All of San Francisco’s free museums and free museum days

Free every day.

Free! Absolutely free, 365 days a year. Enjoy this fantastical collection of wild, hokey, vintage arcade machines. Of course, you’ll want to bring a roll of quarters to put into the machines—or just carefully time your walking around to benefit from others putting into their coins. Some of the dioramas are so large-scale (like an entire circus that comes to life) that a dozen people can stand around watching. Of course, you can’t miss Laffing Sal, a cackling remnant of Playland at the Beach. Musée Mécanique is in a standalone space at Pier 45 and we highly recommend it. In the back, you’ll find more modern-but-still-vintage games like Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man.

Free.

Another always-free museum on our list, the Randall is a hands-on exhibits center for science and art aimed at kids, run by SF Parks & Rec. Check out one of the oldest continuously operating model railroads in the Western U.S.! There are also about 100 animals living here, some of which you can interact with, along with gardens, an observation deck and hiking trails.

Free.

Banking history can be so interesting—if it’s rooted in Gold Rush history, that is, and completely free to visit. At the Wells Fargo Museum, explore artifacts (including gold specimens… anyone want to make an Ocean’s 14 movie?) and hands-on experiences, including the chance to sit on a stagecoach that rocks back and forth to make you think you’re delivering shovels to the general store circa 1849.

Free first Tuesdays. Free every Saturday to Bay Area residents.

We adore this contemporary art museum set in the heart of Golden Gate Park and we’re not the only ones; it’s San Francisco’s most visited museum. The building itself is an architectural work of art, while a standout painting people come to see is The Blue Veil by Edmund C. Tarbell, an Impressionist look at a woman wearing a hat with a veil that is caught by the wind.

The de Young is always free in the last 45 minutes of the day if you want to breeze in wearing your own veiled hat. You’ll also want to check out the Paul McCartney photography exhibit, open through July 6. If you reside in one of the nine Bay Area counties, the museum is free every Saturday (eligible counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma) with proof of residence; limit four per household. Every first Tuesday of the month is free for anyone. Finally, you can always access the Hamon Observation Tower on the ninth floor for free, seeing Ruth Asawa pieces along the way and getting an amazing view of the city.

Free first Thursdays for Bay Area residents, plus free public space areas daily.

Right now the incredible “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” exhibit is a must-see at SFMOMA with 50 of her paintings on view until March 9 (she’s the painter who did the official Michelle Obama portrait and one of Breonna Taylor). You must have a ticket in hand even if it’s for a free entry. The museum is free on first Thursdays for residents of the nine Bay Area counties, and the museum has 45,000 square feet of free public space. Right now that free space hosts a remarkable Kara Walker exhibition through spring 2026.

Free first Tuesdays. Free every Saturday for Bay Area residents.

The Legion of Honor provides a little taste of Paris in San Francisco with its elegant columned façade and even its own take on an I. M. Pei glass pyramid. Inside, there are more than 800 European paintings, and visitors tend to make their way immediately to Monet’s Water Lilies. The basement has a good café and a great collection of Egyptian antiquities (those things go together, right?). The museum turned 100 in November 2024. Every Saturday is free for the residents of nine Bay Area counties, and every first Tuesday of the month is free for anyone.

Free first Sundays.

This museum has one of the largest collections of Asian art (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Himalayan, Persian) outside of Asia. Some of the works here are ancient, like a Chinese Buddhist figure dating to the year 338. The museum is free on the first Sunday of every month with limited, same-day, walk-up availability (and admission to special exhibitions is reduced to $15 as well). Museums for All members get free entry for up to four family members, as do active military and up to five family members.

Free second Saturdays.

This museum celebrates Black culture and focuses exclusively on the richness of African Diasporan art. With rotating exhibits, this Smithsonian affiliate also has a healthy emerging artists program. Watch for the exhibition of Ann Johnson’s “Love + Basketball: My Freedom Got a Rim On It,” opening February 5 and going through March 2. A sneak preview of one piece shows intricate Egyptian beadwork on a pectoral collar… with a golden basketball hoop attached. We love the whimsy! The exhibition coincides with the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco as well as Black History Month. You can visit MoAD free every second Saturday. Note: MoAD will close temporarily this year to perform upgrades from March through September, but will continue to host collaborative events off-site.