We were here to see the "Monet in Venice" exhibit at the De Young Museum and it was extraordinary. We recently became members of the museum and have enjoyed visiting their many exhibitions over the year's. We were lucky to visit the "Monet, The Late Years", back in May of 2019. When we heard that the "Monet in Venice" exhibit was coming, we reserved our tickets quickly. I have loved the many paintings of Monet, especially his water lilies series. They are so beautiful. We had a wonderful time at the museum observing his art at our pace. Your tickets at reserved for a certain time. Once you exit the exhibit you cannot re-enter. So we made sure to take our time and went back to the beginning, before leaving, to walk through a second time. I really love the history behind each painting. They have descriptions and stories printed on the wall of each series of paintings as well as paintings from his fellow artists friends during that same time period that helped influence him. If you are a lover of art, especially Impressionism, then this is a must see. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Sadly, the behavior of one of the employees in the Monet in Venice exhibit put a damper on our entire experience today. The middle-aged slender guy with glasses, earrings, and dark hair tinged with gray could not have been ruder to me in how he told me I had to carry my purse backpack, then followed by a loud, obnoxious lecture. If he's an employee, he should be fired. If he's a volunteer, he should be moved to somewhere where he doesn't interact with other humans. He is a terrible representative of the De Young. Luckily the woman in the gift shop who signed us up for memberships was friendly, kind and patient. That helped balance the ugly experience with the rude man in the gallery, but we left there with a bad feeling anyway. read more

The Monet & Venice exhibit is until July 26th, 2026 and my husband and I went for the first time recently. I have frequently been around de Young but never inside. The tickets are $40 per person and we ended up upgrading to the year membership ($129, includes guest pass and access to special exhibits as well as Legion of Honor). General admission is $20 but doesn't grant you access to the special exhibits. The exhibit contains over 20 pieces of Monet's artwork and it was amazing to see it all in person. You can get up close to majority of the paintings and see the strokes on the canvases. This collection was well curated. We ended up taking home a couple items from the gift shop after. read more

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I recently visited the "Monet and Venice" exhibition at the de Young, which closes July 26, exploring a period near the end of Monet's career. Having lost confidence in his Water Lilies series, he traveled to Venice in search of inspiration. There he studied the interplay of light and water, creating works that refreshed his artistic vision. The exhibition tells an interesting story, and I left with a better understanding of Monet and the city that inspired him. The rotating special exhibitions at the de Young are often thought provoking and worthwhile. An annual membership supports the arts, clearly, but if you visit at least a few times a year it also becomes a cost effective way to visit with friends. Membership comes with free entry at both the de Young and the Legion of Honor museums, for you and a guest, including entry at their creative exhibitions, which are often $40 per person. read more

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de Young Museum is a world class museum of art, right up there with the majors like The Getty, The Met, thought not quite as good. De Young has almost all of arts: Fine arts, classical art, medieval art, Renaissance art, religious art, contemporary art, ancient art, modern art, great art, bad art, talentless art, sculptures, amateur old arts, creat art, and more! There is also an awesome tower to for some great views of San Francisco. $20 for some culture and beauty, and ugly. read more

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From now until July 26, The Monet and Venice exhibit features more than 20 of Monet's paintings during his 1908 trip to Venice, sourced from international collections. My daughter zipped through the place so quickly that I've missed the fine prints. May return on a weekday for more in-depth knowledge of Monet's journey! read more

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The setting of these Young museum alone commands your attention. The exhibitions they have bring in the best art work. The size of the rooms and how they are set means that you are never crowded. We came for the Monet and Venice and the pieces curated did not disappoint. The audio self guided tour is easily accessible on your own device and will cart you through the pieces you are most interested in. Staff are so competent, helpful and very much present. read more

de Young Museum - Such a grand entrance. A well organized museum where the art feel alive. - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

Surprised my two bests with a day trip to the city to visit De Young and the Monet in Venice exhibit and it was a great freakin day! I hadn't been to De Young in years and I've never seen Monet's work in person so this was such a treat for all of us, especially the birthday girl who is herself a fantastic and talented artist. We're hoping to visit again for the Egyptian artifacts exhibit that's coming up soon after Monet. read more

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Today was my first time at de Young and it was a cool experience. What made it even better is that on Saturdays it's free for Bay Area residents of the 9 counties. Just go to the website and select the day for general admission and bring your driver's license for staff to verify. If you were to pay its $20 ticket. The staff were nice and was cool to see the one piece area and art of manga was sold out unfortunately. But would be cool to check out next time. I didn't know how big de Young was but seemed like there were rooms for days. Definitely something for everyone here. read more

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This annual event 'The Bouquets to Art ' exhibit is stunning and usually opens for a week at the museum in March. Floral designers create displays to honor the various artwork pieces in the galleries. These were just a handful of displays that really captured my eye. I loved seeing patrons dressed in floral outfits to match the occasion. Near the entrance to the garage, you can buy your very own vase of flowers, ranging from $35 - $60 which helps with fundraising for the museum. If you love flowers and art, you should pay this exhibit a visit. It will truly uplift and inspire you. read more

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Set in Golden Gate Park the de Young is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours . Even if there isn't a visiting show you want to see, the permanent collection is great. I love walking around the upper floor looking at old favorites. This time there was a great exhibit of Textiles which was very interesting. I love the little room with seats and a wall of windows looking out over the outdoor cafe and garden. They have a great museum shop as well as a nice cafe. You can eat outdoors on a nice day. There is also free admission to the tower where you can look out at panoramic views. read more

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Visited the de Young Museum specifically to see the Art of Manga exhibit and I definitely got what I came for! They had a big variety of anime and manga art, including original sketches and pencils -- which I thought were really cool! If you're a One Piece fan, this was a MUST SEE. Not only did they have a screen printing exhibit (with full floor-to-ceiling walls plastered with pages from the original manga novels), but they had more original art framed in the Art of Manga exhibit as well. I love how the walls of the exhibit were also decorated to match the art displays as well. This is the busiest that I've ever seen any museum EVER. (I'm look at you, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure segment!) People were packed shoulder to shoulder to get a close up at these manga spreads. The gachapon machines were a nice touch too! It looked like a lot were sold out when I went, so I wish they had restocked. Really loved this exhibit. Totally worth the $30 entry. Hope they bring back more cool things in the future! read more

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Art, Atmosphere, and Joy Unexpected visit to San Francisco turned into something truly special. I didn't plan it, but I happened to arrive while a Monet exhibition was on display, and it felt like perfect timing. Monet has always been one of my favorite artists, and seeing his work in person at the De Young Museum made the experience feel both intimate and powerful. The museum itself is just as impressive as the art it holds: calm, spacious, and thoughtfully curated in a way that lets you slow down and really take things in. The free audio guide was also very helpful and added meaningful context to the exhibition without feeling overwhelming. I also stopped by the café and had the lasagna with an American coffee. It came to about $35, which is on the expensive side, but I consider it part of supporting the museum and the experience itself. Everything was satisfying and well-presented. Overall, this visit felt unexpectedly meaningful. I'm glad I came when I did, and I would absolutely return again, especially for future exhibitions. read more

de Young Museum - Outside entrance to the exhibition - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This museum offers free admission for bay area residents on Saturdays. I reserved a free ticket in advance for this past weekend, but there was still a long line at the front counter on the main floor to get a sticker to wear during my visit. By the way, you can enter the museum's lower level directly from the Music Concourse parking garage, near the museum store. Free admission allows access to the permanent collection galleries in which I got to explore modern and contemporary art displays, impressionism and realism, abstract works, Northern California photography including the Cliff House after 1875, Art in the US, Arts of Africa, Arts of Indigenous America (the masks and masquerades display was particularly interesting), and One Piece Only, a room showcasing how manga is made. In addition, the special exhibition galleries on the lower level presented The Art of Manga, though I opted not to pay extra for this. Some of my faves were The Peaceable Kingdom (oil on canvas) by Edward Hicks, a scene filled with animals as well as Quaker leader William Penn signing a 1682 treaty with Lenape Indians in the background, representing "God's kingdom on earth", as well as The Gold Scab: Eruption in Filthy Lucre (oil on canvas) by James McNeill Whistler, an interesting caricature style and monstrous rendition of Frederick R. Leyland, with a backstory involving conflict between the artist and the subject of his piece. Also, pretty much the entire California Landscapes collection appealed to me, depicting the beautiful scenery of different locations throughout the state, using various art mediums. A lovely portrayal of scenes (land, sea, and sky) representing how "California is a Poem" as described by Ina Coolbirth. This includes Thomas Hill's Fishing Party in the Mountains, Joachim Ferdinand Richardt's Golden Gate Moonlight, Richard Mayhew's Rhapsody, and The Glory of the Heavens by William Keith. Outside the venue, the beautiful sculpture garden is always a treat when visiting here. An inviting environment with unique pieces scattered throughout the landscaped setting, which can be enjoyed up close or from the outdoor seating area of the museum cafe. Not to mention awesome live music happening regularly at the Golden Gate Bandshell right next to the museum, giving visitors more to do in the area. read more

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how wonderful it is to have such great exhibits in SF! this is a clean and large building with different floors to explore. special exhibits require additional cost. if you're really into what theyre showing, def should go for it. it changes every few months. observation tower is a little secret that not many know about. fantastic view. read more

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i love this museum so much! I'm in SF a few days and had to stop by and check it out. . The monet was really good. i miss this place a lot. Used to live so close to it! i had a lot of fun here with friends. Def recommend de young-- you def won't regret visiting this place! have fun read more

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de Young Museum via it's shared underground parking is highly accessible. The museum has some beautiful views via its Tower, and a collection that covers American, PreColumbian, Impressionists, and African Art, with a current exhibit highlighting Manga Japanese Art. If you are looking to view California, Thomas Hill, Thaddeus Welch, Charles Dorman Robinson, Clark Hobart, and Lillie May Nicholson have examples of their work displayed. Maurice Brazil Prendergast, and George Hitchcock are just 2 of the impressionist arts with examples inspired outside of California. I am grateful for my time working at Bonhams auction house, it gave me a greater appreciation of American Art. read more

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Oh. My. Goodness. What a fun time! I visited the Art of Manga exhibition with mini me, my sister, and my niece, and we had an absolute blast. I was especially thrilled to see One Piece featured--one of my all-time favorite Japanese anime. Seeing it showcased in a museum setting honestly made my fan heart so happy. The exhibition didn't stop there either; it highlighted so many incredible manga and anime, along with fascinating background on the creators, their inspirations, and the stories behind the art. Learning more about the history and process really elevated the whole experience for all of us. Do I wish Spy x Family had made an appearance? Absolutely. But even without it, this exhibition was well worth the visit. Pro tip: If you're a student, don't forget to show your student ID at the ticket booth for a discount! Thankfully, mini me had a photo of her ID on her phone, so we were still able to score the student rate. Overall, a fun, educational, and nostalgic outing, highly recommend for anime and manga fans! read more

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Such a fun and informative time. We came for the manga special exhibit and was glad that the content gave a lot of historical and artist blurbs. The pacing felt great walking through as well as the amount of seating and people flow. There was a good mix of images, prints and digital projections making for a new feel every time you stepped into a new room. It was amazing to see the dedication of the artist hand drawing each panel. Definitely visit if you're on the fence. Even if you enjoy print this exhibit is awesome and informative. There's a small section in the general admission museum which goes more in depth of the print and manufacturing of comics. read more

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Have been here several times over the years and love it. The most recent visit was to see the Manga exhibit which was super fun. The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is a must-visit for art lovers! The collections span American, African, and Oceanic art, with rotating exhibitions that keep each visit fresh. The building itself is stunning. read more

An impressive exhibit on the Art of Manga. The genre: manga is Japanese hand drawn art work used in serial publications which (if they are popular) get bound into a book. I read on an info sign that manga has 300+ million in circulation worldwide and involves a variety of topics (food, wine, sport, competition, parent/child relationships and more! I learned so much from our Docent Helen (who is also an artist) about Japanese manga stories and the men and women artists profiled in each focused room. Beautiful design of the exhibit space as well. Well done Fine Arts Museum of SF! read more

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This was a very good museum in the central area of Golden Gate Park!! We have been meaning to go to the De Young Museum for a long time, just to check it out, and yes, it was very cool!! To our surprise, Bay Area residents entered for free, we just had to show our identification. The day we were here, they had a tribute to Paul McCartney going on, but we didn't indulge in that, just the rest of the museum. Lots of all kinds of different art, from sculptures to paintings and photographs, along with some very interesting reads on them. If you take the elevator to the observation deck, you get some fantastic views of San Francisco and Golden Gate Park, that was definitely an unexpected highlight here!! read more

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Great exhibits such as Monet, good for groups of adults on a rainy day. Great cafe and store too. My family (2 senior adults and two 30 something's) had a wonderful time at the de Young museum! read more

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Came here finding out on TikTok that they were hosting One piece manga panels for a limited time. We came here during a busy weekend but was surprised that it wasn't too packed navigating through the museum. The staff were super accommodating and super friendly despite it being super packed during peak hours. It was really cool seeing how manga was transformed from the early 1900's to how manga is being drawn to this day. Overall, this museum was really nice and clean. There's two gift shops to check out once you finish your art tour. read more

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In the Golden Gate Park in the middle of San Francisco, the de Young museum as I understand it focusses more on "living" artists than other members of the Fine Arts Museums group. That's a nice opporturnity, and there's also plenty of classics on display here and throughout the various Museums. During our visit (Oct 2025), there were mixed media works, color printing, Mattise jazz-related visual works, and needleworks. And when the weather is clear, you can see 360°, beyond San Francisco, from the top-floor indoor Hamon Observation Tower! read more

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An incredible museum at the heart of San Francisco. As someone from Los Angeles I am always jealous of cities with public transportation and accessible places like the de Young Museum. It houses both high art like paintings and sculptures, with a current exhibitions focusing on manga (basement) and art from indigenous people (ground floor). They also have an exhibit on the top floor for (Beatles) Paul's photographs back when they were in the US for their first (?) tour. There's also a cafeteria for small treats as well as coffee and tea. The whole museum doesn't look intimidating on the outside but once you're inside, there is so much to explore. I definitely recommend it for families and students as there's something interesting for everyone. read more

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This review is specific to the new Manga exhibit! I was so excited to check out the new exhibit and see which mangas and mangakas would be showcased. The execution was awesome! They had tons of original art and detailed timelines that gave a behind-the-scenes look at how these iconic works were made. There were dedicated sections for One Piece, Inuyasha, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and even a tiny corner just for Junji Ito, among others. I was impressed by the JoJo's section, which featured a collection of really cool large art pieces. The One Piece section was equally impressive, filling an entire room with manga panels on the walls. They also had a video playing in the middle of the One Piece area, showcasing the manga printing process from start to finish and highlighting all the effort that goes into each weekly Shonen Jump issue. Thought it was cute that they had a manga reading room at the end of the exhibit where you could pick up and read any of the mangas on display. There was also a gachapon section loaded with an assortment of anime trinkets. While I loved the exhibit, I do wish it had been a bit bigger and included more current popular artists. Still, it's definitely worth a visit, even if just once. read more

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If you are a fan of anime or manga go to de Young Museum now - don't walk, run! Anime and manga are such intrinsic part of my formative years. It helps me in my dark times and brought me so much joy, hope and gratitude in life. Now that I can bear witness to the original artwork from some of my harbored artists- it was coming to full cycle. Bring people who enjoy art and introduce them to these masterpieces. read more

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I'm not really a museum guy--I usually only visit when a friend visiting from out of town wants to go. But I have to say, the de Young was a genuinely great experience. We caught the Monet special exhibition, and I found myself unexpectedly captivated by it. It was large enough to feel like a full day out but didn't feel overwhelming. I actually enjoyed it so much that I ended up signing up for a year-long membership (and they let me put the cost of our two adult tickets toward the annual fee, which was a nice bonus). A quick tip for those driving: I got lucky and found street parking on Fulton. It saves you the trouble of the underground garage, but do keep in mind that car break-ins are common in this area--so don't leave anything visible in your car if you decide to walk a few blocks. Highly recommended, even if you're not a "museum person." It's well worth the visit. read more

As someone who loves flowers, attending Bouquets to Art was incredibly inspiring. Seeing floral installations created to reflect and interpret the museum's artwork was such a creative concept. Walking through the galleries and spotting arrangements tucked beside paintings and sculptures made the whole experience feel like a treasure hunt for flower lovers. It honestly made me feel ambitious enough to think, maybe I could do something like this one day (very unlikely... but a fun thought!). I loved how the arrangements were sprinkled throughout the museum rather than confined to a single gallery. It encouraged you to explore different parts of the museum while discovering each interpretation of the artwork. That said, even with timed entry, the crowds were intense. I went on Saturday, March 7 at 10:30am (the second-to-last day of the exhibit), and the sheer number of people made it difficult to move through some areas. With the pace of the crowds, you could easily spend an entire day trying to see everything. After a few hours we eventually got our fill, though we definitely didn't manage to see every installation. Despite the crowds, it was still a really special experience and one I'd love to make an annual tradition. If you're planning to go in the future, I'd highly recommend trying for a weekday if possible -- it might make it a little easier to enjoy the displays without competing with quite as many people. Beautiful, creative, and truly inspiring for anyone who loves flowers. read more

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Located in Golden Gate Park, DeYoung offers a permanent gallery featuring American Art, some African/Oceanic art, and modern/contemporary art. They also had special galleries, which rotate periodically. Since we were limited on time, we only got to explore part of the museum, namely the modern, contemporary and American Art displayed on the first floor. The museum is clean, easy to navigate, and curated well so that you can read about each piece as you walk through the galleries. My favorite piece was the contemporary piece "Ten Thousand Waves," which was a short film projected onto nine screen installations to explain the Morecambe Bay tragedy about the unfortunate drowning of Chinese migrants. De Young definitely deserves a visit on your trip. read more

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One of my favorite museums in SF! I've been going here since I was a kid. It's in the middle of Golden Gate Park and has so many different kinds of art. The permanent exhibits include ancient Hispanic art, African art, Native American art, European art and Modern American art. They also have new special exhibits a few times a year. Currently it's the Art of Manga which features several prominent manga artists. Pretty cool exhibit, I liked how they designed each room to fit the theme. I highly recommend getting a membership. It starts at $129 a year and you get free admission to the permanent and special exhibits for yourself and a guest whenever. And there are exclusive exhibit viewings days just for members. It's worth it if you go with a guest at least twice a year! read more

Went to Monet and Venice today. This exhibit shows 29 of 37 Monets paintings. The background of each section was nicely described in the plaques. The paintings were displayed beautifully. Monet is probably one of the few artists who repeatedly painted the same subject in different lighting. It's amazing to view a series of his subject in this exhibit. The only complaint I have is that the QR code listed for a descriptive explanation of the paintings does not work in the basement. There is No WiFI in the basement. So this feature is absolutely useless! read more

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Off-the-clock staff talked to me rudely because I mistakenly walked up the stairs with a water cup in my hand. You could have approached this in a nicer manner, as I did not mean to go against museum rules. Thanks. read more

I can't believe that I've lived in the Bay Area for nearly a quarter century without previously visiting the De Young, especially since I do enjoy visiting art museums and galleries. Well, this oversight has finally been rectified. Our plans for out of town travel were thwarted by a combination of illness and lousy weather at our destination, so we spent most of the last couple of weeks trying to find new experiences. Upon checking the Discover and Go website, we booked tickets to visit here on the Friday after New Years Day. We lucked out by finding free street parking right by the Japanese Garden and made the short walk to the museum. I'm not sure how busy this place is under normal circumstances, but on the day we visited there was quite a large crowd checking out the Manga art exhibit. We considered paying the small extra fee to check it out, but none of us are actually that interested in the genre and we decided that it would be just too hectic inside. So we enjoyed the other exhibits with much, much smaller crowds to deal with. The museum has a very nice collection of European art and early American masters. We were focused on a couple special exhibits during our visit, such as the small embroidery display and the more extensive art of indigenous peoples. The exhibits were well-curated and the written descriptions quite good. Overall it was an enjoyable afternoon and I'll be certain not to wait another 25 years to visit again. read more

I love the deyoung! The bouquets d'art is the event of the year and is always a hit, and one of the busiest times at the museum. Coupled with the Paul McCartney exhibit this visit was a hit! The cafe is a bit pricy but to be expected for a cafe meal. The pot pie was delicious although the crust was a bit dry read more

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Another yearly, most awaited experience with Bouquet De Art was filled with creativity and fragrance. June 3rd is the first day, and the flowers look incredibly fresh. Every year, we wait for this experience, never a dull moment. I hope you will not miss it. Tickets are available online with the convenience of different time slots. I prefer parking in the garage across from the museum, and it's worth saving time. Enjoy read more

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Went to the manga exhibit on Saturday! Loved the free sf resident entry. Enjoyed the special exhibit and the observation deck up top. Didn't even know it existed after several visits but my friends did. read more

de Young Museum - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Went to the de Young early on a Saturday morning to see the Paul McCartney photography exhibition. We arrived about a half hour before the museum opened and had no trouble finding parking in the garage. It was a beautiful short walk to the museum through Golden Gate Park. I especially liked seeing the people doing tai chi. So peaceful. The foggy view of Sutro Tower was gorgeous. The photography exhibit was interesting. I enjoyed watching the Beatles first time on the Ed Sullivan Show on a TV mounted on the wall. There were lots of wonderful shots of a young John Lennon. I listened to the free audio on my phone as I looked at the photographs, but had trouble finding the little signs that told you which piece of audio to listen to. I also couldn't follow the order of the exhibit, which was by location/timeframe. This was probably my own fault and not the museum's. I'm glad we got there early because about a half hour later it started getting crowded. The gift shop is wonderful. The cafe didn't have much food for some reason; maybe it was too early for lunch. We ended up at a nearby hot dog stand that was very good. read more

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This past weekend was extra special since getting to experience the de Young after over a decade away. A new friend treated me with her membership and so I got to experience the classics, new abstracts, and local artist creations all under one breathtaking roof. And there's a lesser known collection of Paul McCartney's photographs on display for a limited time! As a renewed Bay Area community member, this museum is the kind of local experience to be proud of. If you don't have a membership and are a Bay Area resident, you can still experience the permanent exhibits at the museum on a Saturday for free or selected date through a free museum ticket program through Bay Area libraries. And free parking is close by on side streets in every direction. I encourage all Bay Area residents to come over to Golden Gate Park and stroll through this mesmerizing art experience. read more

de Young Museum - cool ticket entry sticker - Art Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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