Explore Art, History, Science, and More at the Top 7 Museums in San Francisco

There’s no better way to get a feel for a new area or city than exploring some of the finest museums that the area has to offer. Museums can be a lot of fun because there are so many different kinds. You can see lots of art pieces, learn more about history, experiment with science, or even familiarize yourself more with sports or music depending on the museum you go to. If you’re in San Francisco and want to go to a museum, make sure to check out these top seven in the area today!

Have you ever heard of a GiftYa electronic gift card? Make sure to get one today for yourself or a loved one for and check out lots of different museums, restaurants, shops, recreational attractions, and much more. This e-gift card can be uploaded right onto your debit card for easy access as well, so you can forget about physical copies. Why not get a GiftYa electronic gift card today and explore the top seven museums in San Francisco today!

Contemporary Jewish Museum

Appreciate Jewish art where you can learn more about their art, music, literature, and people!

736 Mission Street | Financial District | thecjm.org

If you want to go to an art museum with art pieces of the highest level of artistic ability, then you need to come to the Contemporary Jewish Museum! The Contemporary Jewish Museum is known for being a place to be able to learn more about Jewish people and culture through art, music, literature, and much more. They also feature art from people of other cultures as well for a little bit of diversity. Educate and challenge yourself with some terrific art by Jewish artists at the Contemporary Jewish Museum today!

“In addition to the architecture, the museum puts on interesting exhibitions about Jewish art and life, whether in California or throughout the world. Overall, it's a fairly compact venue, and the experience is accessible to all.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for the Contemporary Jewish Museum

De Young Museum

A museum located right by the Golden Gate Park commemorates a newspaperman, M. H. Young!

50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive | Golden Gate Park | deyoung.famsf.org

Do you want to go to a fine arts museum, but struggling with which one to go to because there are so many great ones to go to? Come to De Young Museum today, which commemorates a newspaperman M. H. Young and features lots of fine art of all different sizes, shapes, styles, and more! It features American paintings, sculptures, and many other art pieces from the 17th to the 21st centuries. From art from Africs, to America, and all over the world, you can experience a little bit of everything if you go to De Young Museum today!

“My family enjoyed every minute of it. Mental stimulation is as important as physical activities and the museum offers just that. I hope that the Legion of Honor will reopen soon, because I can't wait.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for De Young Museum

California Academy of Sciences

Check out this natural history museum with over 46 million specimens and you can learn more about scientists research!

55 Music Concourse Drive | San Francisco | calacademy.org

Do you love science, research, and animals? If so, then we think you should go to th eCalifornia Academy of Sciences today and experience everything that they have to offer! Being known as the largest natural history museum in the world, the California Academy of Sciences features more than 46 million specimens for you to come see. They feature an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, natural history, and they even offer lectures and workshops for you to participate in. What’s cooler than seeing some huge dinosaur bones and other amazing creatures in nature? Make sure to check out the California Academy of Sciences today!

“if you love to learn as much as I do, you will love the California Academy of Sciences as much as I do. More than anything, I am looking forward to the next time I will be able to visit and relive all the great memories I have already made there. If I haven't convinced you to give it a shot by now I don't believe I ever will.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for the California Academy of Sciences

Cartoon Art Museum

Do you love art, comics, and cartoons? Then this is the perfect museum for you!

781 Beach Street | Fisherman’s Wharf | cartoonart.org

There is no better way to dive into art than with some classic comic books or cartoon characters. This is normally the first kind of art we familiarize ourselves with at a young age, so make sure to check out the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco today! Opened since 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum has been a hit among families for its recognition and celebration of cartoon art. Through many different kinds of exhibitions, artist appearances, and more, you and your family can enjoy cartoons and understand their appeal and become inspired. Make sure to check out the Cartoon Art Museum and see some of your favorite cartoon characters and comics today!

“Overall this is a great and only museum that spotlights comics and drawings which is very rare and they give back to the community and bring education classes to kids and adults. Like how many places can you bring parents and kids together in a happy medium. Cartoons make people happy and memories of childhood come to mind.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for Cartoon Art Museum 

San Francisco Railway Museum

If you love antique streetcars, or even love the cable cars in San Francisco? This museum gives you a history of them!

77 Steuart Street | Financial District | streetcar.org

If you are interested in learning more about the San Francisco railway system, the famous cable cars, or even streetcars, then you need to come to th eSan Francisco Railway Museum today! This museum goes over the history of both streetcars and cable cars and how they shaped the way San Francisco is seen and recognized today. You can come to this museum and see lots of replicas of streetcars, streetcar platforms, photographs, artifacts, models, and so much more. Why not take a tour through the San Francisco Railway Museum today!

“If you're interested in the rails and its role in the history of San Francisco, check out the Museum.  Admission is free and the restored vintage streetcars on the F and E lines depart right in front of the Museum too.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for San Francisco Railway Museum 

California Historical Society

Learn more about the history of California and how it came to be at this fun history museum!

678 Mission Street | Financial District | californiahistoricalsociety.org

Do you want to go to a historical museum that has been around for over 100 years and filled with lots of artifacts and photographs about the history of California? Make sure to stop by the California Historical Society today for a great time then! The California Historical Society features many different collections pertaining to the state of California. Some of these feature the history of the California gold rush, the transcontinental railroad, Alexander Hamilton, Native Americans, colonizing California, and much more. Come expand your knowledge on this marvelous state at the California Historical Society today!

“Wonderful little museum about various aspects of CA history. I spent about 1.5 hours looking at their current exhibits on the trans pacific rail and From the Gold Rush to the Earthquake: Selections from the Collection. It's worth the $10 entry to support a historical society and spend some time in a quiet space. They have a great little museum store also!” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for the California Historical Society

Beat Museum

Explore a museum that preserves artifacts and more from the Beat generation!

540 Broadway | North Beach | kerouac.com

Have you ever heard of the Beat generation and would love to learn more about it? If so, then you need to check out the Beat Museum today to learn a little bit more about it! The Beat generation is composed of a series of writers, artists, and thinkers that came together in the 1950s in San Francisco. This museum features a lot of original rare books, letters, manuscripts and much more from these people that you will enjoy looking at learning more about. Come check out the Beat Museum for yourself today!

“A fine little museum with super nice people working there. A must if you are into history and want a repetition on the Beat movement or simply want to learn more about it. Either how, this place does the job.” - Yelp Review 

Buy a gift card for the Beat Museum 

Exploring museums is a great way to spend the day. No matter if you spend a whole day in just one, or go and see multiple in a row, museums are a great way to expand your knowledge on the history of a particular area, culture, or group of people, science, music, and even art. Check out one of these top seven museums in San Francisco today!

Is there a museum in San Francisco that you love, but we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments!