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Museums / Cultural Institutions

SF's First Ever "Free Museum Weekend" Coming Dec. 3-4SF’s First Ever “Free Museum Weekend” Coming Dec. 3-4
By - posted 11/9/2022
Brand New, Freebies, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Only in San Francisco

Thanks to an anonymous donor, San Francisco is getting its first ever Free Museum Weekend on December 3-4, 2022. Celebrate the reawakening and revitalization of a city that has long championed creativity, experimentation, and innovation. San Francisco Free Museum Weekend is a collaborative initiative that highlights the city’s vibrant arts and more...

SOMArts' Día de Los Muertos Returns for First Public Opening Since 2019SOMArts’ Día de Los Muertos Returns for First Public Opening Since 2019
By - posted 9/21/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Community, Healing, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Sponsored

SOMArts’ Día de Los Muertos returns with its first public opening reception since 2019, on Friday, October 7, 2022. Now in its 23rd year and founded by beloved artist René Yañez, SOMArts’ annual Día de Los Muertos exhibition is one of the most internationally diverse Day of the Dead celebrations more...

San Francisco's Opera at the Ballpark Returns (Nov. 11)San Francisco’s Opera at the Ballpark Returns (Nov. 11)
By - posted 9/16/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Get Out: Events, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Outdoorsy, San Francisco

Opening night for Verdi’s “La Traviata” will be bigger than ever with the return of Opera at the Ballpark, a free community event held at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Enjoy your opera with a side of garlic fries, in one of the most scenic venues in town more...

Smithsonian's Annual Free Museum Day 2022 (Sept. 17)Smithsonian’s Annual Free Museum Day 2022 (Sept. 17)
By - posted 9/2/2022
Museums / Cultural Institutions

Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day returns on Saturday, September 17, 2022 as participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket. Museum Day brings together museums, zoos, and cultural centers from all 50 states to offer free admission to all Museum more...

SF's Treasure Island Museum is GrowingSF’s Treasure Island Museum is Growing
By - posted 7/6/2022
Bay Area Updates, Museums / Cultural Institutions

The Treasure Island Museum recently announced it’s completing a new and larger exhibit space in the historic Building One on Treasure Island. Visitors will enter through a proposed entrance from the new Building One plaza opposite the ferry landing and transportation center. A space of 3,500 to 4,000 square feet more...

SFMOMA Has New Free Day on July 17thSFMOMA Has New Free Day on July 17th
By - posted 6/29/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Museums / Cultural Institutions

Celebrate the opening of Diego Rivera’s America with a free day of revelry, community and art on Sunday, July 17 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit the museum for free and experience the vibrant creativity of San Francisco’s Mission District all day long with a lowrider display on Third Street; Mercado featuring crafts by local artisans; more...

Lawrence Hall of Science's Brand New $3.25 Million Outdoor Nature LabLawrence Hall of Science’s Brand New $3.25 Million Outdoor Nature Lab
By - posted 6/23/2022
Brand New, East Bay, Museums / Cultural Institutions

Thanks to Berkleyside for announcing the grand opening of Lawrence Hall of Science’s brand new Outdoor Nature Lab. The brand new space opened on Saturday, June 19. The new $3.25 million, 32,600-square-foot outdoor learning space is the first major expansion to The Lawrence in 20 years. The Robert & Elizabeth Karplus more...

SF's "Obama Portraits Tour" at de Young: Free Though August 14SF’s “Obama Portraits Tour” at de Young: Free Though August 14
By - posted 6/18/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco

Join us for the public opening day celebration of The Obama Portraits Tour exhibition with live musical performances by cellist and vocalist Mia Pixley and ensemble, dance performances by Kimberly Marie Olivier, and a portrait photography session with First Exposures alumni. Free admission to The Obama Portraits Tour on June 18 and 19 more...

SF's Rare Stinky "Corpse Flower" is About to BloomSF’s Rare Stinky “Corpse Flower” is About to Bloom
By - posted 6/16/2022
Museums / Cultural Institutions, San Francisco, Wow

The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park has announced that one their super smelly “corpse flowers” is just about ready to bloom. And that means it’s going to start smelling like rotting flesh. Nice! UPDATE! The Bloom (and stink) has started! The Conservatory is opening late on Friday, June 17th more...

Marine Mammal Center Reopens for the First Time Since Pandemic ClosureMarine Mammal Center Reopens for the First Time Since Pandemic Closure
By - posted 5/30/2022
Museums / Cultural Institutions, Reopening

The Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands of Sausalito will reopen its doors this week for the first time in two years, after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the center reopens Friday, visitors can expect to see a completely renovated interior, a sea otter mural, an more...

One of SF’s Newest Museums is On an IslandOne of SF’s Newest Museums is On an Island
By - posted 5/30/2022
Brand New, Museums / Cultural Institutions

By Larry Sokoloff, Bay City News Foundation One of the Bay Area’s newest museums is hidden among the trees on Angel Island State Park. It tells a story of immigration to the Pacific Coast, with particular emphasis on the Asian experience. The Angel Island Immigration Museum opened in January. It is more...

SF's Walt Disney Museum Now Has a Free ExhibitionSF’s Walt Disney Museum Now Has a Free Exhibition
By - posted 5/24/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Museums / Cultural Institutions

Enjoy the Walt Disney Family Museum’s free exhibition, Creative Conservation: The Art of Endangered Animals, featuring abstract paintings and pawprint art. The Walt Disney Family Museum is pleased to debut its first Cause Awareness exhibition, Creative Conservation: The Art of Endangered Animals. Presented in conjunction with Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece, more...

The Exploratorium Hosts First "Free" Day in 3 YearsThe Exploratorium Hosts First “Free” Day in 3 Years
By - posted 5/8/2022
Museums / Cultural Institutions, San Francisco, What's Closed / What's Open

The Exploratorium used to have several “pay what you wish” days each year, but they started to become rare even before the pandemic. This Sunday, the “Community Day” tradition returns for the first time since May 2019 in honor of Mother’s Day/Día de las Madres. Lots of free bilingual activities more...

Golden Gate Park's JFK Drive Now Car-Free ForeverGolden Gate Park’s JFK Drive Now Car-Free Forever
By - posted 4/27/2022
Bay Area Updates, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco

On April 26, 2022 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved Mayor Breed’s legislation to ensure John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park remain vehicle-free permanently. See the map of car-free JFK Drive. The legislation, co-sponsored by Supervisors Matt Haney, Rafael Mandelman, and Dean Preston, greenlights more than 40 improvements more...

Rare Painting On Display for First Time in 200 Years at SF's Legion of HonorRare Painting On Display for First Time in 200 Years at SF’s Legion of Honor
By - posted 3/24/2022
Artsy Fartsy, Bay Area Updates, Brand New, Museums / Cultural Institutions, San Francisco

A rare painting by groundbreaking French artist Marie-Guillemine Benoist has recently been acquired by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Benoist’s groundbreaking work Psyche Bidding Her Family Farewell, a rare painting still in existence from her early Neoclassical period, is one of just three paintings by the artist held in more...