A Guide to the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California
Published March 2023 | Updated Oct. 2024
The de Young Museum has a wide range of art, from ancient art that dates back 4,000+ years ago to contemporary American art. They often have special exhibitions on view — I’ve been to their Monet: The Late Years and Ramses the Great exhibitions in recent years.
There’s really something for everyone here because of the variety of artworks in their collection!
How to Get to the de Young Museum
The de Young Museum is located in Golden Gate park next to the Japanese Tea Garden and across from the California Academy of Sciences.
I always drive and park since it’s the quickest way for me to get to San Francisco from the East Bay, but there are a few different options as well if you don’t have a car!
Address: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118
Bus
There are a few different bus lines that will take you to stops on Fulton St. right next to the museum.
Fulton St & Park Presidio Blvd. — 4 min walk
Park Presidio Blvd & Fulton St. — 4 min walk
8th Ave & Fulton St. — 7 min walk
Fulton St & 8th Ave. — 7 min walk
BART
The closest BART station is Powell Street, which is about 4 miles from the de Young Museum. It’s not ideal since you either have to walk or take another form of transportation to get there, but it is totally doable!
If you take BART to Powell St., you can take a ride share (Lyft or Uber), taxi, or bus to the museum.
Drive & Park
This is what I’ve always done! We come from the East Bay and take the Bay Bridge into the city. Once we exit, it’s a drive through the city into Golden Gate Park where there are a couple of parking lots (more on that below!).
de Young Museum Hours
The de Young Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30am-5:15pm. It is closed Mondays. Visit their website for the most up-to-date information, as hours are subject to change.
de Young Museum Tickets
Reservations: Not required for general admission, but recommended.
Cost: $15 for adults (discounts for seniors and students).
Membership: $119 for an individual membership — provides access to both de Young Museum and Legion of Honor museum.
Special exhibitions: Advanced tickets are required. With membership, you are typically still required to reserve tickets, especially if they are timed.
de Young Museum Parking
There is luckily parking right below the museum! There are two entrances to the Music Concourse Garage — either one is fine to use. Parking in the garage does cost money, but I find the convenience and onsite security worth it.
Tip: Take all valuables out of your car. Even with onsite security, break-ins are still very prevalent in San Francisco and the garage is not responsible for any stolen items.
de Young Museum Permanent Collection
The permanent collection at the de Young Museum is a mix of mostly American Art from the 17-21st centuries and ancient art (some as old as 4,000 years!).
They also have some sculptures and photography.
American Art
The collection of American art includes works by Mark Rothko, Louise Nevelson, Albert Bierstadt, William Stanley Haseltine, and Thomas Hart Benton. It also includes art from German-American painter, Albert Bierstadt; Dutch-American painter, Willem de Kooning; and Mexican-American painter Diego Rivera.
Ancient Art
Sculptures
De Young Museum Special Exhibitions
Over the years I’ve been to a few special exhibitions at the de Young Museum. They do a really impressive job with all of them. The two recent ones I went to were Claude Monet: The Late Years and Ramses The Great.
Claude Monet: The Late Years
The Monet show had such a large collection of his works displayed nicely against different color walls that complimented the paintings.
Ramses The Great
The Ramses show included beautiful artifacts, mummified animals, and well-done holograms retelling the stories of historical battles led by Ramses The Great.
Facilities
The bathrooms here are nice — nothing special! They’re located on the second floor, which is the floor you enter on.
De Young Museum Store
The museum is tucked away by the elevators on the second floor, under the staircase. It’s easy to miss! I haven’t been in it for years, but they do have a decent collection of gifts and books.
De Young Museum Cafe
The cafe is not one I can give a review of since I’ve never eaten here. They have both indoor and outdoor seating near the famous giant safety pin sculpture!
They do not allow you to sit here unless you get food from the museum cafe — no outside food is allowed.
Restaurants Near the de Young Museum
Just outside of the de Young Museum, behind the music concourse, there are delicious food trucks! You can check their websites to see what their days/hours are since not all of them are there daily.
Cochinita: I got the vegan tacos and elote tots (must-have). I still crave the yummy Mayan food from Cochinita! Everything I had was so good!
Annie's Hot Dog Cart: I got the vegan Italian sausage. They have a few stands throughout Golden Gate Park and are pretty good.
Sam’s Chowder Mobile: This food truck is from a Half Moon Bay Restaurant called Sam’s Chowder House. They have lobster rolls, shrimp po’ boys, fish and chips, and other delicious coastal food.
Twirl and Drip: Get your dessert here — soft-serve ice cream!
Things to Do Near the de Young Museum
Cal Academy of sciences: One of the largest natural history museums in the world!
Japanese Tea Garden: This is a lovely Japanese tea garden right next to the de Young Museum.
Botanical Garden: This botanical garden has over 9,000 different kinds of plants from around the world!
Conservatory of Flowers: Take photos with the blooming flowers out front and/or buy tickets to check out all the plants inside the conservatory.
