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Wednesday, December 24

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Xmas Eve Admission (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Xmas Eve Admission (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Wednesday

20th Anniv. of SF’s 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” at The Westin St. Francis
Wednesday, December 24 – All Day | Cost: FREE | The Westin St. Francis
20th Anniv. of SF's 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle" at The Westin St. Francis

The Westin St. Francis’ iconic Sugar Castle celebrates 20 years of holiday magic in San Francisco. This nearly 12-foot-tall, 1,000-pound masterpiece features more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms, and a running train, bringing a whimsical French château to life in the heart of the ...

2025 Xmas Eve “IlluminOdyssey” Interactive Light Experience
Wednesday, December 24 – 10:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: $27.95*
*$27.95 Adults; $23.95 Children, Students & Seniors
| CuriOdyssey
2025 Xmas Eve "IlluminOdyssey" Interactive Light Experience

lluminOdyssey is back! Catch the light November 15, 2025 through January 25, 2026. Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of ...

Free Admission Day at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
Wednesday, December 24 – 11:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Free Admission Day at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)

Opened to the public in 1993, YBCA was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. Centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA ...Every Wednesday

SF’s Epic “Photosynthesis” Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers
Wednesday, December 24 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
| San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
SF's Epic "Photosynthesis" Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers

Light up the season with Photosynthesis, This beautiful light art installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and was designed by Lumigeek with music by Tim Digulla. The installation uses special projectors to transform the all-white glasshouse into a ...

Thursday, December 25

Free Admission Day for Christmas at San Francisco Botanical Garden (2025)
Thursday, December 25 – 7:30 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and daily from 7:30-9 am
| San Francisco Botanical Garden
Free Admission Day for Christmas at San Francisco Botanical Garden (2025)

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. A unique urban oasis, the garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, and showcasing over 9,000 different kinds ...Monthly

SF’s 20th Anniv. of 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” at The Westin St. Francis
Thursday, December 25 – All Day | Cost: FREE | The Westin St. Francis
SF's 20th Anniv. of 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle" at The Westin St. Francis

The Westin St. Francis’ iconic Sugar Castle celebrates 20 years of holiday magic in San Francisco. This nearly 12-foot-tall, 1,000-pound masterpiece features more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms, and a running train, bringing a whimsical French château to life in the heart of the ...

SF’s Epic “Photosynthesis” Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers
Thursday, December 25 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
| San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
SF's Epic "Photosynthesis" Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers

Light up the season with Photosynthesis, This beautiful light art installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and was designed by Lumigeek with music by Tim Digulla. The installation uses special projectors to transform the all-white glasshouse into a ...

Friday, December 26

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Friday

Saturday, December 27

Free “Legion of Honor” Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)
Free "Legion of Honor" Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)

 the Legion of Honor offers free general admission to the permanent galleries to Bay Area residents. Advanced tickets are required, and capacity is limited due to COVID-19 precautions. Please note that admission to any special exhibits is not included nor discounted and will require ...Every Saturday

Free de Young Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)
Free de Young Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)

, the de Young offers free general admission to the permanent galleries to Bay Area residents. Please note that admission to any special exhibits is not included nor discounted and will require the full admission price. Saturdays feature engaging art experiences for the entire family, ...Every Saturday

Sunday, December 28

21+ Medicinal Cocktails Lecture + Champagne Toast at Museum of the Eye (SF)
Sunday, December 28 – 2:00 pm | Cost: $41.45*
*41.45 fees included and a glass of Champagne
| Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye
21+ Medicinal Cocktails Lecture + Champagne Toast at Museum of the Eye (SF)
Celebratory Bubbles, Not Eye Troubles. A New Year’s Celebration at the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye! Join local cocktail and spirits writer, educator, and author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails, Camper English, for a presentation of “Eye-Openers, ...
40th Annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony at Asian Art Museum (2025)
Sunday, December 28 – 10:30 am - Ends at 2:00 pm | Cost: *
*$20 museum admission; bell-ringing is free but requires an additional free numbered ticket available on site.
| Asian Art Museum
40th Annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony at Asian Art Museum (2025)
40th Annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony Join your museum community and ring the bell at one of our most beloved yearly events. Welcome the New Year by ringing a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell, leaving behind any regrets or ill luck from 2025. The San Francisco Chronicle calls ...

Monday, December 29

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Monday

Wednesday, December 31

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free NYE Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free NYE Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Wednesday

NYE “IlluminOdyssey” Interactive Winter Light Experience
Wednesday, December 31 – 10:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: $27.95*
*$27.95 Adults; $23.95 Children, Students & Seniors
| CuriOdyssey
NYE "IlluminOdyssey" Interactive Winter Light Experience

lluminOdyssey is back! Catch the light November 15, 2025 through January 25, 2026. Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of ...

20th Anniv. of SF’s 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)
Wednesday, December 31 – 10:00 am - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | The Westin St. Francis
20th Anniv. of SF's 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)

The Westin St. Francis’ iconic Sugar Castle celebrates 20 years of holiday magic in San Francisco. This nearly 12-foot-tall, 1,000-pound masterpiece features more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms, and a running train, bringing a whimsical French château to life in the heart of the ...

Free Admission Day at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
Wednesday, December 31 – 11:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Free Admission Day at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)

Opened to the public in 1993, YBCA was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. Centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA ...Every Wednesday

SF’s Epic “Photosynthesis” Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers
Wednesday, December 31 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
| San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
SF's Epic "Photosynthesis" Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers

Light up the season with Photosynthesis, This beautiful light art installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and was designed by Lumigeek with music by Tim Digulla. The installation uses special projectors to transform the all-white glasshouse into a ...

Thursday, January 1

Free First Thursdays at SF’s Museum of Craft and Design
Thursday, January 1 – 10:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free Admission every First Thursday
| Museum of Craft and Design
Free First Thursdays at SF's Museum of Craft and Design

There’s no better time to visit the Museum of Craft and Design than on their Free First Thursdays. Committed to making art, craft, and design accessible to everyone the Museum of Craft and Design is Free on the First Thursday of every month. .  Museum of Craft and ...Monthly

SF’s DFT New Year’s Day: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
Thursday, January 1 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*FREE with RSVP
| 2nd St & Howard St
SF’s DFT New Year's Day: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
DFT: NEW YEAR’S DAY EDITION. The DFT Street Party on 2nd St. DFT is back for a full year of street parties in 2026! Kick off a brand new season and a brand new year of DFT on New Year’s Day. DJs – Live Performances – ...
Free Admission Day at SF Botanical Garden for New Year’s Day 2026
Thursday, January 1 – 7:30 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and daily from 7:30-9 am
| San Francisco Botanical Garden
Free Admission Day at SF Botanical Garden for New Year's Day 2026

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. A unique urban oasis, the garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, and showcasing over 9,000 different kinds ...Monthly

SF’s 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” at the Westin St. Francis (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)
Thursday, January 1 – All Day | Cost: FREE | The Westin St. Francis
SF's 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle" at the Westin St. Francis (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)

The Westin St. Francis’ iconic Sugar Castle celebrates 20 years of holiday magic in San Francisco. This nearly 12-foot-tall, 1,000-pound masterpiece features more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms, and a running train, bringing a whimsical French château to life in the heart of the ...

Cancelled: Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum
Thursday, January 1 – 11:00 am - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free admission to galleries. Film programs are excluded. No advanced tickets required, but subject to capacity limits
| Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive
Cancelled: Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum

The Museum is closed on New Year’s Day Monthly

SFMOMA’s “Free First Thursdays” Free Museum Day for Locals
Thursday, January 1 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Residents of the nine Bay Area counties are invited to spend a day at the museum on us
| SFMOMA
SFMOMA's "Free First Thursdays" Free Museum Day for Locals

All residents of the nine Bay Area counties are invited to spend a day at the museum on us! From noon–8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month, Bay Area residents can enjoy SFMOMA’s galleries filled with lively and inspiring art and related events ...Monthly

SF’s Free DFT Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
Thursday, January 1 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP
| 2nd Street between Market and Howard Streets
SF’s Free DFT Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)

Downtown First Thursdays is back for a full year of street parties in 2026: Starting Jan 1, 2026 with a New Year’s Day Edition.  DJs – Live Performances – Dancing – Drag – Food Trucks – Shopping – Fashion, and new surprises every month. All ...Monthly

SF’s Epic “Photosynthesis” Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers
Thursday, January 1 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
| San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
SF's Epic "Photosynthesis" Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers

Light up the season with Photosynthesis, This beautiful light art installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and was designed by Lumigeek with music by Tim Digulla. The installation uses special projectors to transform the all-white glasshouse into a ...

Lower Polk / TL Art Walk | Trendyloin
Thursday, January 1 – 6:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Lower Polk / Gulch Corridor
Lower Polk / TL Art Walk | Trendyloin

The SF First Thursday Art Walk makes 27+ galleries available late night to the public for an art walk every first Thursday from 6-10 pm. This is not a bar crawl. Each location is either a traditional gallery or a retail space with room dedicated to ...Monthly

Friday, January 2

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Friday

Free Admission Day at Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Friday, January 2 – All Day | Cost: FREE | Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Free Admission Day at Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Connect with nature at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, a place for learning, explorationand building community located in a beautiful building right on the beach in Santa Cruz. Permanent exhibits include wildlife and habitat displays, artifacts and cultural exhibits of the Ohlone, a ...Monthly