San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide - 2025 VPG

Edgy art, new perspectives and seriously fun science make these museums some of San Francisco’s top attractions.

ART & CULTURE

One of America’s leading art museums, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) showcases seven floors of masterworks by the likes of Diego Rivera and Andy Warhol. Cross the street to the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of the African Diaspora to learn about Black cultures across the globe, or explore many facets of the Jewish experience at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Other must-visits include the Asian Art Museum and the de Young Museum, whose diverse collection is housed in a modern architectural marvel.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Learn about Walt Disney’s legacy at the Walt Disney Family Museum, where beloved animated characters come to life through interactive galleries and movie screenings. Kids under 12 are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild at the Children’s Creativity Museum.

SCIENCE & INNOVATION

At the amazing Exploratorium, all ages will delight in experimenting with 650 hands-on exhibits. Explore ecosystems and peer into deep space at the California Academy of Sciences, which houses an aquarium, a planetarium and a natural history museum under its plant-covered roof.

ECLECTIC TREASURES

Head to Pier 45 to play 300+ coin-operated arcade games and other vintage machines at Musée Mécanique, a local favorite since 1933. Mysteries, riddles and creativity are part of the captivating Gregangelo Museum, which one visitor described as “better than being in the best dream I’ve ever had.” From the “San Francisco sound” of the 1960s to ’90s hip-hop, the Bay Area’s musical heritage is on display at the SF Music Hall of Fame, which also boasts rehearsal rooms and a small hotel.