Are you in San Francisco? Go to the discovery of LA reference Fine Arts of the city! Follow the guide to visit the M. H. De Young Museum in San Francisco.
Founded in 1894 in the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco, M.H. De Young became a major cultural and artistic reference in the American landscape. Since its opening, millions of visitors have been there to admire the collections of art from all over the world. Americas, Africa, Pacific, Asia: more than 27,000 modern or older works are presented. The De Young has thus become the 6th most frequent art museum in North America and the 35th in the world!
Since 2005, he has reopened his doors in a new state-of-the-art facility. The building integrates wonderfully art, architecture and natural landscape. The surrounding gardens are perfect for a walk. They allow you to reach the nearby California Academy of Sciences. Especially, do not miss climbing to the top of the building to admire the breathtaking view of the city!
To make your experience a success, we have gathered all the information you need to know before visiting the M.H De Young Museum in San Francisco!
History of the De Young Museum
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By entering the De Young Museum building, it is difficult to imagine that it is an art place that is more than 120 years old! And yet... Originally built for the California Midwinter International Exhibition of 1894, the Beaux-Arts building in San Francisco is first designed in a neo-Egyptian style. He then bears the name " Fine Arts Building "
Under the hatch Michael Henry of Young , it gradually becomes the most important museum of exotic curiosities in the west of the United States. American art, textile arts from the Americas, Oceania and Africa are a major part of the world’s reputation. Faced with its growing success, the museum quickly requires a new space to expose the works whose construction ended in 1919.
Until the founder’s death, the collections continue to develop. Yet, throughout its existence, the museum has undergone numerous closures and reopenings. He even survives two earthquakes! A fundraising campaign allows the museum to be rebuilt entirely in 2005. Open and bright spaces then see the day to facilitate the artistic experience of the visitor. A place completely redesigned by the architects Herzog and Meuron in order to integrate the surrounding landscape of the Golden Park.
Last innovation, March 31, 2016, the De Young Museum presents the first available museum application for Apple Watch. As soon as a visitor with his or her connected watch approaches a work he has selected, he or she receives explanations from the author or an expert on it. Since November 1, 2018, Thomas P. Campbell is director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, overseeing the De Young Museum and the Legion of Honour.
What to see and do at De Young Museum in San Francisco?
Photo credit: Facebook – Young Museum
The museum’s collections contain a wide range of artists. Among the 27,000 works many of them are signed by great masters known throughout the world. North America, Latin America, Oceania, Africa, Asia: all continents are represented through paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, photographs. Textile arts are also prominent. For the anecdote, the oldest object dates back to 3,500 years!
America
The American art collection includes more than 1,000 paintings , 800 sculptures and 3,000 decorative art objects. These are the most exposed American pieces from the 17th to the 21st century, including paintings. For example, there are paintings by Diego Rivera, Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko. In 2020, the De Young will present a retrospective Judy Chicago . A pioneer in feminist art, she began her career forty years ago with her first installation, The Dinner Party (1974-1979).
Africa
The rooms devoted to African art gather objects from kingdoms of the continent like Mali, or Ghana. At the entrance of the gallery, you can admire a wooden sculpture – the oldest in the collection – dating back to the 13th century at least. The African collection is exhibited in a thematic rather than geographical manner. The emphasis is thus placed on the aesthetic and expressive qualities of art.
Oceania
We can admire important sculptures on maori wood New Zealand in the ocean gallery. Alongside them are Indonesian sculptures dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries. The art of New Guinea is also very present in the rooms dedicated to Oceania. A group of sculptures painted in vivid colors used during malanggan ceremonies New Ireland, a silver roll of feathers from the island of Nindu Santa Cruz, a rare piece of navigation of the Caroline Islands of Micronesia are the key pieces of the collection.
Ancient America
The museum honours Ancient peoples Mesoamerica and Andes. Fragments of wall paintings by Teotihuacan, Mexico, maya royal ceremonies and sculptures, ancestral pottery, co-locate artists from the 19th to the 21st century. The 2,000 pieces owned by De Young contributed to research in art history and anthropology. The art from native cultures of the American continents is thus a key element of the museum’s collection. Moreover, the collection is in constant development.
Visiting the De Young Museum in San Francisco is also an incredible view of the park and the city from the Observation Tower, at the top of the building!
How to go to the De Young Museum in San Francisco?
The De Young Museum in San Francisco is located in the Golden Gate Park, near a Japanese garden. The California Academy of Sciences ( 220 metres) is located in the immediate vicinity and Twin Peaks hills (less than 3 kilometres away). Several public transport routes are available at the museum:
By bus
- You can take it bus 5 and get off at the stop 8th Avenue or Fulton Street, just outside the park.
- Likewise, bus 28 stops on Park Presidio Boulevard and Fulton Street.
- Within the Golden Gate Park, a service free shuttle works from 9am to 6pm on weekends and holidays. The shuttle runs the 14 park stops with a frequency of 15 to 20 minutes.
By metro
We have to take it line N-Judah and descend to the stop 9th Avenue .
By car
If you are by car, you can park along the park, in the streets John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King . Attention, however, they are relatively rare! There are two paid parking lots, served by the park shuttle. The nearest parking lot is that of the place of Concourse of Music . With 800 seats, it is accessible to cars and bikes seven days a week.
Timetables & Rates of De Young Museum in San Francisco
Photo credit: Flickr – Wonderlane
HORARI
- Dude Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 to 5:15.
- De end of March to end of November : until 8:45.
- Closed Thanksgiving party days
RATES
- Adults $15
- +65 years $12
- Students $6
- Free for children under 17
- Free first Tuesday of each month
BON A LEARN
- Many options are possible for deaf and misunderstanding, like interpretation in American sign language or transcription of audioguide visits. - ♪ visually impaired persons have at their disposal guides and maps of the museum in Braille and in big characters, in addition to audio guides. - For people with reduced mobility, wheelchairs are available. ramps allow access to museum rooms. - ♪ pushchairs are allowed. - There are changing tables In the bathroom. - ♪ large backpacks are forbidden, as are the beef doors that do not go forward. - The museum has a coffee with possibility to recover slightly (snack).
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