Regular Free Days
- Asian Art Museum: First Sunday of each month (reservation: not required, but 'we highly recommend you reserve your tickets in advance' (limited walk-up))
- Conservatory of Flowers: First Tuesday of the month
- GLBT Historical Society Museum: First Wednesday of every month (reservation: no (no online reservations on free days; first-come, first-served))
- Legion of Honor: First Tuesday of every month (general admission); also every Saturday for Bay Area residents (reservation: no (booking in advance suggested))
- Museo Italo Americano: Thursdays; first Sunday of the month
- Museum of Craft and Design: First Thursday of every month (none in September 2026 due to installation) (reservation: no ('No tickets are needed, but visitors can RSVP'))
- Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD): Second Saturday of each month (THRIVE @ MoAD Community Day)
- San Francisco Botanical Garden: Second Tuesday of every month; also daily 7:30–9am; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Every Wednesday (galleries)
- de Young Museum: First Tuesday of every month (general admission); also every Saturday for Bay Area residents (reservation: no (booking in advance suggested))
Always Free
- Cable Car Museum
- Fort Point National Historic Site
- Randall Museum
- SF Camerawork
- Museum of Performance + Design
- Octagon House (Colonial Dames)
- Musée Mécanique
- San Francisco Fire Department Museum
All Venues
Free days, discounts and the adult ticket price, each exactly as the venue publishes them. Click a heading to sort.
| Venue | Free day (as published) | Who | Reservation | EBT / Medi-Cal | Adult price (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Car Museum | Always free | everyone | no | not stated | Free |
| Fort Point National Historic Site | Always free | everyone | no | not stated | Free |
| Museum of Performance + Design | Always free | — | yes for First Saturday hours ('*Reservations in advance are required'); not stated for Wed/Thu exhibition hours | not stated | Free |
| Musée Mécanique | Always free | everyone | no | not stated | Free (machines are coin-operated) |
| Octagon House (Colonial Dames) | Always free | — | not stated | not stated | Free (donations appreciated) |
| Randall Museum | Always free | everyone | no | not stated | Free |
| San Francisco Fire Department Museum | Always free | — | not stated | not stated | Free (donations appreciated) |
| SF Camerawork | Always free | — | not stated | not stated | Free |
| Asian Art Museum | First Sunday of each month | everyone | not required, but 'we highly recommend you reserve your tickets in advance' (limited walk-up) | yes (SF residents with EBT or MediCal) | Adults $20; Ages 65 & up $17; Ages 13–17 and college students $14; Ages 12 & under Free; special exhibition +$10 |
| Conservatory of Flowers | First Tuesday of the month | everyone | not stated | yes (free for up to four with EBT) | not published (free for SF residents, veterans, Museums For All, members; non-resident price only inside date-picker) |
| de Young Museum | First Tuesday of every month (general admission); also every Saturday for Bay Area residents | everyone (first Tuesday); Bay Area residents (Free Saturdays, nine counties) | no (booking in advance suggested) | yes | Adults: $25; Seniors (65+): $22; Students: $10; Youth (17 and under): Free |
| GLBT Historical Society Museum | First Wednesday of every month | everyone | no (no online reservations on free days; first-come, first-served) | yes (SNAP EBT and Medi-Cal: free + 3 guests) | General admission $10; Discounted $6 (youth 13–17, seniors 65+, students, teachers, military, people with disabilities); Children (12 and under) Free |
| Legion of Honor | First Tuesday of every month (general admission); also every Saturday for Bay Area residents | everyone (first Tuesday); Bay Area residents (Free Saturdays, nine counties) | no (booking in advance suggested) | yes | Adults: $25; Seniors (65+): $22; Students: $10; Youth (17 and under): Free |
| Museo Italo Americano | Thursdays; first Sunday of the month | everyone | not stated | not stated | $10 |
| Museum of Craft and Design | First Thursday of every month (none in September 2026 due to installation) | everyone | no ('No tickets are needed, but visitors can RSVP') | yes (SF Museums for All: 4 free passes for Medi-Cal/CalFresh; EBT free) | General admission $10.00; Students $8.00; Seniors (65+) $8.00; Children (through age 12) Free |
| Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) | Second Saturday of each month (THRIVE @ MoAD Community Day) | everyone | not stated | yes (free entry for up to 4 per EBT card) | Adult Admission $15; Seniors, Students, Educators $7; Youth (under 12) FREE |
| San Francisco Botanical Garden | Second Tuesday of every month; also daily 7:30–9am; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day | everyone | not stated | yes (free for up to four with EBT) | not published (free for SF residents, veterans, Museums For All, members; non-resident price only inside date-picker) |
| San Francisco Zoo & Gardens | Free days for SF residents on dates announced in the calendar (no fixed recurring day stated) | SF residents | not stated | yes (San Francisco Museums for All: $3 for SF residents with EBT/SNAP or Medi-Cal; $5 for non-resident EBT/SNAP) | Adult (12-64) $32.00 weekdays / $34.00 weekends & holidays; SF residents $29.00 / $31.00; Seniors $25/$27; Children (2-11) $22/$24; under 2 free |
| Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | Every Wednesday (galleries) | everyone | not stated | yes (free for Medi-Cal and EBT card holders) | Galleries: Adult (18+) $10; Students & Seniors $5; Youth (17 and under) Free; Wednesdays Free |
| 7D Ride Experience (PIER 39) | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | $15 per person; children 12 & under $13 |
| Alcatraz Island (NPS + Alcatraz City Cruises) | None stated | n/a | n/a | not stated | Day Tour: Adults 18+ $47.95; Youth 12-17 $47.95; Seniors 62+ $45.15; Children 5-11 $29.15; under 5 $0. Night Tour adults $59.65 |
| Aquarium of the Bay | None stated | n/a | n/a | yes ($5 admission, up to four tickets, EBT/SNAP/Medi-Cal) | Adult (13-64): $28.25 (online $30.48 incl. 6% web fee; 'Peak pricing on various days'); Child (4-12) $20.25; Senior (65+) $24.25 |
| California Academy of Sciences | None stated | n/a | n/a | yes ($5 Daytime Admission for EBT cardholders, max four per group) | Adult (19+): $49.00/$55.00 peak; Youth (13–18) $45.00/$49.00 peak; Child (3–12) $39.00/$45.00; Ages 2 and under Free; EBT cardholders $5 |
| Children's Creativity Museum | None stated | — | not stated | yes | $20 for everyone age 1+ |
| Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | not published |
| Chinese Historical Society of America Museum | None stated | everyone (annual Bruce Lee day) | not stated | yes-equivalent: 'EBT and Medi-Cal holders receive $3 museum admission' (program name not used) | not published (FAQ: educators pay 'the same as the adult ticket price' but that price is not given; students/seniors/veterans $10; EBT/Medi-Cal $3) |
| Coit Tower | None stated | n/a | n/a | not stated | Elevator: Adult $8 SF residents / $11 non-residents; Senior (62+) $5/$8; Youth (12-17) $5/$8; Child (5-11) $2/$3; 4 & under free. Ground-floor murals: no fee stated for entry; mural tours $10 / $5 |
| Exploratorium | None stated | n/a | n/a | yes ($5 admission with EBT/SNAP/CalFresh, Medi-Cal, WIC or Lifeline; on site only) | Adults (18–64) $39.95; Youth (4–17), Seniors, People with Disabilities, Teachers, Students $29.95; Children (3 & under) Free |
| Grace Cathedral | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | $15 (Seniors 65+ $13; ages 12-22 $11; under 12 free) |
| Haas-Lilienthal House | None stated | n/a | n/a | not stated | General: $10; Children 12 & under: Free |
| Japanese Tea Garden | None stated | everyone | yes ('All visitors are required to reserve a time slot in advance') | yes (free for up to four with EBT) | not published (free for SF residents, veterans, Museums For All, members; non-resident price only inside date-picker) |
| Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze (PIER 39) | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | not published (site only quotes customers calling it 'the best $10'; booking widget shows no price before checkout) |
| Mission Dolores (Old Mission museum) | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | not published (only a field-trip suggested donation: $10 per adult, $5 per student) |
| Ripley's Believe It or Not! San Francisco | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | $29.99 per person (Ripley's + Mirror Maze, the only ticket listed) |
| San Francisco Carousel (PIER 39) | None stated | — | not stated | not stated | not published (pier39.com shows only a '$' price-level icon) |
| SFMOMA | None stated | everyone (Community Days); up to two adults with a child 18 or younger (Family Days) | yes (Family Day tickets released two weeks in advance) | yes (SF residents with Medi-Cal/CalFresh/SNAP/EBT) | Adult $30; Senior (65+) $25; Students $23; Age 18 and younger Free |
| SS Jeremiah O'Brien | None stated | n/a | n/a | not stated | General Admission $20; Senior (62+) $15; Junior (5–12) $10; Children (4 & under) Free; Family $45 |
| Tenderloin Museum | None stated | — | not stated | yes | $10; students & seniors $6; youth 13-21 $6; 12 & under free |
| USS Pampanito | None stated | n/a | n/a | not stated | Adults $25 (14-61); Senior $20 (62+); Juniors $15 (5-13); Students $20; Family $65; Kids (4 and under) FREE |
| Walt Disney Family Museum | None stated | n/a | n/a | yes (San Francisco Museums for All: SF residents with CalFresh/EBT/Medi-Cal, cardholder + three guests) | Adults $30; Seniors (65+) $20; Students $20; Youth (6–17) $15; Children (5 & under) FREE |
For how well each venue publishes the basics (price, hours, access, directions, child prices), see the Transparency Index. For free events this week, see free things to do today and our free museum days guide.
How We Built This
Sources
- Each venue’s own website (or its official operator’s). Nothing from third-party lists.
Method
- Free-day wording, who qualifies, and whether to reserve are copied from the venue’s own page, and we link to that page.
- “Regular free day” means a recurring day or evening that the venue says is free for everyone. Free days only for residents or members are shown in the table but not counted there.
- We re-check these every month and update this page.
What This Data Cannot Tell You
- Venues sometimes cancel a free day for a special exhibition or holiday. Always check the venue’s page for the date you plan to go.
- “Not stated” means the venue’s site does not say. It does not mean the answer is no.
Found an error? Tell us. Corrections are made on this page and dated in the log below. See our editorial standards.
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Project SF (2026). Free Museum Days in San Francisco. Updated . https://projectsf.com/data/sf-free-museum-days/
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Update Log
- : Monthly re-check: 39 of 40 venues re-checked on their own sites; reservation notes added for the Japanese Tea Garden and the Museum of Performance + Design’s First Saturday; no free days added or dropped.
- : First published: 40 venues.