Best Art Museums You Need to Visit While in San Francisco, California

San Francisco, CA, USA
San Francisco, CA, USA. Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

Art is easy to find in San Francisco, California.  Wherever you go, you will find some public artworks that will capture your attention, ranging from murals to sculptures and painted staircases. But if you are keen to experience art in a more traditional way, consider visiting these art museums.

Asian Art Museum

San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum is widely considered one of the most important museums in San Francisco. It houses an exceptional collection of 18,000 artworks and items from Asia, including paintings, sculptures, and artifacts that cover a period of 6,000 years. Visitors can also explore a full-size replica of a Japanese tea house that was built in Japan exclusively for the purposes of display in the Asian Art Museum.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

As you might guess from the name, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to contemporary and modern artworks. One of the largest museums of its kind in the world, it has approximately 33,000 items in its collection, including paintings, sculptures, and media arts. The museum also has an entire floor dedicated just to photography.

de Young Museum

Those who prefer fine arts will feel right at home at de Young Museum. One of the city’s most visited museums, it mainly focuses on American art dating from the 17th to the 20th century as well as international contemporary art. Some highlights of its collection include Edwin Church’s “Rainy Season in the Tropics,” George Henry Durrie’s “Winter in the Country,” and William Hahn’s “Sacramento Railroad Station.”