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Free Museum Admission Days in San Francisco 2023
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: January 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.
- Asian Art Museum: First Sunday of every month (sponsored by Target)
- California Academy of Sciences: Select Sundays throughout the year thanks to Pacific Gas & Electric Company (on hold due to capacity limitations)
- Conservatory of Flowers: First Tuesday of every month
- Contemporary Jewish Museum: First Tuesday of every month (on hold)
- de Young: First Tuesday of every month and first 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 am and 10 am.
- Legion of Honor: First Tuesday of every month and first Saturday for locals in the 9 Bay Area counties
- SF Museum of Modern Art: Free the first Thursday of the month from 1 pm to 8 pm 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 am and 9 am.
Month by Month Calendar of Free Days
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.
Daily & Weekly Free Admissions
- Japanese Tea Garden: They offer free admission for anyone that enters between 9 am and 10 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
- Botanical Garden: It's free for anyone that enters through the Main Gate between 7:30 am and 9 am daily.
January 2023
Tuesday, January 3
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, January 4
- GLBT Museum
Sunday, January 8
- SF Asian Art Museum (This is usually the first Sunday of the month, but they are closed on New Year's Day. This month's free day will be the second Sunday of the month for January only.)
Tuesday, January 10
- Botanical Garden
>> More fun things to do in January
>> More free ideas for January
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.
February 2023
Wednesday, February 1
- GLBT Museum
Sunday, February 5
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, February 7
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Tuesday, February 14
- Botanical Garden
>> More fun things to do in February
>> More free ideas for February
March 2023
Wednesday, March 1
- GLBT Museum
Sunday, March 5
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, March 7
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Tuesday, March 14
- Botanical Garden
>> More fun things to do in March
April 2023
Sunday, April 2
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, April 4
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, April 5
- GLBT Museum
Tuesday, April 11
- Botanical Garden
>> More fun things to do in April
May 2023
Tuesday, May 2
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Legion of Honor
Wednesday, May 3
- GLBT Museum
Sunday, May 7
- SF Asian Art Museum
Tuesday, May 9
- Botanical Garden
>> More fun things to do in May
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 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.