Visit a San Francisco Museum for Free

If you are planning a trip to San Francisco, it’s worth checking out our list of free museum days to see if your visit coincides with any of them. It’s a great way to enjoy a local attraction while also saving money.

1. Asian Art Museum: On the first Sunday of each month, general admission is free and tickets to special exhibitions are offered at a discounted price of $10. Children under the age of 12 are free anytime. In addition, free guided tours of the collection and special exhibitions are available daily, offered by knowledgeable docents.
2. Bay Area Discovery Museum: Free admission for one child and one adult with an active military ID. This discount is offered year-round.
3. California Academy of Sciences: There are no free days but children under the age of 2 are free every day. Note: tickets purchased ahead of time are generally cheaper than those purchased day of visit. Check their “plan-ahead pricing” info for details.
4. Conservatory of Flowers: Free admission on the 1st Tuesday of every month.
5. Contemporary Jewish Museum: Free admission on the first Friday of every month. 
6. Exploratorium: The Exploratorium offers reduced price admission tickets and memberships to anyone with an EBT/SNAP/CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or WIC card or a Lifeline Pass. They also offer free admission to California public school teachers (must complete online form ahead of time and show teacher ID at entrance).
7. GLBT Historical Society Museum: Free admission on the first Wednesday of the month. Children 12 and under are always free. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cardholders receive free admission. Cardholders may present their card and valid ID to receive free admission.
8. Japanese Tea Garden: Free admission from 9:00 am – 10:00 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
9. Legion of Honor: Free admission on the first Tuesday of every month to permanent galleries. Tickets can be reserved online.
10. Museum of African Diaspora: Free on the second Saturday of every month.
11. SF Museum of Modern Art: Free family days at the museum are scheduled several times each year and include art-making activities for the whole family. Admission to the museum is free for up to four adults accompanying one child or teen (eighteen and younger). 
12. SF Botanical Gardens: Free admission from 7:30 am – 9:00 am daily and the 2nd Tuesday of every month, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
13. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: They offer free days every Wednesday and the second Sunday of the month. Youth and military members are always free.

Museums on Us: For the past 25 years, Bank of America has offered cardholders free general admission – during the first full weekend of every month – to more than 225 cultural institutions in cities across the United States. Local participants include: Contemporary Jewish Museum, deYoung Museum, Legion of Honor, and Oakland Museum of California.