An Art Lover's Guide to San Francisco

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art anchors a clutch of downtown museums and is a must-visit. Get tickets ahead of time to avoid lines, or visit for free on the first Thursdays of the month (for Bay Area residents) and on free family and community days. Plan to spend at least half a day on your feet and leave enough time for the rooftop sculpture garden with rotating exhibits of large-scale art installations. Don’t miss Diego Rivera’s Pan-American Unity mural in the free-to-the-public Roberts Family Gallery on the first floor.

No art museum in San Francisco is as graceful as the Legion of Honor, a replica of the Legion d'Honneur in Paris. Find an eccentric collection of ancient, European, contemporary, and graphic art inside. The setting of Lincoln Park with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance is also a work of art: Prebook your admission, arrive by go-cart, and you'll have enough time to take a long walk to the famous bridge after your visit. Admission to the permanent collections after 4:30pm is free but come early on Sunday to enjoy a free pipe organ concert in the Rodin Gallery.

The de Young lies in the heart of Golden Gate Park within walking distance of the Japanese Tea Garden, California Academy of Sciences, and Conservatory of Flowers—tour them all on zippy Segways before stepping inside the museum to see the eccentric collections of art ranging from African masks to Mesoamerican earthenware and modern American paintings. Take a breather at the outdoor art gallery space and cafe before leaving.

Delicate Japanese folding screens share space with Korean moon jars and a Cambodian statue of a Hindu deity at the Asian Art Museum, all part of a permanent collection spanning more than 6,000 years of artistic creation. If that isn’t enough to make the trip to Civic Center worth it, the museum hosts some of the best art events in the City, from cultural ceremonies to art lectures and DJ nights. The Contemplative Alcove with a water basin titled Tsukubai is perfect for pausing and meditating.

Next-door neighbor to SFMOMA, MOAD tells the grand story of the African Diaspora through the lens of contemporary art. Exhibits are in constant flux. Visit, and you'll be just as likely to see experimental explorations of race and history as shows by teens and self-taught artists. Public events also vary and can include virtual and in-person open mic nights, lectures and panel discussions, and pairings of contemporary art with music. Enjoy free museum admission on the second Saturday of each month.

Related: 8 Under-the-Radar Museums in San Francisco

One of San Francisco’s buzziest neighborhoods, the Mission has colorful street murals on fences, walls, doorways, garages, and public buildings—but the best ones drape Balmy and Clarion alleys. Seek out the public art yourself, and you might miss the most compelling pieces. Instead, see the blocks-long outdoor art galleries on a walking tour or pair a visit with a food crawl through the epicenter of San Francisco’s Latino culture.

Climb Telegraph Hill through Pioneer Park and find this flute-shaped tower and sprawling views of San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Stop for photo ops or head inside to see marvelous Public Works Administration-era murals depicting life in California during the Great Depression. Small-group docent-led tours of the tower and murals are available for a small fee. The panoramic observation deck can be reached by elevator—or stairs when it’s out of service.

Once the haunt of shipbuilders, the Dogpatch retains some industrial vibes—for now. Wander through San Francisco's coolest waterfront neighborhood to see former warehouses turned into galleries and shops in droves. Better yet, visit a trifecta of contemporary art institutions: the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Craft and Design, and the Minnesota Street Project, home to more than a dozen galleries catering to local artists. Many are free to visit.

When you hit museum overload, visit the Fort Mason Center for the Arts and Culture, holding court on the waterfront in the Marina District. The cavernous former military installation is ideal for large-scale art festivals, such as the annual San Francisco Art Festival and Art Market San Francisco. Beyond festival season, try the Museo Italo Americano (Italian-American Museum), the Haines Gallery, SF Camerawork, and other art-minded residents.

Cutting-edge contemporary art shines at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. First, see the public art installations in the adjacent Yerba Buena Gardens, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Waterfall and a massive split-open boulder, before checking out the multi-disciplinary arts center. It's a prime spot to see local film experiments, ballet and modern dance fusions, and exhibitions featuring working artists from every corner of the San Francisco Bay Area.