Free Museum Days in Bay Area
What’s not to love about museums? You learn new things. You see interesting art. You can use them as a neutral location to figure out whether or not your Tinder date is a total creep.
But getting in the door can get pricey, which is why free days are a total blessing. We put them all in one place just for you.
21 participating museums are offering free entry for San Francisco Free Museum Weekend on 12/3 – 12/4!
SAN FRANCISCO
SFMOMA // Yerba Buena
- Free first Thursdays for Bay Area residents. Reserve tickets 2 weeks in advance here.
- Free family days — Four free adult tickets per person under 18 in your party. They’re announced periodically throughout the year. Find the dates here.
de Young // Golden Gate Park
- Free on the first Tuesday of the month.
- Free general admission for Bay Area residents every Saturday (more info here).
- Get $2 off general admission on paid days with proof of purchase from any Bay Area transit system.
- The observation tower is always free and open to the public during museum hours.
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
Legion of Honor // Sea Cliff
- Free on the first Tuesday of the month.
- Free general admission for Bay Area residents every Saturday (more info here).
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
Museum of Craft and Design // Dogpatch
- Pay what you can every Wednesday.
Asian Art Museum // Civic Center
- Free every first Sunday of every month. Additional entrance fees apply to special exhibits.
Conservatory of Flowers // Golden Gate Park
- Free for SF residents everyday.
- Free for all on the first Tuesday of every month.
Contemporary Jewish Museum // Yerba Buena
- Free on the first Friday of every month.
The Exploratorium // Pier 15
- Free on community days which occur a hand full of times throughout the year. (More info here).
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
California Academy of Sciences // 55 Music Concourse Dr
- Get $3 off Daytime Admission when you walk, bike, or take public transit to the Academy
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts // 701 Mission St
- Free on the first Tuesday of the month.
- The Third Street Courtyard is always free and open to the public.
SF Botanical Gardens // Golden Gate Park
- Free everyday from 7:30-9am.
- Free on the second Tuesday of every month.
- Free on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
- Free for SF residents. Proof of residency may be: CA driver’s license or ID showing SF address, photo ID + recent utility bill, lease, or other documentation showing SF address.
Japanese Tea Gardens // Golden Gate Park
- Free for SF residents everyday.
- Free for all every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9am to 10am.
EAST BAY
Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive // Berkeley
- Free on the first Thursday of the month.
Oakland Museum of California // Oakland
- On every first Sunday of the month, enjoy admission to OMCA with a suggested donation of $5 for general admission – there is an additional $5 fee for access to special exhibitions.
- The Museum’s plaza and gardens are always open to the public. More special discounts here.
Chabot Space & Science Center // Oakland
- Free telescope viewings every Friday and Saturday night, weather permitting. Check out more info here.
Casa Peralta // San Leandro
- Admission to San Leandro’s historic house museum is free and open to the public every weekend from 11 AM to 3 PM.
SOUTH BAY
Jose Museum of Art // 110 S. Market St, San Jose
- Free year-round for young visitors ages 17 and under, college students, and school teachers.
- Free every first Friday of the month after 6 pm.
- Free on Smithsonian Museum Day (September 18).
- Free every first weekend of the month for visitors who present an active Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust) branded debit or credit card with valid photo I.D.
- Find more info on community days here.
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles // San Jose
- Free from 5 pm to 9 pm on the first Friday of each month, except in January and July.
- Pay what you can admission from 4 pm to 7 pm every Friday.
- Discover & Go also offers free general admission for California library cardholders.
NASA Ames Research Center // Moffett Field
- The visitor center of NASA’s Bay Area research center is always free.
South Bay Historical Railroad Society // Santa Clara
- Open to the public Tuesday evenings from 5 PM to 8 PM, and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM.
- The railroad heritage museum is always free.
NORTH BAY
Bay Area Discovery Museum // 557 McReynolds Rd, Sausalito
- Free for Bay Area residents every first Wednesday of every other month.
- Free for active military personnel (one child and one adult) every day.
Robert Louis Stevenson Museum // 1490 Library Ln, St. Helena
- Admission is always free.
