Swung by the Asian Art Museum to see the fabulous creations of Nymphia Wind. Loved the dresses, but I just wish there were more of them! There was a lecture at noon, but by the time I found out about it, all the tickets were gone. The artistry of these creations was beyond amazing. I really enjoyed the video showing the process of creation, but it would've been great to have it televised on a bigger screen. If there were more than two people standing in front of the video monitor, it was difficult to see the video. I think because this is a very short lived exhibit (only Friday, June 12th, through Sunday, June 14th), they couldn't put a lot of effort into it. Regardless, it was worth the time and effort to see these beautiful dresses. read more

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I went to see their temporary exhibit Chiharu Shiota exhibit and it was amazing. This alone makes the visit worth. They have several floors of Asian art and history. Everything was beautifully displayed making it easy to follow. The last upper floor was my favorite. Tip or something to keep in mind: I went on a Monday and there were several class students Junior high and elementary. Therefore it was extremely noisy though the guards tried to keep them quite the children were loud and can be disruptive while enjoying the museum. read more

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Excellent exhibition of Chiharu Shiota -Two Home Countries. Located on the ground floor. This exhibition includes sculpture, videos and an amazing densely woven weblike structure with notes and paper intertwined into the web. This structure is vast and takes up in my opinion, about 6 rooms. Shiota's art reflects her personal experiences living in Japan and Germany and emotional challenges having gone through Ovarian Cancer. Exhibition runs through July 20. read more

Asian Art Museum - Chiharu Shiota Exhibition till 7/20/26 5/21/26 - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this museum and it's surprisingly bigger than I thought. It's normally 20 dollars per person, but if you want to see the special exhibits, it'll be 10 dollars add-on. We wanted to see the Chiharu Shiota exhibit, so we did the $30/pp. They do allow photography(as long there is no flash used), so I brought my special hobby camera to practice. My top favorites have to be the Japanese ceramics display. read more

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Pretty nice collection of asian art from around the world. The China, Korea, and Japan art exhibits are much larger than the other countries displayed. I loved looking at the porcelain pottery and sculptures. I'd skip the $30 add-on exhibit (Chiharu Shiota), which was much smaller than I imagined. It was mostly red yarn displayed in a small room. It was kind of cool for one minute, but not really worth the price. read more

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The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the largest museum dedicated to Asian art, offers free general admission on the first Sunday of every month for the art lovers with a good selection of artifacts from all over the world. They offer membership and discounts with that membership on any events and purchases at the museum. Along with art galleries, the three floor museum has amenities indoor and outdoor like cafe, shop/ boutique, children learning center, education center etc. A worth visiting place to see Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Persian and other ancient, as well as some modern arts. Don't miss out if you're in San Francisco. read more

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I went to see Chiharu Shiota exhibit where she exhibits her emotions of going through cancer. Her art shows the "strength and vulnerability of her physical body through her skin, organs and limbs." It's a somber exhibit where you can feel her emotions. read more

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Very well organized! My 26 year old loves art! Her eyes aren't what they use to be! So, I said I'm just going to go for it! I told her it was a surprise. We took Bart over. She said this way this way! I hear the music so we run to the front. We really got a Life l-time experience! The Berkeley High School students were amazing. They performed as a team. They came out to the crowd. They acknowledged the children! This made their little faces glow. My daughter face even glowed! My face glowed. After the performance we went in to look at the art. I didn't take to many pictures bc my cell was misbehaving. I hope my daughter took pictures and will forward them. She said you are the Yelper and social media lady! I'm here to enjoy the Art! And we did just that! What an experience we needed to share! She said they made the best Thai tea she's ever had! $6.99 Every worker was so pleasant. They talked to us walked around and assisted us. Next time I will make sure we join the tour guide. read more

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Beautiful big museum that celebrate Asian art and culture. Great place to tour or just hang out with family and friends. Very close to Civic Center Bart station. $20 per person. The shopping and cafe area are open to all. read more

Asian Art Museum - Outside - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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See the history behind each asian cultures in this wonderful and amazing museum. It amazes me how wood carvings, everyday tools/ weapons, tapestries, clay figures, and fashion designs can tell a whole story behind each culture. This place is fascinating to me. it's triggers me to want to read about it some more and visit more often. I recommend you check it out for yourself. read more

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amazing museum. I love coming here love love love coming here. The exhibits that have been here are fantastic. They do have the same exhibits for other areas but they switch it out. I just come here sometime just to walk through just to enjoy how amazing it is, and then on top of that they also show the arts upstairs where some of the nose removed some of my more intellectual friends like to go up there and share our thoughts about what happened to history and it definitely is a great all day activity great for walking and really really big place. There's like four floors and may I say there are some great areas to do a photo op as well read more

Enjoyed Free access to museum and Tiat music meets tech event. Check the rave into the future. Nice farmer's market on sundays too! read more

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It is across from City Hall. There was a farmers market the day we went, which was on a Sunday. We got in for free. I believe it is free to the public on the first Sunday of the month. When you enter, you go around to the third floor and that's where you start the exhibit with the artifacts. There is an explanation of each item, which is great to go at your pace. Keep in mind, there are many artifacts so you can spend several hours there if you're reading each one. I learned a lot about the culture and religion, which was pretty neat. There is an Asian inspired restaurant that sells food and Boba. There is plenty of seating. There's also a souvenir shop. I recommend checking it out. read more

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Love the staff here and the First Free Sundays! Everyone was very welcoming and I thought the event was very special and family friendly. The most recent event last Sunday with Harry Shum Jr. and Shelby Rabara was the highlight of our week! The book reading and signing was engaging for my kids and they loved being able to wiggle and dance. There was even Mahjong at the Sunday event! Unfortunately we didn't have much time to visit the other exhibits due to nap time. However I remember learning a lot about China and Japan in my previous visits before. We parked at the UC Law parking lot a block away and it was $11 on Sunday all day parking. Worth it! read more

I came here during a community event for international women's day and I'm so grateful that this museum exists. Love to see the history from different parts of Asia and the museum is beautiful. Make sure to visit this place when you're in SF. read more

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Great museum with a lot of exhibits. Very neat sculptures, paintings, and trinkets. Would recommend if you're visiting from out of town read more

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Great museum with an interesting permanent exhibits and loved the special exhibits that showcased Qi Baishi's ink paintings and Yuan Goang-Ming's digital media films. Pro-tip: Every first Sunday is free and special exhibits are included. Just book timed tickets online beforehand. read more

Asian Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Heads up- a lot of exhibits are closed or partially open due to renovations. So, even though it's a great museum full of amazing Asian art, you will not get the full experience. I suggest you give them a call before you go, to know what the current condition is. read more

Asian Art Museum - Asian Art Musuem - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

With the Korean Hallyu exhibit ending on January 6, I attended the Asian Art Museum with my daughter to check it out before it's gone. All you need to know about K-Wave is here and there's even an interactive area where you can dance and exhibit your moves! The Buddha exhibits, shown regularly, is a must-see, as it delves into the various deities and religions. Check hours and opening times as certain days are closed. read more

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I enjoyed coming to Asian Art Museum today for its free admission on the first Sunday of the month. We joined the free tour that had a museum guide who took us around the third floor and explained the pieces in South Asia and China for 45 minutes. It was an educational and more interesting experience with the guide than coming here a few times before without her. I was also able to complete the scavenger hunt which was fun even for me as an adult. They ran out of some prizes though like notebooks and candy and only had erasers and pencils left. I appreciate the extra room next to the cafeteria where we were able to eat our banh mi from Saigon Sandwiches since it's a rainy day rather than eating outside. There is an Asian Box cafeteria restaurant that is selling Workout Box $10 special for the month of January, which is the five spice chicken with brown rice there too. We didn't know about the special or could've also eaten there but wanted to support a family owned local business and Saigon Sandwiches is famous for its bahn mi and only 3 blocks away. read more

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I was probably around 30 when I first visited this museum with my family...my mother visited with me one day. I didn't go too often over time...even if...it's nice...flagship city for Asian citizens of USA...next to Main Library...always open with a nice place to visit...new exhibits and some modern pieces...I don't know what else in Washington DC...it's in San Francisco CA... read more

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Came here to complete my daughter's class assignment. First time visiting. Prices aren't bad... easy walk from BART. Three floors of exhibits.., took a nice tour of all the Asian countries. Nice and clean museum. Definitely a good place to visit. read more

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Nice Vietnamese forward cafe. The menu board announces that "Our menu is 100% gluten free." That includes the bahn mi! Service was fine, friendly. read more

Asian Art Museum - Menu - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MUSEUM in San Francisco! The display is always well organized and thoroughly thought out... making it super easy and inviting to look at and browse through. Popular displays, such as PARASITE's bathroom exhibition, are in a wide-open area, to ensure that crowds do not overwhelm the walkways or overflow into other exhibits. The Korean-culture and movie themed exhibition in Oct-2024 is not to be missed... with so many modern classics: Gangnam, Parasite, Squid Games, etc. They also have a noodle restaurant and drinks place inside the museum, offering a nice place for lunch / snacks/ drinks. I also particularly enjoyed the gift shop -- there are so much to look at (and buy)!! Also a special shout out at the staff at the gift shop, they were very friendly and helpful. The Asian Art Museum is my favorite museum in SF!!!! read more

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As a proud Docent donor at this museum, I love going there to explore different asian art. I just went there for the special "Qi Bai Chi" exhibition. I got to experienced some amazing Chinese landscape and ink calligraphy. The museum itself has some incredible permanent collection pieces. I highly recommend to go see Zhang Da Qian 's art right after this show. There are many great spots inside that are great for IG moment. I can't wait to see the next special exhibition :-) read more

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Got a good look the last time at this museum. If you're into Asian paintings and sculptures you should for sure check it out. The Asian Art Museum is one of the many museums in the downtown area and one of the most famous of these. Has a convenient location to get to from other attractions. You can get discounted admission for certain days and events. A popular museum in this area. It's located close to City Hall. This is also in the building that used to be the main library so this is a cool repurpose. Formerly it was located in Golden Gate Park where it shared a space with the De Young Museum. In 2003 it moved to its current location with lots more space. The collection has works of art and artifacts from all the major Asian countries and traditions. Some of these are as much as 6,000 years old. There's galleries of art from China, Japan, and Korea, as well as other parts of Asia, or wherever. Has lots of figurines and statues, especially of Buddha. That makes sense. Best place around here to learn about Asian culture. It's got a crap ton to look at and there's also some films. This is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. read more

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The art here is amazing! It's a massive museum and it could easily take the whole day to see everything. They have such a wide variety of types of art, different regions, etc. On the first Sunday of each month, they also offer free admission to the general exhibitions (I believe the special exhibitions require separate tickets, but I'm not sure of the cost). It's also super busy on free ticket days, though. I accidentally went on a free ticket + special event combo day and the lobby was packed, but it was worth it nonetheless. read more

I really like the special exhibitions that the Asian Art Museum puts on. Especially the ones that are held in the Jerry Yang Pavilion. In 2022 the "teamLab: Continuity" Augmented Reality Experience was on display and was really well done. https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/teamlab-continuity/ The projections changed algorithmically according to the crowd in the room. The interactive landscape of blooming flowers, darting fish, and soaring crows that were projected were never duplicated in the same manner. Literally making it a unique experience. Fast forward to 2024 and the "Hallyu Korean Wave" exhibition is already a hit. https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/hallyu-the-korean-wave/ It really captures how Korean Culture has permeated world culture. And how the phenomenon came to be in such a short time. read more

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It's beautiful, the art the sculptures. It's their history. Its something you have to see because we are a very diverse state and everyone has history and art forms of it and their own visions of art. This is what makes it special. Everything catches my eye and I see all of what they was created thru their eyes. Its beautiful. Go if you can you won't be disappointed. read more

Loved the rich history and and all of the exhibits here. We learned a lot and it was extensive. They have a lot of cool items in the gift shop. The customer service lacks though. The incredibly rude Asian lady at the front was busy on the computer planning a vacation and did not acknowledge us. I didn't immediately see the pricing and she seemed annoyed that she had to point it out. I was honestly about to leave because of her rudeness. read more

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This was my first time visiting the museum after all these years as I don't visit the city very often. This was a special event at the museum after hours - our friend's son's wedding! Parking at night was easy as the family recommended parking at the UC Hastings parking garage just half a block way on Larkin Street. Safety is a must! The venue is great for a wedding and the only thing that I didn't enjoy was that the wedding ceremony and reception were upstairs in the big room so they had to take down the chairs for the wedding and set everything up for the reception while we were on the first floor having cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and photo booth. We arrived at 5:30 pm and the dinner wasn't until after 9 pm! Dancing after the dinner was at 10:30 pm but by then, we just wanted to drive back to the East Bay. It is a beautiful venue but because of the space, we had to walk up a long stairway to the wedding ceremony, walk back down to the first floor for a long cocktail hour and walk back up for the dinner and festivities Sometime I would like to come visit the museum for the art as what I could see, it would be exquisite! read more

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The visual feast here usually takes me at least 3 hours to finish! The permanent collection, temporary and traveling exhibitions act as artistic portals spanning thousands of years through Asian history up to modern day. A few of my favorite interactive exhibitions were TeamLab: Sketch Ocean, where our drawings came to life on the screen & TeamLab: Continuity, where we're immersed in rooms of blooming flowers, darting fish, and soaring birds. I think the experience is worth the fee, but if you're able to, try coming on the first Sunday of the month for free admission! read more

Asian Art Museum - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

So much fun is happening here. They have classes for kids and adults. Their gift shop is full of treasures- definitely worth the visit. They have a free coat check that they put my folding bike in for safe keeping. If you have a backpack, you must wear it in the front. They are part of narm or roam Museam members. read more

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San Francisco, Civic Center. December 2023. A beautiful beaux-arts building that houses tens of thousands of Asian art in its permanent collection. This space is part of an oasis in the middle of a city surrounded by encroaching despair and homelessness. Tahashi Murakami: Unfamilar People - Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego. An artist with a an international influence on pop culture has his first San Francisco solo exhibition. You might be familiar with his motif of smiling flowers. They are multicolored, bold, bright, upbeat. His inspiration for them coming from his frustration at developing his own style of Nihonga, they have become a recognizable pop culture icon. As carefree and innocent as they appear, Murakami says they represent the trauma and collective dark emotions Japanese still experience from the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. His series of Unfamiliar People series are his takes on "monsterous" themes of over-consumerism and the failings of human dignity. What looks buoyant and larger than life are his look at our darker manifestations. You might not recognize the people as they are under their surface. I found my favorite. A collection of plastic F.R.I.E.N.D.s from a film, "Jellyfish Eyes". Little purple Juliana T. is my next Yelp friend! If you can visit one the Asian Art Museum's numerous groundbreaking exhibitions, don't hesitate to go. read more

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Wow it's been over a decade since my first (and only other) visit, so I'd forgotten how large the museum is! The Takashi Murakami exhibit drew me here initially, but I'm glad we had some extra time to see other exhibits. Definitely budget some time for those if you can, especially since it was free with our ticket purchase. We didn't know they closed at 5pm on Saturdays and also underestimated just how many things there were to see! We were catching glimpses of everything as we were being ushered out lol. The jade room was a highlight! Great weekend activity, and definitely recommend the Murakami exhibit! It's a lot to take in and can overwhelm the eyes if you're really dissecting each piece, but a good mix of his older and newer works. And there's also a fun room for photos if you want a nice photo opp. read more

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Murakami: monsterized exhibit If you're traveling by car, there is a nearby parking structure a block down from the museum. On Sundays the fee is a little lower, but if you're a museum member, your fee is a little better than the Sunday fee. BART - exit the Civic Center station The museum looks really nice from the outside - I almost felt like I was in NYC for a second. The interior is also well kept and some parts felt grand. The time we went was in the afternoon, while there were a lot of people there, most areas were crowded, but people for the most part were very polite and respectful waiting their turn to view parts of the art. The gift shop had a line where they allotted a certain amount of people inside. Being that the exhibit currently featured was Murakami, there were a lot of Murakami merch inside. I loved the mini flower pillows, but when I saw the price, I had to come to terms that I could not afford it at the time. There were smaller items (still pricey) like magnets, foldable bags, apparel, pins, artwork, games, puzzles, etc. They still had a bunch of other items in the shop - really great items! Things for all ages that would make nice gifts, too. I had the chance to see the other parts of the museum with the more historical pieces. I am not sure why I hadn't ever been here before, but I am glad I was able to come here this year and happy to support the AAPI community! read more

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The Asian Art Museum is super public transit accessible, clean, and spacious. I'm not sure if they're lacking in staff, but the coat check wasn't available when I arrived to the Hallyu Wave special exhibit. However, if you ask the front desk, they'll be able to check your bags. I like the variety of special exhibits they tend to have here; the Hell one was especially fantastic! The Hallyu Wave one felt fan-made and unrefined. There were a lot of cool props, but the depth of the exhibit was shallow and tried to do too much. It left me wanting more, which is a shame because $30 of a ticket price was a bit steep for what you get. The main exhibit halls could use more Southeast Asian works. While it is neat to peruse the artifacts there, I don't find myself coming back over and over again to see the galleries, but that could just be personal preference as I prefer the De Young or SFMOMA. read more

What a coup for the Asian Art Museum to get a Takashi Murakami exhibition. It's something you'd expect to see at the Broad in LA (he did show there a few years ago) or at MOMA in NYC, or SFMOMA. The monsters exhibition features his "monsters" both 3D sculptural renditions and his multi-panel superflat masterpieces, along with other work including NFTs (odd to view in a museum.) I highly recommend a visit to Murakami's first solo exhibition in San Francisco, "Unfamiliar People -- Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego," showing through Feb. 12, which includes a range of his work from 1996 to the present. An exhibit placard refers to Murakami's recent announcement (during the pandemic) of impending bankruptcy and potential ruin, a dire situation brought on by overspending and complicated business relationships. Shocking for an artist who commodified his art into NFTs and partnered with elite fashion houses. I've been to the Asian Art Museum a handful of times. Much of the permanent collection here is historical in nature, and I lean toward contemporary art & artists. There is half a world of Asian Art, so while it's important there is a museum dedicated to Asian art, it can feel sometimes limiting that the art of countless countries, artists and time periods have been distilled down to a single museum. With so many remarkable Asian and Asian American contemporary artists, I'd like to see the museum pull in a few more exciting, notable and interesting exhibits like this one. read more

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If you're looking for an activity to do in the city, do consider visiting the Asian Art Museum. They have a great collection of art and rotating exhibits! The museum may not be the largest, but it is packed with so many pieces. I've visited twice with my husband, and we've spent about 2 hours each time, without carefully reading/looking into everything. If you are a Murakami fan, I do recommend catching the exhibit before it ends in February 2024. The exhibit is pretty small, but it is very fun to browse and to take pictures! For parking, I'd recommend parking at the garage across the street. Rates are reasonable for the area and you definitely don't want to street park around Civic Center. The gift shop has some awesome items, however they are ridiculously overpriced. Make sure to visit the outdoor terrace area upstairs for some calming and gorgeous city view! read more

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Now I remember why I stopped going to museums. Half of this museum is in the pitch dark and you can't see a darn thing. This would be an amazing museum if they turned the lights on. I can't believe that in the midst of the tech industry they haven't figured out how to create safe flights that don't harm the artworks. I need to take some Tylenol because I have a massive headache from the eye strain. Younger folks-- there actually was a time when you would go to a museum and all the lights were on bright and you could see everything! read more