The de Young Museum has been a part of Golden Gate Park—and San Francisco’s cultural make-up—since 1895. Inside you’ll find collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, along with art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Largely due to the acquisition of the Rockefeller Collection of American Art, the de Young’s collection of paintings is one of the finest in the U.S., comprising more than 1000 artworks that represent the spectrum of the nation’s history, with works by George Caleb Bingham and Frederic Edwin Church, as well as 20th-century artists such as Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, and Grant Wood. Also unique to the collection—and always worth perusing despite which touring exhibition is currently at the museum—the African-art collection features nearly 1,500 works from sub-Saharan Africa.
The museum’s educational program offers free after-school classes for children under 12 based on the Get Smart with Art curriculum. For the general public, the Docent Council keeps a busy schedule of public lectures by scholars, faculty, and curators. Membership benefits at the de Young also apply to the Legion of Honor. For visitors to the city, the location—in historic Golden Gate Park—can’t be beat and the museum is a must-stop on your tour.
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum Information
- Public Transportation: Good (easily accessible by streetcar N and buses 5, 21, 44, and 71)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good
- Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 9:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m., Fridays 9:30 a.m.–8:45 p.m., mid-January through November, otherwise 5:15 p.m.
- Admission: $10, seniors 65 and over $7, college students and youths 13–17 $6, children 12 and under free; Muni riders with Fast Pass, transfer, or CultureBus ticket receive a $2 discount. Admission tickets can be used (same-day) for the Legion of Honor
- Tours: Free. Regularly scheduled docent tours are available Tuesdays through Sundays. No reservations required; visitors are welcome to join the tours in progress
- Audio Tours: $6
- Membership: Individual membership is $80 annually and includes unlimited free admission for one member and a guest to the permanent collections and most special exhibitions at the de Young and the Legion of Honor, invitations to special members-only events and viewing hours, as well as priority ticketing for special exhibitions. Several special discounted memberships are also available: senior $50/annually; teacher $55/annually; student $45/annually; out-of-state $60/annually
- Other Benefits: A Contributing-level membership ($175/annually) gets you reciprocal admission to other museums.
