Free Museum Admissions in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area has an abundance of wonderful museums ... and almost all of them offer one day a month in which you can gain admission for free or for paying what you wish.

Museums with Free or "Pay What You Wish" Admissions on Special Days

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Free Admission: "Target Tuesdays" courtesy of Target Stores on the first Tuesday of every month. Museum members, children 12 and under, and SFUSD students (with ID) are always FREE. Reduced Admission: Thursday evenings after 5, price of admission is $5. See "Special Museum Nights" Alternatively, enjoy free admission with the Go San Francisco Card or with a CityPass.

Bay Area Discovery Museum "Free Second Saturdays for Families, brought to you by MetLife Foundation. (Free admission 1 – 5 p.m.)"

Berkely Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive "First Impressions: Free First Thursdays at BAM/PFA Free admission to the galleries, public programs, and a 5:30 PFA screening, the first Thursday of every month." Supported, in part, by The Gap.

California Academy of the Sciences Free admission for all on the first Wednesday of each month. Part of the CityPass system.

Cartoon Art Museum "...The first Tuesday of every calendar month is"Pay What You Wish Day."

Chinese Historical Society of America "Free to the public on the first Thursday of every month"

Contemporary Jewish Museum Free admission on Third Mondays.

Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education (San Mateo) Free admission on First Wednesdays.

deYoung Museum First Tuesdays

Exploratorium "Free admission on first Wednesday of each month; however, due to capacity limits, groups of 10 or more are required to make reservations or will not be admitted."

Habitot Children's Museum Schedule of Free Admission Days

Legion of Honor First Tuesdays. "The Legion of Honor displays a collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art in an exquisite Beaux-Arts building in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge..."

Museo Italo Americano Free and open until 7 p.m. on First Wednesdays.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art Check the site for free public openings of new exhibits. Under 18 years old, free.

Oakland Museum of California Free Second Sunday of each month (does not include special exhibitions). Kids 5 and under always free.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) First Tuesday of each month is free. Thursday evenings, 6 to 9, is half price.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts "... Our Galleries are FREE to the public all day long on the first Tuesday of every month...."

Special Nights at Museums

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's Third Thursday Night Performances usually start at 7 p.m. and are often FREE with admission (only $5 after 5pm on Thursday evenings). Please check their schedule for updates.

Oakland Museum of California "First Fridays After Five" events take place from 5-9 p.m on the first Friday of each month and are included with museum admission.  All galleries are open late. The museum café serves food and drinks until 8 p.m. A cash bar is open until 9 p.m. Each "First Friday" event is built around a different theme, often involving music and dancing, always involving fun! Check out the Calendar for the next "First Fridays After Five " event as well as the many other wonderful events taking place at the Oakland Museum of CA.

How to Get Free Admission to Museums by Getting Involved

Getting involved is another great way to gain free admission to a museum ... and to meet fellow volunteers... and enjoy the camaraderie that often ensues.

Opportunities to get involved in the San Francisco Bay area:

Bay Area Discovery Museum Benefits of volunteering include: "... make new friends, opportunity to work with children and have fun, free museum admission, discount at museum store and museum café, periodic enrichment training..."

California Historical Society

Cartoon Art Museum

Chinese Historical Society of America

Coyote Point Museum (San Mateo)

Elizabeth Gamble Garden

Exploratorium "... A volunteer project at the Exploratorium is a marvelous opportunity to participate behind the scenes in this hands-on museum of science, art, and human perception. In exchange for contributing your time and sharing your talents, you can engage your curiosity by learning new things, interact with visitors and volunteers from around the world, and most of all, have fun!"

Midsummer Mozart Festival "... You'll enjoy the camaraderie of fellow music lovers, special perks and the knowledge that you can contribute to the success of the Festival!"

Muir Woods National Monument

Oakland Museum of California

San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

San Francisco Symphony

More Ways to Live Large for Less:

Free VOIP  Talk for FREE over your broadband Internet connection using your regular phone.

Free Payday Loans  Get paid tomorrow instead of Friday. Your 1st loan is FREE.

Free Credit Report  Buying a new car or a home? Then you MUST check your credit report.

Free Laptop Computer  No kidding... there IS a way that folks are getting a laptop for FREE!

Free Satellite TV Installation  Get TV in 4 rooms for less than you're paying for cable.

Free Car  Learn how some folks are driving a car for free. Fascinating!

More Ways to Enjoy San Francisco for Less:

San Francisco Art Gallery Walks and Receptions, Artists Open Studio Tours

Free and Low Cost Music in San Francisco

See San Francisco Museums for Free

See San Francisco Theatre for Free

See and Experience Dance for Free in San Francisco

Bay Area Festivals and How To Get Free Admission to Some

Bay Area Film Festivals and How to Get Free Admission to Some.

San Francisco Internships

Best San Francisco Happy Hours

San Francisco Area Free Wine Tastings

San Francisco Open Mic Nights and Poetry Slams

Meeting People, Making Friends in San Francisco

Budget San Francisco Accommodations

Budget Dining in San Francisco

Where to Get the Best Shopping Deals in San Francisco

How to Get Free Swag as a Member of a San Francisco Street Team

San Francisco Locally Grown Food

Where to Find Free Wi-Fi Hotspots in San Francisco

San Francisco Bay Area Sights and Tours