The permanent collection at the deYoung doesn't seem to change much. I'd rate the collection as just "OK". My favorite section is the Great American West series of paintings. Once a year, the "Bouquet to Arts" occurs in the spring, where floral designs accompany the permanent art - and it is spectacular and worth seeing. But, the big draw of the deYoung is the fantastic exhibitions that rotate throughout the year. I've seen a ton of them. Recently, I saw the Treasures of the Pharaohs. Well-done presentation of beautiful and rare Egyptian artifacts. Whatever exhibition is going on, check it out. That is the main reason to visit the deYoung. I've never been disappointed. read more

See all

I love Egyptian Art. Had to go. Treasures of the Pharaohs at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is an incredible showcase of over 100 ancient Egyptian artifacts from Egypt. We attended the evening event, which made the experience even more memorable. Along with exploring the stunning exhibits, there was a two DJ spinning music, dancing, delicious food trucks, and great selection of cocktails/mocktails. The combination of history, culture, and entertainment created a fun and unique night out. A must go see. read more

See all

The deYoung always has interesting exhibits, and the Bay Area Artists full time installation is always worth a visit - or a second or third! I'm a multiple time visitor, since I was in college, and every time I come back, I remember how beautiful of a museum it is. (and free for SF residents on Saturdays!) One of my favorite events that the deYoung puts on is their after hours event for adults where you can get drinks & food, and walk around the museum looking at exhibits - they even have a DJ! I saw the Paul McCartney photographs 1963-64 "Eyes of the Storm" exhibit here at the after hours event and it was a great way to experience the work. read more

The de Young is a wonderful art museum in Golden Gate Park. It has a tower where you can capture exceptional views of the San Francisco skyline on a clear day. Take the time to wander the surrounding park when visiting. It is beautiful. read more

See all

First tuesday of every month is a free entry day for the bay area residents so we wanted to make the most of it. We specifically went for their "Treasures of the Pharoahs" exhibit and enjoyed it immensely! This kind of exhibition is first if its kind in the USA. Artifacts dated 3000 years shone beautifully in their individual cases for all to see. We loved it! Parking was $20 flat rate today on a tuesday. We also visited the Hamon observation tower for a 360 degree view of the city. The experience was excellent. Loved the ancient gold jewelry display. It was beautiful and the experience was completely immersive. read more

See all

As a longtime student of ancient Egypt, I came expecting dynastic splendor and was greeted by the 21st Dynasty - well at least the curators stopped before the Ptolemies. The "montage" was extensive and somewhat unrefined - glowy wall of hieroglyphs combined with two authentic Hathor heads inside. Bravo. The gift shop was underwhelming - the mother of pearl boxes reminded of of Khan-el-Khalil in Cairo, where I saw similar pieces. I hope the artisans are receiving their share from the museum sales. This institution is already enjoying the generosity of the San Francisco's plutocratic set. Disappointing. read more

See all

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

See all

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

See all

Beautiful architecture and amazing art work. You can easily spend a few hours enjoying the art. There are also special exhibits for an additional price. Be sure to take the elevator up to the tower to get panoramic views of San Francisco. First weekends are free if you are a Bank of America customer. There are also several free days for residents and you can also get tickets if you have a sf library card via discover and go passes. read more

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

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

See all

Stopped by today to get a look at the Treasure of the Pharaohs. It's the first time it's being exhibited in the bay area. Some of the best looking pieces of Egyptian artifacts that I've seen. I've been here a couple of times and it never disappoints. Whoever does the curating does an excellent job. As with all museums, it's not cheap. But they do have a day when the fees are waived. Plan to spend more than a few hours to fully see the whole museum read more

See all

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

See all

DeYoung museum- Great mix of historic, cultural, and contemporary art. The building itself is quite the spectacle. I loved their modern ceramic pieces. Don't forget to meander the sculpture garden outside. read more

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

We have been attending the de young and Legion of Honor museums for 40 years. We believe they have some of best curated exhibit's in the world. We enjoyed the informative Etruscans from ancient Italy exhibit. I learned so much about their influence on Rome. read more

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

Love de Young Museum. I've been coming here for decades since I was a child and it's my favorite San Francisco museum. Located in Golden Gate Park. I always enjoy the visiting exhibits which change quite often, with many exciting artwork to view, from the treasures of King Tut, to Impressionism, to the Art of Manga, Paul McCarthy's photography of the Beetles, Ruth Asawa's intricate art, to the most recent Monet and Venice exhibit. The other floors with permanent collections are also worth checking out. The top floor with the observation view in a 360 degree view of San Francisco is my favorite I could hang out there all day. Nice gift shops that I have purchased many artful and useful items. Also a good cafe with many food options, beverages where you can dine indoors with a view of the park or outside on the patio. There is an underground parking lot in front of the museum beneath the music concourse. The entrance fee is reasonable and well worth the money to support the museum and spend at least a couple of hours there. That's between groceries and dining. I highly recommend coming here again and again. read more

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

See all

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

Underwhelmed. Toured the entire museum in about an hour. Nothing extraordinary in my opinion. Customer service needs improvement: Ticket counter questioned my residency in an effort to extract the admission fee on free Saturdays for Bay Area residents; an attendant for the tower refused entry a full 45 minutes before closing and could only say, "it's a hard close". read more

See all