History Museums in San Francisco
Tips to Visit the Most Popular San Francisco History Museums
You will find a wide range of history museums in San Francisco. You can learn more about the history of the cable cars at the Cable Car Museum, discover information on natural history at the California Academy of the Sciences and find out about the history of the local beat generation in San Francisco at the Beat Museum in North Beach.
In the sections below, you will find important information for each museum as well as tips for visiting. Each one also includes current and upcoming exhibits and special events and the best way to get to each museum.
Here is a list of the museums in San Francisco covered on this page. Click on any of them to jump ahead to more information on that museum.
Academy of Sciences | Cable Car Museum | Fire Department Museum
Walt Disney Museum | Beat Museum | California Historical Society
Maritime Museum & Hyde Street Pier | Chinese Historical Society
California Academy of Sciences: Natural History Museum San Francisco
The California Academy of Sciences is one of the most popular museums in San Francisco. It is four museums in one. Your admission ticket includes access to the Steinhart aquarium, the natural history museum, the planetarium and the four story rainforest.
This is a must see while in San Francisco. The museum is on the western side of San Francisco in Golden Gate Park. Read on to learn more about California Academy of Sciences including its special events, how to get there and insider tips for visiting.
Museums in San Francisco: Cable Car Museum
One of the things that makes San Francisco unique is the fact that we are one of the only cities in the world that still runs cable cars. San Francisco has three cable car lines up and running.
Quick Facts: Four cables pull the three cable cars along the streets of San Francisco. You can see all four running during your visit.
Location: 1201 Mason Street in Nob Hill, near Chinatown
Cost: FREE!
Hours: Open everyday; 10 am - 6 pm - April 1 thru September 30; 10 am - 5 pm - October 1 thru March 31; closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Free Days: This is one of the museums in San Francisco that is free, all the time!
Transit to the Museum: Take a cable car! The Powell Mason cable car runs right in front of the museum. You can also get here from the Hop On/Hop Off tour -- get off at stop #16 in North Beach and walk up Washington Street. It is about five blocks away from this stop.
Insider Tips: The museum is in the front part of the cable car barn, where they put the cars away at night. Head up the hill on Washington Street for the chance to see a car entering or leaving the barn. The best view is from across the street.
Museums in San Francisco: Fire Department Museum
The San Francisco Fire Department Museum takes you back through the history of the fire department here. Not only will you learn about the department and some of its old firehouses, but you will also learn more about some of its infamous fires.
Two of the fires covered at the museum are those that started after the San Francisco 1906 earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta San Francisco earthquake. Both of these fires caused quite a bit of damage to the city.
Quick Facts: See hundreds of photographs and other items from some of the most famous fires and firehouses in San Francisco.
Location: 655 Presidio Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115-2424
Cost: FREE!
Hours: Thursday through Sunday 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Free Days: This is another one of the museums in San Francisco that is free, all the time!
Transit to the Museum: Your best option is to take the bus from Union Square. The 1 (exit at California and Presidio), 2 (exit at Sutter and Presidio) and 38 (exit at Geary and Presidio) all drop off about two or three blocks from the station. A cab from Union Square will cost around $20.
Insider Tips: The museum is free and run by volunteers, so make sure you call ahead to confirm they are open before heading over to the museum; 415-563-4630
Museums in San Francisco: Walt Disney Museum
The Walt Disney Museum is about the life and times of the man, Walt Disney. You'll see pictures and other information from his early years, through his times running the Walt Disney company and end with more information about his death.
Quick Facts: The museum features some never before seem pictures of his life and family.
Location: The permanent gallery is at 104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio. Two other buildings near the permanent exhibit are used for traveling exhibits, movies and other special events.
Cost:The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors over 65, $15 for students with an ID, $12 for children ages 6 – 17, and children under 6 get in free with an adult admission.
Hours: Wednesday through Monday from 10am to 6pm; closed every Tuesday and on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Current & Upcoming Special Exhibits and Events
Monthly Movies: 1pm and 4pm almost every day of the month |
$7 for adults $5 for children (17 and under) |
Lectures & Discussions: May 19: The Disney Treatment: Walt's Versions of Classic Stories |
$12 for adults $9 for children (17 and under) |
Discount Passes: Not included in any discount passes
Transit to the Museum: The Hop On/Hop Off tour is a great option for getting to this museum in San Francisco. Stop #5 on the route drops you right in front. The other option is to take the bus. You will need to pick up the 38L near Union Square and exit at the Geary and Presidio stop. You will then pick up the 43 and take it to Letterman and Lincoln. The museum is about a 10 minute walk from this stop.
Insider Tips: The monthly film and other special exhibits are not included in your general admission tickets. Check the calendar before visiting to see if you want to also buy tickets for these special events. Head to their website to learn even more: Walt Disney Museum.
Museums in San Francisco: Beat Museum
The Beat Museum is one of the more eclectic museums in San Francisco. This city was the heart of the Beat Generation in the mid 1950s. This famous group of writers created and publicized their unique culture that included experimental drugs, sex and an overly expressive ways of living their lives.
Quick Facts: The museum was originally between San Francisco and Big Sur. However, they moved it to San Francisco a few years ago since it was the main location for this generation.
Location: 540 Broadway (at Columbus), San Francisco, CA 94133
Cost: $5
Hours: Everyday from 10am to 7pm
Discount Passes: Admission is included with the Go San Francisco card.
Transit to the Museum: This is another one of the museums in San Francisco that is centrally located. It is in the heart of the North Beach area. You can access it from stop #16 on the Hop On/Hop Off bus. Another fun way to get here is by taking the Mason/Powell cable car line from Union Square.
Insider Tips: The museum is quite small, just two floors of items. However, if you are fascinated by the Beat Generation, there is no better museum to visit than this little museum in the North Beach neighborhood.
Museums in San Francisco: California Historical Society
The California Historical Society is another one of the museums in San Francisco. It houses a huge collection of documents and photographs of the state's history from politics to cultural events.
Quick Facts: You will find more than 5k works of fine art and 500k photographs showcasing the history of California.
Location: 678 Mission Street, just a few blocks from Union Square
Cost: $3 for adults, $1 for seniors and students with IDs, children 6 and under get in free
Hours: Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 5pm
Current & Upcoming Special Exhibits and Events: The California Historical Society is currently featuring a temporary exhibit to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. The exhibit closes on October 14.
Discount Passes: Admission is included with the Go San Francisco card.
Transit to the Museum: The museum is just a few blocks from Union Square, so you can walk or take a taxi to the museum.
Insider Tips: This is one of the few museums in San Francisco where you can also use their research library for papers, books or other research projects on California. Their collection consists of over 50,000 pieces of documentation. The library is open Wednesday through Friday and is free to enter. You can not take pens into the library, so bring along a pencil or two for your research.
San Francisco Maritime Museum & Hyde Street Pier
The San Francisco Maritime Museum is actually two different museums in San Francisco: the Maritime Museum and the ships at the Hyde Street Pier.
Museums in San Francisco: Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum used to be in the white bathhouse on Beach Street, right next to the water. This area is now used for temporary exhibits for the museum.
Recently, a new, larger Maritime Museum opened on the first level of the Argonaut Hotel on Jefferson and Hyde Streets. I recently visited the new museum and they did a great job with it.
It has the entire history of the waterfront in San Francisco. It shows details on important ships coming in and out of the San Francisco bay as well as a time line for all of the changes over the years.
At the San Francisco Maritime Museum, you will also learn a little about the San Francisco Gold rush, shipwrecks and communications at sea. There are also interactive activities as well as some movies and other hands on learning exhibits. My favorite part is the lighthouse lens from the Farrallon Islands lighthouse. It's really interesting to see up close how the light works.
This museum is free and is open every day from 9:30 to 5, with longer hours in the summer. This museum in San Francisco closes on Thanksgiving, December 25 and New Year's Day.
Museums in San Francisco: Hyde Street Pier
In addition to the Maritime Museum, you can also visit the old ships at the Hyde Street Pier. Here you can visit three old ships with a long history. You can also walk along the pier for free if you decide you are not interested in visiting the inside of any ships.
Quick Facts: There are eight historic ships at the pier, but you can only tour three of them. The oldest one is from 1886 and the youngest ship was built in 1915.
Location: The pier at Jefferson and Hyde Streets on the western side of Fisherman's Wharf.
Cost: $5 per person and the tickets are good for seven days; supervised children under 16 get in free
Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 - June, July and August; 9:30 to 5pm September - May
Transit to the Museum: You can walk from anywhere in Fisherman's Wharf. The best way to get here is to either use the Hop on/Hop Off bus -- get off at the #1 stop -- or the Powell/Hyde or Powell/Mason cable cars from Union Square.
Insider Tips: There are daily guided tours of the three main ships. Ask for the daily schedule when you arrive. Also, there are sailing demonstrations most weekend days.
Chinese Historical Society
The Chinese Historical Society is another one of the specialized history museums in San Francisco. Located in the heart of Chinatown, this museum showcases the experiences of Chinese Americans.
Quick Facts: The museum is maintained by the oldest and largest Chinese Historical Society in the country.
Location: 965 Clay Street, near Powell Street in Chinatown
Cost: $5 adults; $3 for seniors and students with an ID; $2 for children 6 - 17 and free for children 5 and under
Hours: Tuesday through Friday from 12 - 5; Saturday from 11 to 4
Free Days: First Thursday of every month
Discount Passes: Admission included with the Go San Francisco card
Get to the Museum: Get off at stop #16 on the Hop On/Hop Off bus, take the Powell/Hyde Cable Car from Union Square or take either the 1 California or the 30 Stockton bus from Union Square. You can also take a cab from Union Square for around $15.
San Francisco Art Museums: San Francisco has some of the best art museums in the US. Three of the most popular are the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the deYoung Museum of Fine Art and the Asian Art Museum. Learn more about each of these and some of the other art museums in San Francisco.
Other Museums San Francisco: In addition to art and history, San Francisco is full of other great museums from the living Conservatory of Flowers to the kid friendly Exploratorium. Read on to discover some of the other museums in San Francisco.
Go San Francisco Card
The Go San Francisco card is a multi-day pass that gives you access to almost 50 attractions in San Francisco and the surrounding areas. It includes admission to 8 museums in San Francisco including the California Academy of Sciences, SF Museum of Modern Art and the deYoung Museum.
You will not have to buy tickets to all of these places separately. The Go San Francisco card makes it easy to visit the most popular places in San Francisco and the bay area without having to carry around a pocket full of tickets. It's also flexible, since you can buy it for one, two, three, five or seven days -- however long you plan on visiting San Francisco.
By buying the Go Card, you also save money. You pay only a fraction of the cost of admission to all of these attractions than if you paid for them separately. Discover even more benefits and pick up your Go San Francisco card today!
Hop On/Hop Off Tour
One of the best ways to understand the layout of San Francisco is by taking the Hop On/Hop Off Tour. It's also a great way to get around the city the first day or two of your visit.
This is the best way to get to some of the museums in San Francisco that are a little further away such as the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and the Asian Art Museum. Pair this with the Go San Francisco card and you are set for a carefree adventure in the city by the bay. Learn more about the Hop On/Hop Off Tour and reserve your ticket.
Tips to Visit Alcatraz: Alcatraz is another must see San Francisco attraction. Read on to get some tips for visiting this famous landmark and what you need to do in order to prepare for your trip to the island.
Ghirardelli Square: Another historical site in San Francisco is Ghirardelli Square. This San Francisco landmark is the location of one of the first chocolate factories in San Francisco. The Ghirardelli name is famous for their mouth watering chocolates and other sweet treats. Discover everything there is to see and do at Ghirardelli Square.
- Alcatraz History
- Alcatraz Prisoners
- Al Capone Bio
- Birdman of Alcatraz Bio
- Alcatraz Escapes
- Tips to Book Tour
- Visiting Tips
- Cheap Hotel Recommendations
- Haight Ashbury History & Visiting Tips
- Cable Cars History & Info
- San Francisco Theaters
- 1906 Earthquake History & Facts
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