This list of museums in the San Francisco Bay Area is a list of museums, defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.
Museums
San Francisco Name Image Type Summary Academy of Art University Automobile Museum Automobile Non-profit automobile museum African American Art & Culture Complex Art website, cultural arts center and gallery Aquarium of the Bay Aquarium A variety of San Francisco Bay living habitats house the diverse animal collection, including walk-through tunnel exhibits, transparent touchpools, and a bubbling mountain stream exhibit Alcatraz Island Prison Operated by the National Park Service, former federal prison, access by private ferry American Bookbinders Museum History website, The history of bookbinding and bookbinders in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Art Arts of India, China, western Asia (including Persia), South-East Asia, Korea & Japan Beat Museum Literary The Beats memorabilia and bookstore Cable Car Museum Transportation California Academy of Sciences Natural history California Historical Society Local history State history and culture Cartoon Art Museum Art Art of comics & cartoons, including original animation cels, comic book pages & early newspaper comic strips Children's Creativity Museum Children's Chinese Historical Society of America Museum and Learning Center Ethnic History of Chinese in U.S. Chinese Culture Center Art Exhibitions of traditional & contemporary Chinese & Chinese-American art Contemporary Jewish Museum Ethnic Contemporary perspectives on Jewish culture, history, art and ideas de Young Museum Art American painting, sculpture & decorative art, African, Oceanic, Meso-American, Central & South American art, textiles, contemporary craft, graphics art EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park Education center A unique education facility that combines environmental education, experience-based learning and habitat restoration Exploratorium Science Hands-on science exhibits Fort Point National Historic Site Military Part of The Presidio Guardians of The City Museum Local history website, history of the city's First Responders: the San Francisco San Francisco, Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, and Emergency Medical Services GLBT History Museum History History and culture of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, communities and movements Gregangelo Museum Art website, immersive themed art Haas-Lilienthal House Historic house 1886 Victorian house with period roomsInstitute of Contemporary Art San FranciscoArtContemporary art museum International Art Museum of America Art Eastern and Western art including works by Chinese masters, Yun sculptures, classic 18th to 20th-century European portraits and landscapes The LAB Art Interdisciplinary arts organization with public gallery Legion of Honor Art Mostly French & European art Letterform Archive Art website, materials on the history of lettering, typography, printing, and graphic design Mexican Museum Ethnic Historic and contemporary art and culture of the Latino, Chicano, Mexican, and Mexican-American people Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center Multiple website, history of Military Intelligence Service in the Presidio, Japanese American history, art and culture, operated by the National Japanese American Historical Society Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Art website, cultural arts center and gallery Mission Dolores Religious Oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco Musée Mécanique Amusements Penny arcade games, mechanically operated musical instruments, video arcade games Museo ItaloAmericano Ethnic Italian and Italian-American art and culture Museum of Craft and Design Art website, contemporary craft and design Museum of Performance & Design Art Performing artsMuseum of San FranciscoHistoryWebsite, operated by the San Francisco Historical Society Museum of Russian Culture Ethnic website, part of the Russian Center of San Francisco Museum of the African Diaspora Cultural Diasporan histories of people of African origin & their influence & adaptation throughout the world North Beach Museum Local history Located on the 2nd floor of the Eureka Bank building Octagon House 1861 Historic house Operated by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America The Presidio Multiple Park with several visitor centers with a fort, marine, military and historical exhibits Randall Museum Multiple Art, science, natural history, live animals Ripley's Believe It or Not! Entertainment Near Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery Art Contemporary art, three locations in San Francisco San Francisco Fire Department Museum Firefighting website San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Maritime Includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum and a library/research facility San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Art websiteSan Francisco Music Hall of Fame GalleryLocal historywebsite, The gallery displays around 90 iconic San Francisco Bay Area artists and bands. San Francisco Railway Museum Railway Antique streetcars, cable cars, earthquake of 1906 San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Performing arts Tours of the various performance spaces Sea Lion Center Education center A colony of wild California sea lions now permanently established in this unusual urban location. The center provides free educational programming on the natural history of California sea lions SFO Museum Multiple website, Aviation Museum and a selection of temporary exhibitions in the terminals at San Francisco International Airport Society of California Pioneers Local history California art, history, and culture SS Jeremiah O'Brien Museum ship World War II Liberty ship located at Fisherman's Wharf Tenderloin Museum Local history website, History of the tenderloin neighborhood Walt Disney Family Museum Biographical Walt Disney's life, awards & memorabilia USS Pampanito Museum ship Submarine located at Fisherman's Wharf Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts Art Part of California College of the Arts Wells Fargo History Museum History First location of the Wells Fargo company, history of the company and the California gold rush Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Art Contemporary arts center with several galleries
East Bay Area