Free Museum Days in San Francisco

Updated 2026-09-04 · Free · No sign-up

5 San Francisco institutions with verified free admission. San Francisco's headline program is Free Saturdays at the de Young and Legion of Honor — every Saturday, free for residents of the nine Bay Area counties — plus first Tuesdays free for everyone. Beyond that, the city's free days are scattered: first Sundays at the Asian Art Museum and Oakland Museum, and occasional published free days at SFMOMA.

Scheduled free days

InstitutionFree dayWho qualifiesReservation
Asian Art Museum (San Francisco)1st Sunday monthlyEveryoneSee page
California Academy of SciencesNo regular free dayEBT cardholdersSee page
de Young MuseumSaturdaysBay Area residentsRequired
Legion of HonorSaturdaysBay Area residentsRequired
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)Published datesAges 18 and underRequired

Local tips

Other ways in free

Bank of America cardholders get free general admission at participating San Francisco institutions on Museums on Us weekends (first full weekend, monthly). If you hold a membership at a museum, zoo or science center elsewhere, check our reciprocity checker — NARM, ASTC and AZA reciprocity often cover San Francisco institutions for traveling members.

↥ Check another museum →   Browse all free museum & zoo days →

FAQ

Which San Francisco museums are always free?

None of the San Francisco institutions we track are free every day, but 5 run regular free days — see the table above.

Do San Francisco free days require reservations?

Some do. de Young Museum and Legion of Honor and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) require advance free tickets; each institution's page here says exactly how it works and links the official booking page.

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