Museums San Francisco
Tips to Visit the Popular Science, Botanical
and Other San Francisco Museums
You will find a wide variety of museums San Francisco to explore during your visit. On this page, discover the most popular science, botanical and other interesting museums in San Francisco.
Read on to get the most important information on each museum including current events, special exhibits and a few insider tips. Also, find out the free days for each museum.
Feel free to jump ahead to learn more about these museums San Francisco:
California Academy of Sciences | Contemporary Jewish Museum | Wax Museum
Exploratorium | Conservatory of Flowers | San Francisco Botanical Gardens
California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco Planetarium, Natural History Museum San Francisco and More
The museum is really four museums wrapped into one. Your admission ticket gives you access to the Steinhart aquarium, their natural history museum, the planetarium and the four story rainforest.
Location: 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Cost: $29.95 for adults; $24.95 for youth ages 12 to 17, seniors 65+ and students; $19.95 for children ages 4 to 11; children 3 and under are free. Buy your ticket in advance to skip the ticket lines. Learn more
Hours: Open every day, Monday – Saturday from 9:30am to 5pm and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Free Days for 2012: One Sunday every quarter, everyone gets in free. The 2012 dates are: June 3, September 16 and December 9.
Current and Upcoming Special Exhibits & Events:
| Nightlife Event |
21+ only, a great way to experience the Academy in a different way with 'adult' themed topics, music and cocktails | $12 per person Skip the lines by booking your ticket in advance |
Every Thursday night from 6 - 10pm |
| Penguins+Pajamas |
Sleepover at the Academy for kids 5 and 17, who must be accompanied by an adult that is at least 25 years of age Book earlier as spots are filling up quickly! |
$99 per person | Saturday, April 21st Saturday, May 19th Saturday, June 16th |
Discount Passes: Admission tickets are included with both the Go San Francisco card and the San Francisco City Pass. Compare the two passes
Transit to the Museum: San Francisco Hop On, Hop Off has a stop at the California Academy of Sciences - exit at stop #8. A taxi from Union Square will cost around $25. Take the 5 (to 8th Avenue & Fulton) or the N Judah (to 9th and Irving) from Union Square, both drop you about six or seven blocks away from the museum San Francisco entrance.
Insider Tips: Best time to visit is first thing in the morning. The museum is very popular and gets crowded throughout the day. Tickets to the planetarium are free, but given on a first come, first served basis. The earlier you arrive, the greater your chance for grabbing a seat for one of their shows. There is so much to do at this museum San Francisco that you should plan on spending at least three to four hours here. Learn even more on their website: California Academy of Sciences
Museums San Francisco: Contemporary Jewish Museum
This is a great museum if you want to learn more about the Jewish community in the past and present. It is one of the museums San Francisco that has a number of great permanent exhibits in addition to traveling exhibits.
Quick Facts: This is one of the museums San Francisco that started as a small museum. In June 2008, it moved to its current location that is over 63,000 square feet.
Location: This San Francisco museum is located at 736 Mission Street in the SOMA district.
Cost: Adults $12, seniors & students $10, and 18 and under is free; $5 for everyone on Thursday after 5pm
Hours: Open Friday through Tuesday from 11am to 5pm, Thursday from 1 to 8pm, and closed on Wednesday. The Jewish Museum San Francisco is closed the first day of Passover, July 4, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day.
Free Days: First Tuesday of the month
Current and Upcoming Special Exhibits & Events:
Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art, and Jewish Thought - An Exhibition and the Dorothy Saxe Invitational |
On display until May 28, 2012 |
California Dreaming: Jewish Life in the Bay Area from the Gold Rush to the Present |
On display until October 16, 2012 |
Stanley Saitowitz: Judaica |
On display until October 16, 2012 |
Dada to Surrealism: Jewish Avant-Garde Artists from Romania, 1910-1939 |
Starting June 28, 2012 through October 14, 2012 |
Discount Passes: Admission included with the Go San Francisco Card.
Transit to the Museum: This one of the museums San Francisco is about five blocks from Union Square. You can either walk here from Union Square or take a cab for about $7.
Insider Tips: The museum has three free guided tours each day. They are first come, first served and a great way to learn even more about the exhibits on display in the museum. Visit their site to learn more and check the current tour schedule: Contemporary Jewish Museum
Museums San Francisco: Wax Museum
The Wax Museum San Francisco is one of the largest wax museums in the world. Even though it is a little cheesy, the craftsmanship of the wax figures here is amazing. The model of Halle Berry is so real that you will want to reach out and shake her hand.
Quick Facts: The museum includes more than 200 wax sculptures of people from popular Hollywood couples to famous humanitarians.
Location: 145 Jefferson Street in the heart of Fishermans Wharf
Cost: $14 for adults; $10 for seniors (55+) and juniors (12 – 17); and $7 for children (6-11)
Hours: Open every day from 10am to 9pm
Discount Passes: Admission included with both the Go San Francisco Card and the Fisherman's Wharf Pass
Transit to the Museum: It's right on the main street in Fisherman's Wharf, so its an easy walk from any of the Fishermans Wharf hotels. If you are taking the Hop On Hop Off tour, get off at stop #1 and walk just a couple of blocks to the museum.
Insider Tips: It only takes about an hour to walk through the entire museum. If you have never been to a wax museum before, it's one of the best in the world. It's also one of the museums San Francisco that is centrally located and perfect if you are traveling with kids.
Museums San Francisco: Exploratorium San Francisco
One of the museums San Francisco that is dedicated to the education of children is the Exploratorium San Francisco. This museum is a science, art and human perception museum for kids -- of all ages.
Quick Facts: This San Francisco museum is a hands on place where you will learn a number of things such as what causes earthquakes, how different things are made and more.
Location: In the Palace of Fine Arts building in the Marina District at 3601 Lyon Street
Cost: The cost is $15 for adults; $12 for students (w/ID), seniors and youth (13-17); and $10 for children (4 – 12). There is also an additional cost for some of the special exhibits.
Hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am to 5pm; closed Monday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Free Days: First Wednesday of each month; there is also an additional charge for some special exhibits
Discount Passes: Admission included with both the San Francisco City Pass and the Go Card San Francisco, compare the passes
Transit to the Museum: From Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf, take the 30 to the end of the line and walk toward the water. On the way, you will see a big dome which is where this museum San Francisco is located. Taking a taxi from Union Square will cost around $20 and from Fisherman's Wharf it will cost around $15. Stop #4 of the Hop On Hop Off tour will also get you within a few blocks of the museum.
Insider Tips: This museum is full of activities and it takes around three to four hours to see and do everything. Take one of the Exploratorium's self guided walking tours to add a little structure to your visit - details are available when you enter. This is one of the few museums San Francisco with a large, free parking lot, so driving is a great alternative.
Museums San Francisco: Conservatory of Flowers
Also located in Golden Gate Park is the small, but beautiful Conservatory of Flowers. The five sections of the gardens have five distinct temperatures and plants on display. This is often overlooked, but worth a visit for those that love flowers and exotic plants.
Quick Facts: The Conservatory is one of he oldest museums San Francisco. It is more than 100 years old and also one of the oldest conservatories in North America.
Location: Golden Gate Park, 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118
Cost: $7.00 for adults; $5.00 for youth ages 12-17, seniors age 65 & over, and college students with ID; $2.00 for children ages 5-11; and free for children age 4 and under
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 10 am -4:30 pm, with last entry at 4pm. It is closed on Mondays, but is open on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Free Days: First Tuesday of every month
Current & Upcoming Special Exhibits and Events: One area in this living museum San Francisco is dedicated to special exhibits. From May 10 - October 21 the area will feature the exhibit -- Plantosaurus Rex:
Prehistoric Plants at the Conservatory of Flowers. This exhibit is included with your general admission ticket.
Discount Passes: Admission included with the Go San Francisco card
Transit to the Museum: Take the 5 bus from Union Square at Market and 6th Street to the Stanyan and Fulton stop -- walk south to Kezar Street, take a right and it is about three blocks into the park. Taking a taxi from Union Square will cost around $25. Stop #9 on the Hop On Hop Off tour drops you off directly in front of the Conservatory of Flowers.
Insider Tips: Take some time to enjoy the beautiful lawn in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. Add this on as a detour when visiting the California Academy of Sciences. The two are only a few blocks away from each other, so are easy to do in one day.
Museums San Francisco: San Francisco Botanical Gardens at Strybing Arboretum
If you love to learn about different plants and flowers, then you should make a stop at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The garden features both local California varieties and non-native varieties.
Location: 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way, San Francisco, CA 94122
Cost: $7.00 for adults; $5.00 for youth ages 12-17, seniors age 65 & over, and college students with ID; $2.00 for children ages 5-11; and
$15.00 for families (2 adults and one or more children); free for children ages 4 and under
Hours: Open everyday, November - March: 9 am - 5 pm; April - October, 9am - 6pm
Free Days: 2nd Tuesday of every month plus Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Discount Passes: Admission included with the Go San Francisco Card
Transit to the Museum: N Muni from Union Square, jump off at the 9th Avenue and Irving stop and head north to Golden Gate Park, the entrance is about a half a block after entering the park.
Insider Tips: Join one of the free, daily walking tours to learn even more about the plants. Even though the gardens are beautiful all year long, they are at their prime in the spring. The Botanical Gardens is also close to other popular museums San Francisco such as the California Academy of Sciences. Stop by the Botanical Gardens for a visit either before or after your stop at one of the other local museums.
Want to find even more museums San Francisco? Discover them on the following pages:
- 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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