Have you planned a stay in the most European cities in America? So don’t miss visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of the largest museums in the world dedicated to modern and contemporary art!
San Francisco! With its famous Golden Gate Bridge, its streets that go up and down, its Victorian-style houses, Alcatraz and its cable car, San Francisco is an attractive destination that promises you a unique stay!
This vibrant and fascinating city offers an incredible array of activities, and you will have the embarrassment of choice! Are you a fan of museum, modern and contemporary art, or simply curious? So don’t miss visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art! Located in the Yerba Buena Gardens, it is the second largest modern art museum in the US, just behind the MOMA to New York !
Here’s all you need to know to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art!
History of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Photo credit: Flickr – Thomas Hawk
Created in 1935, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the first modern and contemporary art museum on the West Coast, and has since become a must!
At its beginnings, the museum receives some works by generous Albert M. Bender, an art lover, and has a collection of about 1,000 works, paintings and photographs. In 1995, the museum moved to a contemporary place, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta .
In 2016, the museum opens its doors after 3 years of closure, necessary for a gigantic renovation of the place. Now it’s a collection of more than 33 000 works exhibited within 7 floors, of almost 16,000 m2 that you can observe, making it the largest modern and contemporary art museum in the United States.
The establishment also received a “ LEED Gold Certification ", meeting many sustainable development criteria, such as the use of components that reduce the energy used.
What to see and do at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art?
Photo credit: Flickr – Thomas Hawk
In order to organize and prepare you for the best to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, we recommend you download the museum application upstream, to identify all things you want to see (application available only under IOS). Directly on the site, you can also download the plan in PDF and prepare your visit.
Know that audioguides are available for rent at the admissions office, located at level 2.
We advise you to arrive by the main entrance of the 3rd street, in order to enjoy the beautiful suspended staircase that starts from the atrium and goes up to the entrance hall.
At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, more than 33,000 works, ranging from paintings to photographs, are available to you: Frida Kahlo, Ellsworth Kelly , Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and many more are at the meeting. Also not to be missed, the impressive private collection gathered by the founders of Gap: over 1,100 works from the Fisher collection!
All in an exceptional building, designed by world renowned architects. The building itself is a real work of art, and this, to the garden! Don’t miss the incredible vegetable wall. It is not for nothing but to be one of the largest museums in the United States, it is also recognized to be one of the most beautiful.
Not to be missed if you will visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art:
- 7th floor: The modern and avant-garde works of Jeff Koons, Matthew Barney, Cindy Sherman, or Sherrie Levine, and spaces dedicated to multimedia art.
- 6th floor: The many works of the Fisher collection
- 5th floor: Restore at Café 5, discover the garden of sculptures, and admire the city views from the roof terrace.
- 4th floor: The rooms dedicated to Ellsworth Kelly, and the chapel » octagonal.
- 3rd floor: “The Pritzker Center for Photography”, the space dedicated to photography, the outdoor terrace closed by a 40 m tall vegetable wall, the Sightglass coffee.
- 2nd floor: The great classics of the permanent collection of the museum: “No14” by Mark Rothko, “Frida and Diego Rivera” by Frida Kahlo, “The women of Algiers” by Picasso, “Femme au hat” by Matisse, the work of Robert Rauschenberg.
- Ground floor: The Sequence sculpture by Richard Serra, the glass gallery and the souvenir shop.
Passionate, art lovers or simple curious, you will surely find your happiness if you come to visit the modern art museum of San Francisco! Exciting public and educational programmes are offered throughout the year, as well as numerous and exceptional permanent and temporary exhibitions.
How to go to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art?
There are several ways to get to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, located at 151 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
The entrance of the museum is made by Third Street or Howard Street .
- Cycling: The museum has bicycle parking, within the limits of the available places.
- By bus: Lines 5, 9, 14, 30, 38 and 45
- By metro: Station Montgomery and Powell Street.
Timetables & Rates of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Photo credit: Unsplash – Sebastien Gabriel
HORARI
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is open:
- From Friday to Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Until 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 to September 2
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art closed on Wednesday .
Exceptional closing days: Thanksgiving Day (November 4th) and December 25th.
RATES
- Adult bill: $25
- Senior post (65 years and older): $22
- Young ticket from 19 to 24 years old, with an ID: $19
- Free ticket for under 18
QUESTIONS
To help you visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the best conditions, we have selected the most frequent questions about this visit:
Can we take pictures of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art?
Photos and videos are allowed, but it will not be possible for you to use flashes, tripods and selfie perches.
Is it possible to eat at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art?
In the enclosure of the museum you will find 3 places to restore, depending on your desires: Cafe 5, Sightglass at SFMOMA and In Situ Restaurant. The consumption of food and beverages is permitted only in the areas provided for this purpose.
Can I bring back memories of the museum?
The modern art of San Francisco has a great and beautiful souvenir shop all kinds, on the first floor.
Does the museum have a locker room?
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art offers a service vestiaire. You will be allowed to enter the rooms with bags of the size of a hand luggage, but larger objects will have to be deposited in the dressing room.
Can we visit the museum with a baby?
Des changing tables are available in the toilet on each floor of the museum.
Accessibility:
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is equipped to accommodate people with reduced mobility. The entrance is free for a person with reduced mobility. Light folding seats and manual wheelchairs are ready for free. Toilets accessible to people with reduced mobility are also available on the 2nd and 4th floor.
Are pets allowed?
Only dogs guides for visually impaired persons are allowed in the museum.
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