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by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: June 2, 2023
Many San Francisco museums offer free admission to their facilities at least once a month. 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 of the month.
While some museums offer a free day every month, a handful of them offer free days just four to five times a year. These include the California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Here is the general pattern of free days for each SF museum, in alphabetical order. You can also scroll down for a list of dates for each museum by month.
To make it easier for you, I've also created a month by month calendar for all of the museums mentioned above. Either scroll down or click on these links to jump ahead to a specific month.
Thursday, June 1
Friday, June 2
Saturday, June 3
Sunday, June 4
Tuesday, June 6
Wednesday, June 7
Saturday, June 10
Tuesday, June 13
>> More fun things to do in June
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.
Saturday, July 1
Sunday, July 2
Tuesday, July 4
Wednesday, July 5
Thursday, July 6
Friday, July 7
Saturday, July 8
Tuesday, July 11
>> More fun things to do in July
Tuesday, August 1
Wednesday, August 2
Thursday, August 3
Friday, August 4
Saturday, August 5
Sunday, August 6
Tuesday, August 8
Saturday, August 12
>> More fun things to do in August
Friday, September 1
Saturday, September 2
Sunday, September 3
Tuesday, September 5
Wednesday, September 6
Thursday, September 7
Saturday, September 9
Tuesday, September 12
>> More fun things to do in September
>> More free ideas for September
Sunday, October 1
Tuesday, October 3
Wednesday, October 4
Thursday, October 5
Friday, October 6
Saturday, October 7
Tuesday, October 10
Saturday, October 14
>> More fun things to do in October
>> More free ideas for October
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 it's a fun place to check out during your visit. You can either 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 here.
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 wonderful view of downtown SF behind them. Learn more about visiting here.
Street Art: One of the cool things about SF is that you will find street art all around town. My guide offers you details on where to find the best pieces and which neighborhoods have the largest concentration. Learn more here.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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