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Free Museum Days in San Francisco 2024
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: July 19, 2024
Many San Francisco museums offer free days at least once a month and it's a great way to visit if you are on a budget. During these days, you gain access to each museum's permanent exhibits.
Most of the monthly free admission days are on the first Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.
While some museums offer a free day every month, a handful, such as the Exploratorium, offer free days just four to five times a year.
Unfortunately, the California Academy of Sciences no longer offers free days. I hope they start this program again soon, and I'll add them to my list when they do.
While visiting on the free days helps with your budget, I want to make sure you know that these days are some of the busiest at these museums (not all -- but most).
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Tips to Enjoy the Free Museum Days in San Francisco
Here are a couple of ways I plan to make the most of the free museum days in San Francisco.
One of the things I do when visiting during the free days is I always try to arrive early to get in. If you plan to visit one of these days, I recommend you do the same. I arrive at least 30 minutes before they open.
The other way I enjoy these free days is to arrive an hour or two before closing. When I visit during these times, the crowds have cleared out a bit more, and it's easier to visit without so many people around.
If this is the only time you will visit one of these museums and want to avoid dealing with the crowds, I recommend visiting on a different day. Yes, it's great to save a little on the budget, but sometimes it's also lovely to see on a day when it is less crowded.
San Francisco Free Museum Days
Here are the current free museum days for each SF museum, in alphabetical order. You can also scroll down to see a list of dates for each museum by month.
- Asian Art Museum: First Sunday of every month (sponsored by Target)
- California Academy of Sciences: As of the summer of 2024, they no longer offer free days, but I hope they start them up again soon.
- Conservatory of Flowers: First Tuesday of every month
- Contemporary Jewish Museum: First Friday of every month
- de Young: First Tuesday of every month and every Saturday for locals in the 9 Bay Area counties
- Exploratorium: Four to five times a year
- GLBT: First Wednesday of the month (sponsored by the Bob Ross Foundation)
- Japanese Tea Garden: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for those that arrive between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Legion of Honor: First Tuesday of every month and every Saturday for locals in the 9 Bay Area counties
- Museum of African Diaspora: Free on the second Saturday of every month.
- SF Museum of Modern Art: Free the first Thursday of the month from Noon to 8 p.m. for locals in the 9 Bay Area Counties
- SF Botanical Gardens: Second Tuesday of every month, as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, & New Year's Day. They also offer free admission for anyone arriving daily at the Main Gate between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: They offer free days every Wednesday and the second Sunday of the Month.
Bank of America Museums on Us Program
Bank of America offers free museum days in San Francisco through their Museums on Us program. This program offers Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank credit or debit cardholders free admission on the first full Saturday and Sunday of the month to the following SF museums:
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
- Oakland Museum of California
- Computer History Museum in San Jose
Pay What You Wish Museum Programs
We also have two museums that offer Pay as You Wish Days.
- Cartoon Art Museum: Visit on the first Tuesday of the month and pay what you wish.
- Museum of Craft and Design: This museum offers pay what you wish every Wednesday.
Monthly Calendar of Free Days for San Francisco Museums
To make it easier, I've also created a monthly calendar for all of the San Francisco museums mentioned above. Scroll down or click on these links to jump ahead to a specific month.
San Francisco and the Bay Area are also home to several always-free museums. You can find the latest list of free San Francisco museums. This is the most up-to-date list of free museums around the SF Bay Area.
Daily & Weekly Free Museum Days in San Francisco
- de Young & Legion of Honor: All Bay Area residents receive free admission every Saturday.
- Japanese Tea Garden: They offer free admission for anyone who enters between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Botanical Garden: It's free for anyone that enters through the Main Gate between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. daily.
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: They offer free admission to their San Francisco museum every Wednesday.
July 2024
Every Saturday in July is a Free Day for Bay Area Residents at the de Young and Legion of Honor
- July 27
Wednesday, July 24 & 31
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
>> More free things to do in San Francisco in July
Tickets to Top SF Museums
Can't make it during these free museum admission days in San Francisco? You can pick up your tickets in advance to enjoy these museums during your stay.
Fun Things to Do Around San Francisco
SF Museum Free Days: August 2024
Beautiful flowers at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco with free admission on the first Tuesday of the monthEvery Wednesday in August
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Thursday, August 1
- SF Museum of Modern Art, Noon to 8 p.m. for all Bay Area residents with an ID
Friday, August 2
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Saturday and Sunday, August 3 & 4
- Bank of America Museums on Us Free Days
Sunday, August 4
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, August 6
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, August 7
- GLBT Museum
Saturday, August 10
- Museum of African Diaspora
Sunday, August 11
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Tuesday, August 13
- Botanical Garden
de Young & Legion of Honor, every Saturday in August for Bay Area Residents
- August 3
- August 10
- August 17
- August 24
- August 31
>> Free things to do in San Francisco in August
>> Popular San Francisco events in August
Free Museum Days in SF for September 2024
Free museum day at the de Young in San Francisco in SeptemberEvery Wednesday in September
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Every Saturday in September is a Free Day for Bay Area Residents at the de Young and Legion of Honor
- September 7
- September 14
- September 21
- September 28
Sunday, September 1
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, September 3
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, September 4
- GLBT Museum
Thursday, September 5
- SF Museum of Modern Art, Noon to 8 p.m. for all Bay Area residents with an ID
Friday, September 6
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Saturday and Sunday, September 7 & 8
- Bank of America Museums on Us Free Days
Sunday, September 8
- SF Museum of Modern Art's Free Family Day with arts, crafts and other family-friendly fun, admission on this day is free for up to four adults accompanied by at least one child or teenager
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Tuesday, September 10
- Botanical Garden
Saturday, September 14
- Museum of African Diaspora
>> Free things to do in San Francisco in September
>> Popular San Francisco events in September
October 2024
One of the galleries in the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and an example of what you will see on their free day this OctoberEvery Wednesday in October
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Every Saturday in October is a Free Day for Bay Area Residents at the de Young and Legion of Honor
- October 5
- October 12
- October 19
- October 26
Tuesday, October 1
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, October 2
- GLBT Museum
Thursday, October 3
- SF Museum of Modern Art, Noon to 8 p.m. for all Bay Area residents with an ID
Friday, October 4
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Saturday and Sunday, October 5 & 6
- Bank of America Museums on Us Free Days
Sunday, October 6
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, October 8
- Botanical Garden
Saturday, October 12
- Museum of African Diaspora
Sunday, October 13
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Sunday, October 20
- SF Museum of Modern Art: Free community day with free admission to all visitors
>> Free San Francisco things to do in October
>> Popular San Francisco events in October
Free Museum Days SF: November 2024
Gorgeous piece of art in the SF Museum of Modern Art, an example of what you will see on their free museum admission daysEvery Wednesday in November
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Every Saturday in November is a Free Day for Bay Area Residents at the de Young and Legion of Honor
- November 2
- November 9
- November 16
- November 23
- November 30
Friday, November 1
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Saturday and Sunday, November 2 & 3
- Bank of America Museums on Us Free Days
Sunday, November 3
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, November 5
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, November 6
- GLBT Museum
Thursday, November 7
- SF Museum of Modern Art, Noon to 8 p.m. for all Bay Area residents with an ID
Saturday, November 9
- Museum of African Diaspora
Sunday, November 10
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Tuesday, November 12
- Botanical Garden
Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving Day)
- Botanical Garden
>> Free things to do in San Francisco in November
>> Popular San Francisco events in November
December 2024
One of the exhibits in the permanent collection at the de Young and one you will have access to on their monthly free museum day in San Francisco.Every Wednesday in December
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Every Saturday in December is a Free Day for Bay Area Residents at the de Young and Legion of Honor
- December 7
- December 14
- December 21
- December 28
Sunday, December 1
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, December 3
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, December 4
- GLBT Museum
Thursday, December 5
- SF Museum of Modern Art, Noon to 8 p.m. for all Bay Area residents with an ID
Friday, December 6
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
Saturday and Sunday, December 7 & 8
- Bank of America Museums on Us Free Days
Sunday, December 8
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Tuesday, December 10
- Botanical Garden
Saturday, December 14
- Museum of African Diaspora
Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
- Botanical Garden
>> Free San Francisco things to do in December
>> Popular San Francisco events in December
More Free Things to Do in San Francisco
In addition to these free museum admission days, here are a few other free things to check out during your stay in San Francisco.
Lombard Street: Have you heard about San Francisco's famous crooked street? It's called Lombard Street and a fun place to check out during your visit. You can walk or drive down this famous street with eight hairpin turns. For those walking, you will find a set of stairs on both sides where you can watch others as they try to maneuver around each turn. Learn more about visiting Lombard Street in San Francisco.
Painted Ladies of Alamo Square: Another fun thing to do in San Francisco is to check out the famous Painted Ladies of Alamo Square. You will find them next to Alamo Square Park. They are six identical historic Victorians with a beautiful view of downtown SF behind them. Learn more about visiting Alamo Square here.
Street Art: One of the cool things about SF is that you will find street art all around town. My guide offers details on where to find the best pieces and which neighborhoods have the largest concentration. Learn more seeing the best San Francisco murals here.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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