De Young Museum

The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum’s American collection features 17th- to 21st-century works. Many visitors view pieces from Hudson River School artists. Oceanic art, such as New Zealand Maori wood carvings, and African art, including ancient terra-cotta from Mali, figure prominently. An expansive textile arts collection, including 20th-century couture from European designers, such as Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, and Saint Laurent, is very popular.

The San Francisco CityPASS and Go card, plus a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus, include admission to de Young Museum, while other tours, such as self-guided, electric bike, and Segway tours, and Surrey rentals, don’t. Single-admission tickets provide same-day admission to de Young’s partner fine arts museum, the Legion of Honor. Tours don’t include admission to any special exhibits.

• de Young Museum is compact and easy to visit in a few hours.

• The small on-site café is very busy at lunchtime and during special exhibitions.

• The museum is wheelchair accessible with accessible restrooms. It sets aside separate days during new exhibitions to allow visitors who request accommodation to visit when the museum is less crowded.

• Admission for children under 17 is always free. Admission is free to everyone on the first Tuesday of the month.

de Young Museum is in Golden Gate Park, near the California Academy of Sciences, the Hagiwara Tea Garden, and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Muni’s 44 O’Shaughnessy, 5 Fulton, 21 Hayes, and N Judah streetcar all stop within walking distance of the entrance. If driving, there’s a parking lot at the Music Concourse and free on-street parking throughout the park. Golden Gate Park is closed to car traffic every Sunday.

de Young is busiest during the summer, on important holidays, and when special exhibitions are held. Arrive during opening at 9:30am for uncrowded galleries and easy parking. In spring and fall, picnickers fill Golden Gate Park. The museum is open Tuesdays–Sundays, 9:30am–5:15pm; it’s closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

de Young Café hosts a popular Weinpause or traditional afternoon wine or coffee break. It also attracts crowds who take in the view of the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden, which includes works designed to blend in with the natural landscape of Golden Gate Park.

The best place to park at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is the Music Concourse Garage, accessible via Fulton St. and 10th Avenue and Concourse Drive from the south. There is also limited 4-hour street parking on John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Drives.

Yes, the De Young Museum in San Francisco is wheelchair accessible. The museum has ramps at all entrances, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, a wheelchair-accessible elevator, and a wheelchair-accessible parking lot. The museum also offers audio tours for visitors who are blind and sign language interpretation and assistive listening devices for visitors who are deaf.

The best time to visit the De Young Museum in San Francisco is on the first Tuesday of the month when admission is free to the public. You can also try on Wednesdays when there are likely fewer crowds, and the neighboring Japanese Tea Garden is free from 9am to 10am.

No, you can't bring your own food to the De Young Museum in San Francisco. If you're craving a bite to eat or just a pleasant place to rest after spending time in the galleries, you can head to the de Young Cafe and sit facing the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden Terrace.

You need at least 2–3 hours to visit the de Young Museum—that's enough time to peruse most galleries on the first and second floors, stop by the gift shop, and grab coffee at the de Young Cafe. Plan for four hours to take your time and visit the Hammond Tower.

It depends on the size of your backpack. You can bring standard-size backpacks inside, though any larger than 8 inches (20 centimeters) by 8 inches by 5 inches (13 centimeters) must be carried by hand or left at coat check. You also must check in metal-frame backpacks and baby-carrier backpacks.