 1684 Post Street
Fantastic Museums In San Francisco For Culture And History Lovers
10 fantastic museums in San Francisco for culture and history lovers
San Franciscos magnificent museums honor its close links to Asia as well as the tech hubs quirky love of science and progress. You’ll find museums here tracing the citys history from its earliest days, when the bay was filled with sailing ships bringing gold-seekers to America, as well as its idiosyncratic history over the intervening centuries.
The city has dozens of museums, large and small, promising days of rewarding browsing. Here are 10 of our favorite museums that capture the local vibe and culture.
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The Best Museums In San Francisco
Discover the top museums in San Francisco.
Between the fog and the abundance of tech startups, San Francisco is a city filled with rich history, culture, and something new around every corner. Contributing to the individuality of the Bay Area are the best museums in San Francisco, which offer endless learning opportunities and entertainment.
From hands-on science exhibits to captivating artwork by legendary artists, San Franciscos wealth of museums have it all. For the ultimate Bay Area adventure, stop by any of the five top museums in San Francisco.
Legion Of Honor Museum
Set in a beautiful neo-classical building, the Legion of Honor museum is located in Lincoln Park and offers breathtaking views over the Golden Gate Bridge. Covering over 4,000 years of art history, its fine collection of European paintings, decorative art and sculptures is simply marvelous, and visitors will adore exploring its lovely galleries.
With masterpieces by such renowned artists as Rodin, Rembrandt, Monet, and Cezanne featured amongst its many other works, the Legion of Honor is definitely worth checking out if youre in San Francisco.
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Sfo Museum Louis A Turpen Aviation Museum And Library
San Franciscos Aviation Museum and Library offers a glimpse into the importance of commercial aviation and how it plays a role in our everyday life. Since it’s located in the International Terminal of the citys airport, this museum in San Francisco a great last stop in the City by the Bay to get entertained and informed. Modeled after the citys 1930 passenger lobby, the museum focuses on the history of the airline industry and the region-specific Pacific area. The museums exhibitions, research services, and educational programs are free of charge to the public. Its exhibitions are constantly changing, and focus on different aspects of the airline industry, such as fashion in-flight which discusses stewardess uniforms.
Beat Museum: Best For Hipsters
The rise of the Beat movement in the 1950s was one of San Franciscos defining moments, and it’s lovingly celebrated at this North Beach museum. The 1000-plus artifacts in this collection of literary ephemera range from the sublime to the ridiculous the Jack Kerouac bobblehead dolls are definite head-shakers.
Downstairs, watch Beat-era films. Upstairs, pay your respects at shrines to individual Beat writers, and take a nostalgic ride on the wave of reinvention that carried San Francisco in the modern age.
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Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center
Located in the heart of the Crissy Field public recreation area, the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center focuses on one very specific time in history.
To understand the background, you have to travel back to 1941, at a time of growing tensions between the United States and Japan. To help support the war effort, the US Army trained thousands of Japanese American soldiers as linguists to join combat units.
Building 640 a renovated hangar where the first soldiers were trained houses the museum today. The exhibits inside photographs, historical documents and personal stories of the soldiers who were part of the mission.
There are also details about the war companies they were involved in, as well as personal effects.
Legion Of Honor: Best For Museum
A museum as eccentric and illuminating as San Francisco itself, the Legion of Honour showcases a wildly eclectic collection spanning Monet’s 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 Francisco’s most stylish bathing area.
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San Francisco Cable Car Museum
Aside from the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars are the other most iconic sight in San Francisco.
While theyre part of the public transportation system, they are also a major tourist attraction not only because of their historic significance but also because two of the three lines in the city take you straight to the popular Fishermans Wharf.
If youre curious about their history, this is one of the best museums in San Francisco to visit. The museum itself is housed in the same building where the cable car barn is. This means you can actually take a peek into the working systems and engines that power the entire cable car system today.
The museums best exhibit is the Clay Street Hill Railroad car number 8, the only surviving car from the original cable car line that took to the streets in September 1873.
There are plenty of other vintage cars here as well, and most allow visitors to climb on them for a little trip back in time. Displays contain plenty of photographs and detailed models as well.
Stop by the gift shop on your way out for some cable car memorabilia, including genuine car bells.
Best Museums In San Francisco
San Franciscos history and culture culminate inside its diverse museums. Some of the worlds best are found within the boundaries of this vibrant city, so finding time to visit one or two during your time there is well worth the cost of admission . Learn about science, global histories, literature, pop culture, and of course, art, at the best museums in San Francisco.
California Academy of Sciences brings the world of natural science to San Franciscos Golden Gate Park. The 400,000 square foot space is an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum all rolled into one. Plus, the building has an incredible solar panel-lined living rooftop that helps keep its carbon footprint low, and your ticket helps sponsor world-class scientific research projects. The Steinhart Aquarium houses 40,000 live animals spanning over 900 different species. At the same time, the Osher Rainforest boasts four full stories of neotropical flora and fauna, complete with free-flying birds, butterflies, and Amazonian boa constrictors.
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The Wells Fargo History Museum
The Wells Fargo History Museum is located in the center of San Franciscos financial district, and it has a fun museum all about the Wild West days of San Francisco.
Learn about Gold Rush Outlaws, see some gold nuggets and old money, and ride in a stagecoach! This museum is free all year long.
NOTE: This museum is temporarily closed as of Dec 2021.
Save On Admission To San Francisco’s Top Museums
Save 44% on three days’ unlimited cable car rides and admission to San Francisco’s top attractions with San Francisco CityPASS. Includes California Academy of Sciences and Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure, plus two other attractions of your choice: Aquarium of the Bay, The Walt Disney Family Museum, The Exploratorium, or San Francisco Zoo & Gardens.
* Denotes part of San Francisco CityPASS.
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Museum Of 3d Illusions
Can you imagine yourself escaping from the jaws of a hippo or being trapped inside a giant soap bubble? How about flying away like Mary Poppins? The Museum of 3D Illusions offers an interactive and immersive experience with over 40 mind-bending exhibits where nothing is quite as it seems.
Step right into the giant painted murals for a well-posed photo and see the magic happen. Suddenly, youre not just posing in front of a painting but are actually part of the action.
Easy arrows show you where to stand for the best photo, or you can buy a VIP package and have a photographer walk around with you for even better images.
In addition to the 3D illusions, the museum also offers a unique experience called Smash It! If youve had a stressful week, this is your chance to write everything thats bothering you on ceramic plates so you can then smash all the stress away.
