Free Museum Admission – San Francisco Only – Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day on Sunday, 9/25
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Most San Francisco residents know that many museums in the City by the Bay offer one free admission day every month, usually at the beginning of the month. Since I haven't found any post about this, I thought I would post. Tourists should find this list helpful too!
This list will be updated periodically to reflect the latest dates and details. Click on each site for hours. Free days, based on a check of museums' Web sites, are accurate as of 4/16/10.
BANK OF AMERICA MUSEUMS ON US Free admission every first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month until September 2010 (more 2010 dates to come) at participating museums nationwide with your Bank of America card and photo ID. Check out the BofA program Web site here for details. For participating San Francisco museums, please see below.
NEW! Added on 4/3/10 - CHECK OUT SAN FRANCISCO FAMILY PASS PROGRAM San Francisco families will soon have the chance to check out passes from libraries that will provide free entry into The Citys prized museums and other attractions under a pilot program starting in April 2010. The program will allow a San Francisco Public Library card holder with children to check out a pass for one of 18 attractions. The pass allows for one free entry for the family (2 adults and 2 children) into the cultural institution. Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/89753092.html. Click here for more information.
SPECIAL ONE-TIME FREE MUSEUM DAYS
Added on 5/31/10 - Blue Star Museums Initiative - free museum admission to Military members and up to 5 of their immediate family members from Memorial Day, May 31, 2010 through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.
Blue Star Museums in San Francisco
Asian Art Museum
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design
The Walt Disney Family Museum - does not have a monthly free day outside of this program
Added on 7/31/10 - Saturday, September 25, Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 2010 - Check here for more details. You will need to print the admission ticket in order to gain free admission to selected museums. Certain restrictions apply; see link for details.
San Francisco Museums that offer free admission on this day are:
California Historical Society - does not have a monthly free day
Cartoon Art Museum
Chinese Historical Society of America
Contemporary Jewish Museum - does not have a monthly free day outside of Bank of America's Museums on Us program
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Museum of the African Diaspora - does not have a monthly free day outside of Bank of America's Museums on Us program
Museum of Vision - always free
SS Jeremiah OBrien - The National Liberty Ship Memorial, Inc. - does not have a monthly free day
REGULARLY SCHEDULED FREE MUSEUM DAYS
Every Day
Cable Car Museum (always free)
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (always free) - Not a museum, but tourists should find this very interesting if they happen to be in Chinatown.
Musee Mechanique - Mechanical Museum (always free) - Used to be at Cliff House.
San Francisco Botanical Garden (always free for SF residents with proof of residency) - Fee for non-San Francisco residents starting 8/1/10, click on link for exact details.
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 9am to 10am
Japanese Tea Garden - [unofficial Web site] thanks FatWallet member texascountrymama - no official Web site (if you know of one, please PM me)
Every Monday through Friday
Wells Fargo Museum (always free)
Every Tuesday through Saturday
Randall Museum (always free)
San Francisco Museum of Craft+Design (always free, donation requested)
Every Tuesday through Sunday
Museo ItaloAmericano - Italian American Museum (always free)
San Francisco Railway Museum (always free)
First Tuesday of Each Month - Next One: Tuesday, 8/3
Cartoon Art Museum
Conservatory of Flowers
de Young Museum
Legion of Honor
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - SF MOMA
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Galleries
First Wednesday of Each Month - Next One: Wednesday, 8/4
Exploratorium
San Francisco Zoo
Third Wednesday of Each Month - Next One: Wednesday, 8/18
California Academy of Sciences - Click here for the 2010 California Academy of Sciences Neighborhood Free Days Calendar for San Francisco residents.
Every Thursday through Sunday
San Francisco Fire Museum (always free)
First Thursday of Each Month - Next One: Thursday, 8/5
Chinese Historical Society of America
Every Friday
Federal Reserve Bank (always free) - 12noon
Every First Full Weekend - Saturday and Sunday of Each Month until September 2010 (More 2010 Dates to Come)* - Next One: 8/7 and 8/8
*with Bank of America card and photo ID only - check BofA's Museums on Us Web site for more details
Contemporary Jewish Museum - does not have a monthly free day outside of this program
de Young Museum
Legion of Honor
Museum of the African Diaspora - does not have a monthly free day outside of this program
First Sunday of Each Month - Next One: Sunday, 8/1
Asian Art Museum
Please PM me any additions and inaccuracies.