de Young

1/28/2015

I've been walking by the de Young museum almost every time I come to San Francisco and have never gone in.  Time to fix that situation.

The line for tickets was surprisingly long for 2:30 PM.  First stop was the American section, heavily influenced by European art obviously, with portraits, furniture, historical settings, landscapes, statues, and silverware galore.  My favorites are still the landscapes; the detail captured in each sunset-lit mountain and forest is extraordinary.  Further on was the impressionist section and post-impressionist work, including two paintings by Salvador Dali.  Overall, it was fascinating to see the transition in art style, particularly in painting more realistic faces.  

On the same floor were statues and masks from New Guinea, Northern Africa, and Indonesia.  Quickly skimmed through this section.  Interesting contrast to the American artwork, but most of the pieces were made fairly recently (mid-1900s) so I wasn't struck by a sense of authenticity.  Still, it was fascinating to see how all these different cultures designed their gods and their rituals.

Back on the first floor, decided to check out the Mesoamerican section.  Wow.  This section is definitely worth checking out.  There are so many well preserved artifacts that are 1400+ years old, both murals and clay figures, that it's kind of mind boggling to think about.  Also it was fascinating to learn more about Mayan culture through the figurines, tools, and art displayed.  
This section leads into the modern art wing, first through sculptures and then to the paintings.  The sculptures were really fun to look at, but modern paintings only continue to puzzle me.  

All in all, it took about 2 hours to walk around the permanent collection, and I consider it time well spent.

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  Lobby

  Lobby
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• See all photos from Emily Y. for de Young

1/25/2015

We went to the de Young for the Keith Haring exhibit, which was fantastic. They had a a large collection of some of Haring's characteristic pieces, which were presented in a cool fashion. We didn't do the audio tour, but in a way I thought it was fun to see the art without someone's heavy handed interpretation. There was a pretty cool 30 minute movie about the progression of Haring's art, although it was a little bit devoid of details about Haring's life.

After the exhibit, then we spent a little bit of time checking out the rest of the museum, which I was only moderately interested in. I didn't find it to be particularly impressive or even well organized, and I wouldn't rush to go back.

The other big negative was that that tickets with the special exhibit were almost $30 dollars. While I enjoyed the exhibit, that is hardly making art accessible to the general public.

1/21/2015

This museum is so fun, and right in the heart of San Francisco at the Golden Gate Park. We arrived right when the museum opened -- was able to get parking along the street (inside the park) for free.

They check your purse quickly to make sure you're not carrying any random weapons, etc. and off you go to either the member-only line or the non-member line to pick up your museum entrance ticket.

They place a sticker on you after you buy the ticket! My ticket was FREE because I used my BofA debit card (all BofA members get free entrance to this museum on the 1st weekend of the month). Score! We still had to pay for my husband's regular adult ticket though, at $10.

We went immediately to the top floor to check out the skyline view of the city. Wow, good thing we did because there was no one there but us! Un-obstructed views of the city! :) Then we ventured downstairs to visit all the exhibits...

Can't believe they also have some Dali paintings (which are from Spain)! We were just in Spain and visited the Dali museum, so we picked up on the paintings immediately. It was a fun day to explore this museum and you can probably finish in 1.5-2.5 hours.

Be sure to check out the outdoor sculpture garden, that was fun!
It started to get super packed as we were leaving, too!

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  Gorgeous paintings

  Gorgeous paintings
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  Safety pin in sculpture garden

  Safety pin in sculpture garden

2/9/2015

First time here and love the space - I plan to get a membership and spend more time visiting.  We saw the Haring exhibit and it was well done.  Great variety and commentary - a bit crowded but that's what happens on the weekends.

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  Andy Mouse

  Andy Mouse
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• See all photos from Jerry P. for de Young

11/11/2014 Updated review

Checked out Keith Haring: The Political Line exhibit going on now thru 2/16/15.  It's $29/adult weekends & Holidays so don't go then, it's $26/adult Tues-Fri.  I think after work Fri nights would be the best time to go.  Save $2 off if you take public transportation to the museum.

Timed tickets every 15 minutes, try to get on the 11:30am or 1pm tour to learn a bit more about Haring, though it takes about 1hr.  I found it pretty interesting, I had docent Stephen.  You can take all the pics you want, just no flash.

Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay now thru 1/11/15 was ok to see.

Lines on the Horizon: Native American Art from the Weisel Family Collection now thru 1/4/15.  It was ok, you can take pics, no flash.

Celebrating the Spectrum: Highlights from the Anderson Galley now thru 4/19/15.  Funny I went to the Anderson Galley at Stanford University not too long ago, it looked familiar.

Shaping Abstraction - now thru 4/30/15 - ok.

Lace: Labor and Luxury - thru Fall 2014.  It's behind the Giftshop upstairs.  Just a few things in there and the fancy jacket.

Let me know if you're a member and can get me in as your guest for the next exhibit, I'll buy you lunch!

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  Statue of Liberty - Keith Haring

  Statue of Liberty - Keith Haring
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  Bowl

  Bowl
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  Lace

  Lace
• See all photos from Ann L. for de Young

1/14/2015

Golden Gate park is pretty. You have flower gardens, Victorian conservatories, fountains and rolling grassy hills. The de Young museum nestled right smack in the middle of the park looks kinda like a bomb shelter, no?   A little dark, a little monochrome and a little boxy. Maybe it's pretty to some...but this is the place to be opinionated and I say it's a little..less pretty.

Good thing what it holds inside makes up for it's exterior aesthetic. I was lucky to see Keith Haring's work, known for his bold ideas, colors and political statements. It was an incredible exhibit to see, along with the rest of the museum. Walking through the park to the museum was a lovely afternoon/date/escape from the city and very recommended.

I was there on a Tuesday morning and loved the discount I received from coming here on the BART! It was unfortunately extremely crowded, even for a weekday morning. The observatory still had incredible views of the city (definitely didn't need to pay to go up to the Coit tower after this) and there was a lot of outdoor space to relax.

2/10/2015

In less than a week, close on Feb 16... Don't miss Keith Haring The political line
Great exhibit! The Audio design was done with a lot of attention, capturing the time line beautifully!

1/19/2015

Honestly, I am kinda disappointed by the deYoung and don't enjoy this museum as much as others in the bay. For some reason, I thought this place would be bigger considering how it looks from the outside. I find the collections to be kind of lack luster and not too memorable to me overall. There is a good variety of stuff to look at and they constantly change their special exhibits. I only come here on free days, however, and they charge extra for those exhibits, so I've never seen one. On top of that, the workers I've encountered are usually dismissive and even slightly rude. I also felt like the security guards constantly followed me because I was carrying a backpack (don't recommend you bringing one if you come here!). It just created an uncomfortable environment for me when I was just trying to look at and enjoy the art.

With that being said, there are some pretty cool things about the museum though! I like the location of the deYoung, situated right in Golden Gate Park with a nice, serene area around it. I also love the architecture. It's definitely not a kind of aesthetic for everyone, but I love the geometric, blocky structure.

Like many reviews have said, the highlight of this museum is definitely the observation tower! Awesome 360 panorama of the park, the science museum across the way, and the city. You would not want to miss then if you visit the deYoung!

12/15/2014

Please note, my review is only for the free section of the museum. With that said, let's begin.

Now having lived just a few blocks down, I've been here only several of times, usually with buddies from out of town. I also have an Academy of Sciences membership so I make my photography session include sights from this museum as well. What's nice is that more than half the museum is free to enter by non members.

One particular area of interest is the tower with it's astonishing views. I remember the first time coming here and finding out about this awesome free section. It was really clean and had glass windows all around. You can see treasure island and many other awesome sights of SF from up there. It sure beats driving through twin peaks just to get to the top and freeze our bums off.

The rest of the museum was also pretty interesting if you're into the historic art pieces. They didn't have too much abstract art work but there will still be a very large array of historic items worth checking out.

Minus one star for making me hold my backpack in my hand in areas of the museum where there were absolutely no art pieces around. I understand they don't want people knocking things over but having to hold my backpack throughout the entire museum sucked...

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  View from the top floor of the tower

  View from the top floor of the tower
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  View from the top floor of the tower

  View from the top floor of the tower
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  View from the top floor of the tower

  View from the top floor of the tower

12/19/2014

I love visiting de Young, the state-of-the-art (-for-now) copper-clad angular building that integrates nature, art and architecture. Free to visit the tower - no ticket needed. The permanent galleries aren't bad, but that's the thing. The pieces don't rotate. They're permanent. Pop in for some art, stay for the A/C.

Every year, I get my membership dues worth by taking advantage of the unlimited free admission to check out the special exhibits. Even though I'm quite the jeans and t-shirt type, I've really enjoyed all the haute couture exhibits.  I've enjoyed many interesting, beautiful and/or thoughtful special exhibits at de Young, some of which include:

* Modernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert & Jane Meyerhoff Collection
* "A book like hundred flower garden": Walasse Ting's 1 ¢ Life (Innnnnnnnnteresting....)
* The Bay Bridge: A Work in Progress, 1933-1936
* Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George (Quite lovely)
* The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond, 1950-1990 (sooooo sparkly)
* Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953-1966 (my favorite of his body of work)
* Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis (Hey! I saw this in a ScarJo movie...)
* Rembrandt's Century
* Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance
* The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk (Soooo cool. Loved the talking mannequins.)
* Masters of Venice: Renaissance Painters of Passion and Power from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
* Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris (huge line to enter the special exhibit, huge line to see Starry Night, very crowded)
* Balenciaga and Spain
* Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay
* Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay (Degas, Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Manet)
* Warhol Live
* Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes
* Dale Chihuly (quite fun! I liked walking through the tunnel with gazillion Chihuly pieces overhead)
* Yves Saint Laurent
* Quilts of Gee's Bend
* Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. I paid something like $26.99 member price ($32.99 for non-members). The exhibit was advertised as including many new and exciting elements not seen in previous versions of the exhibition, including a revised version of the catalogue, a new audio tour, and additional artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb. Interesting, but kind of meh.
* Vivienne Westwood (fun punk fashion pieces)

Bouquet to Arts, the floral eye-candy design showcase, is week-long annual springtime tradition and requires only general admission tickets. I put this spectacular event on my calendar every year. One year, the museum hosted a free afternoon tea for all members! They still offer the afternoon tea during Bouquet to Arts, but it's no longer complimentary.

For the avid de Young fan, annual membership is a fabulous way to support the museum and save money. Membership includes:
* Unlimited free admission for one member and a guest to the permanent collections and most special exhibitions at the de Young and the Legion of Honor
* Invitations to special members-only events and viewing hours (smaller crowds!!)
* Priority ticketing for special exhibitions
* Discounts at the de Young and Legion of Honor Museum Stores
* Free subscription to the Fine Arts member magazine and e-News

Free insightful and interactive guided tours. The tour groups can be quite large, especially during the first few weekends of a big exhibition opening. For the permanent gallery tours, the groups are much smaller. I took a guided tour on a weekend morning in-between exhibitions and I had the tour guide all to myself.

Don't miss the audio tour (small fee) if you enjoy hearing little stories and history associated with selected pieces.

1/16/2015

What a beautiful space.

I went to the deYoung for Yelp's Anniversary Celebration. Aside from the provided food and drink in the private party room, Yelpers were given passes to view the Modernism exhibit, which was nice to walk through. The rest of the museum was open to the public so this place was buzzing the moment we stepped in. A live jazz show happened to be going on so while many people were milling around the grounds, a lot were seated enjoying the concert. The whole thing provided an elegant ambiance. I wouldn't mind checking out deYoung again whenever I'm back in town.

12/19/2014

Holy gigantic museum! My husband and I were not expecting this place to be so intense, but it was a fantastic surprise on our end. We had the city passes and decided to head on over to the museum with our tickets. Note that the city pass does not get you right in - you still have to wait in the main line and use your vouchers to get physical tickets. Not a big thing, but just something to know!

After the line, we headed in. I have to say that there wasn't really a map or any way of knowing what we were heading into other than signage on the walls outside of the rooms. That made it difficult to tell if we had actually covered all of the options.

Other than that though, this place was an absolute win. There are endless exhibits, tons of plaques with info, space to walk around and look, and it's definitely worth the price of a ticket if you are into fine art!

Overall: A
A ginormous museum that you may find yourself lost in for hours!!

1/2/2015

This is a great museum and a gorgeous building. I've been here twice and really enjoy coming here.

Quick tip: Even if you don't want to go to the museum, it's free to go up the observation tower so you can get 360 degree view of the city from the 9th floor. It's a great view of the city.

9/16/2014

This is a beautiful museum located in Golden Gate park, across from the California Academy of Sciences.

Admission is free every 1st Tuesday of the month. Make sure to head up to the Observation Tower for gorgeous views of Golden Gate Park and even see views of the ocean.

The museum is massive, and the building itself is really unique.

Every Friday night, they host an after hours party until 8:45 pm. Every week is a different theme, but expect live music, hands-on art projects, a film screening, and pop-up bars. The party is actually free to attend, but won't gain you admission to the exhibits.

Admission tickets to the de Young include same-day general admission to the Legion of Honor (special exhibition fees not included). Also, receive a $2 discount with proof of purchase from any Bay Area public transportation system, including BART, Muni, Caltrain, and more.

9/2/2014

Regular exhibits are good, but not great. 3 Stars. But the special exhibits can be awesome( Add a star). The museum is definitely worth a visit, especially a first visit year round. If you can, I would avoid the weekends and bringing toddlers not in a stroller.

The De Young is in Golden Gate Park, which is worth a visit, and shares a massive underground parking garage with the California Academy of Science, which is marvelous and a delight for children.

Hours:
Tuesdays-Sundays
9:30 am-5:15 pm

Fridays
9:30 am-8:45 pm
March 28-November 28

Adult Tickets: $10
Student / Youth: $6

I would agree with most people, especially locals, that the De Young Museum is an architectural atrocity, with fake fault line at the main entrance a joke. But the 360 degree view from the tower is spectacular.

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  Jean Debuffet. Excellent work.

  Jean Debuffet. Excellent work.
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  Cool painting

  Cool painting
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  Dali signature

  Dali signature
• See all photos from David S. for de Young

12/25/2014

The de Young museum is gorgeous.  It's filled with so much amazingness.  

I'm glad I got to check out the Keith Haring exhibit because it did not disappoint.  I learned a lot about Mr. Haring and I left with so much knowledge about the guy.  I'm really glad they're showcasing his art.  Truly a wonderful experience!!

I'm sad I didn't get to make it up to the view deck.  I totally forgot!!  Oh well, there's always next time ):

12/3/2014

Lovely building, great setup, large enough to kill a few hours. The Keith Haring exhibit was amazing. One of my favorite exhibitions in any museum, ever.

Except the museum "security" caught me plugging my phone in, while in the lobby, to have a charge so I could take pictures in the museum, and was very rude to me about it. Treated me like a criminal. Rude and snarky. Totally unnecessary. Guess who WON'T be donating to de Young again?

12/12/2014

Damn, de Young, you sexy!

No, but really, this is one sexy museum. First, there is the amazingly easy parking. Yeah, that is a thing that exists in San Francisco and it's at the deYoung. Also, the amazing tower which has the best view of the city.  THE BEST.

Oh, yeah, and the art. The art of it all. I just really love this museum and can spend ages walking around it's halls and appreciating all the beauty around me.

The only complaint I have is how confusing their online ticketing system is. I bought tickets for the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit and then bought admission tickets and then when we got there they told me I only needed to buy one or the other. So confusing and I'm a fairly technologically advanced individual.

8/2/2014

If you are thinking of visiting, definitely plan to visit both the Legion and the De Young (in Golden Gate park) on the same day, one general admission paid at either covers both, for the same day. IMO then you get what you pay for, and plan on about three hours total between both and you'll have pretty much have experienced what they have to offer.

The collection's focus could be said to the Art of the Central and Northern hemispheres indigenous peoples, and then "American" art of the 1700-1900's, then there are large displays of Art from the peoples of Oceania, Indonesia, New Guinea, and  Africa, with a couple of galleries displaying "Contemporary Modern Art."

Access from the (expensive but handy) parking garage is handy.

10/26/2014

The de Young Museum greatly feeds my belief (fostered by a Yelp NYC forum) that museums are centers of learning, and therefore should be free. Should parking be free? I don't know, but it's not here. A massive portion of the museum is open to the public. What I saw ranged from tribal fetish statues, apples in the grass (literally giant apples right outside the cafe in the grass), queer photography, and contemporary installations. So much art to feed my soul, so much goodness.

I came with a friend from Italy and it was the perfect place to catch up and experience something together. This has definitely become one of my favorite places - one that I would bring my visiting foreign friends to.

Thankfully, the gift shop (aka my/THE weakness) is "meh." You're not forced to walk through it either. Parking is difficult - finding a spot and finding YOUR spot. We spent a while wondering where our car went. Oh, it's under the second green dune in the south Shire (LOTR reference).

the de Young Musuem is lOVELY. See what I did there? Now you do.

1/13/2015

The public needs art - and it is the responsibility of a 'self-proclaimed artist' to realize that the public needs art, and not to make bourgeois art for a few and ignore the masses.
- Keith Haring

Keith Haring strongly believed that art should be for the masses. He was a street artist and social activist, who fought for public art so all could enjoy his work. He also taught art and collaborated with kids in underprivileged communities. I was excited to see that the de Young had a special exhibition devoted to Keith Haring, but was highly disappointed that they charge $29 per person for it. Entrance fees for world-class museums such as the Louvre in Paris are much more affordable. Such a hefty entrance fee is in opposition to what he stood for. Keith Haring died years ago so not sure if the museum or owners of his collection are making all the money, but it is very sad they did honor the spirit of his artistic expression.

I have attended special exhibits at the de Young before and do not remember them costing so much. There are some extraordinary pieces in the regular museum collection, but I feel the pieces lack cohesion. The flow of the pieces/collections seem to be a little disjointed. The architecture and rooftop views are impressive though.

11/2/2014

The best part of the de Young Museum is the observation deck & the Ruth Asawa exhibit that's not even part of the ticketed museum area.  We didn't have much time so we rushed through the museum.  Not sure that I'd do this again unless there was a special exhibit which I was told would be an extra cost.

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  De Young exterior

  De Young exterior
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• See all photos from Joyce V. for de Young

2/9/2015

The view is the best feature, the observatory is ok but not worth a long travel. And the view must be breathtaking when the sky is clear. At the time of our visit the view was lousy all mist and probably smog as well. Parking can be difficult and may require to park far down the street and walk.
Please be aware that the rest of the park is not accessible by car from the observatory, you have to go around.

2/8/2015

If you like art, you'll like this. I'm not a big fan of museums but the free galleries at this one are varied enough (when we were there was African sculptures to Modernism to American to stuff I'm not hip enough to categorize) and small enough (we walked them all in about an hour) to be accessible.

7/8/2014

I will start by saying that I'm not an art expert. So there.

De Young is a good museum to go to at least once. It's about $11.00 admission and will take a little over an hour to get through if you walk at my pace. There were definitely some cool pieces, but others, such as the furniture layouts, just didn't do much for me.

It's in a nice area in the park though. Right outside you can see pretty fun sculptures and hang out with friends.

10/12/2014

From all the times I visited the Academy of Sciences, I usually take a glance at the De Young and mention to my friends, "Oh yeah, let's go there next time." And after years and years that "next time" has finally come! (Thank you to the outreach folks at Outside Lands for the comp tickets!)

As a person that is not too versed in art history, I went into the experience with an open mind and general appreciation for art. From paintings of different centuries to exhibits showcasing indigenous art and artifacts, it was interesting to see the wide range of exhibits and collections showcased.

The ones that resonated with me was the Chihuly pieces, since I was familiar with his work and seen his stuff in Seattle. And ultimately, the "Anti-Mass" piece. That was a highlight for me because of the story that was attached to its creation and it's visually stunning.

My favorite part was actually being able to go to the top of the observatory tower. We came on a nice sunny day and it was such a sight to see the surrounding areas of this part of the city. Take out your iPhones as it's a great photo op and an opportunity to get some good time lapse videos in.

6/14/2014

This is a nifty art museum nestled in the beloved Golden Gate Park.

Parking in the park can be a nightmare, but luckily there's an underground parking structure nearby. Be prepared to spend some money on parking pretty much anywhere in the city. I spend 4 hours and 9 minutes here and parking was $22.50. It's a tad more on weekends.

The museum itself is pretty big! I'd suggest taking a lunch break into between the 2 floors of art because you will get tired. I like how they do have ample bench seating throughout the exhibits though.

You can't visit this place and not go up to to the 9th floor tower (free without admission!) and see the 360 views of the city. It's absolutely beautiful up there. They've got a mini gift shop up there of course too.

Come look at some art!

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  Still life sculpture

  Still life sculpture
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  Outdoor art

  Outdoor art
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  Remnants of a burnt down church hanging from ceiling

  Remnants of a burnt down church hanging from ceiling
• See all photos from Emily G. for de Young

6/19/2014

I think I was more interested in the observation tower more than the museum. The elevator to go up to the 9th floor is by the entrance where you purchase admission. It is separate from the whole museum so you want to hit this up first or at the end. You get a 360 view of the whole city. The day was clear and the view was spectacular.

I spent about 1.5 hours walking around the different exhibits. There two levels and it is huge! I'm glad there were bench in some of the rooms so I could take let me feet take a break and just let my eyes wander around. It was very relaxing and quiet.

Show your muni ticket or clipper card for a $2 discount. Admission was just $8 after the discount. The ticket also includes a same-day general admission to the Legion of Honor. I was hoping this was closer (walkable) since I didn't drive here. I passed on this since it was in the opposite direction as I was going. Admission is also free the first Tuesday of every month.

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  View to the north

  View to the north
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  View of the science museum

  View of the science museum
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2/13/2015

The observatory is part of de Young Park, is a very interesting and educational place for all ages, unfortunately only has explanations in English. The view from outside and from the observatory are very nice. It has a telescope from which one can see the stars, however, and must have fallen the night to appreciate, so I recommend going in the afternoon to see all internal exposures and then be ready to queuing telescope at the time available for stargazing. It has parking, but given the number of visitors sometimes hard to find room near the entrance, but the car can stay outside without problems, the only thing is that we will have to walk more and steep road to get it.

1/8/2015

Get a membership if you live anywhere near SF. If you're an educator, you receive a discount on membership... 2 trips is worth it! :) I've seen plenty of exhibits, which are always amazing and wonderful....

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  Keith Haring exhibit...

  Keith Haring exhibit...
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  View from the observation 9th floor tower :)

  View from the observation 9th floor tower :)

12/22/2014

Okay...I'm not the biggest art fan, but when I found out Keith Haring was being displayed -I wanted to check it out.

I was convinced to buy the membership. The Keith Haring exhibit was $30/person & with 2 people that would be $60 total. I figured, if I spent $40 more, I can come here again or anytime with a guest for the next year & get my money's worth.

This is a HUGE museum. You definitely have to check out the observatory deck, which has an awesome view of the city.

As far as the museum, again..it's huge. My bf & I just went to the Keith Haring exhibit since we can come back again to see the rest of the museum.

You can easily find parking around the park if you're willing to walk a bit (which is good exercise & a good way to see the park).

I'll be back in the next month or so...gotta get my member's money's worth.

Lastly, if you're an educator - you can get a discount on the membership or tix.

12/17/2014

I enjoyed my experience at the de Young. I had been wanting to see the Keith Haring exhibit and don't regret seeing it. His art challenges and confronts you with issues that are still relevant in the U.S. today.

I love spending hours at museums and I think I could have spent a few more here. If you don't have that kind of time or energy for museum perusing and just want to check out a few pieces, don't miss the two Dali pieces and the Georgia O'Keefe upstairs! I don't know how people can walk by the Dali's with out stopping to stare.

The observation tower was nice--I wasn't blown away like it seems everyone else was. I did, however, love the hanging sculptures that are in the area you walk through to get to the elevator.

Also love the room with Piazzoni's murals. Remember to breathe.

8/27/2014

The de Young Museum is for modern art lovers. If you have a particular appreciation for that type of art, this (sadly) is probably the best place in the SF Bay Area to enjoy them.

The whole museum feels limited. For the somewhat expensive admission price (~$20 including special exhibits), it's a rather small art gallery. You can browse through all the rooms within an hour. But I suppose that's an American thing. Similar museums in Europe often take hours to walk through.

Special exhibits rotate periodically (there should be a new exhibit every several months), but there are usually several exhibits that will remain there throughout the year. Thus there's very little point in getting a membership unless you really love exploring every new special exhibit.

12/8/2014

As far as museums go, this one is legit.  3-stories tall with a variety of art, pottery, sculpture, and even furniture frome a variety of eras and cultures around the world. We got in 'free' with our SF CityPASS. They also have a gift shop and Cafe. Located in Golden Gate Park, there's a lot of other stuff to do nearby as well. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

12/15/2014

Tip: $6 with college ID and get an extra $2 off your ticket if you show your Clipper card or transfer ticket.

Observation Tower:
Fantastic 360 degree views of the city with a map on one wall. It'd be even better if the map labeled landmarks in the city.

Permanent exhibit section:
Small enough for an overview in an hour (we had limited time) yet interesting enough to take up half a day if you have the time.

7/29/2014

(Long overdue review):  We visited the museum on September 14, after not having been there for more than 27 years.  Our favorite part of the museum was the American Sculpture & Decorative Art collection.  The gift shop had a good selection of books and the workers were friendly.

We ate lunch at the café (see my separate review).

Note that admission to this museum also includes admission to the Legion of Honor museum.

11/4/2014

had the luxury of a day off and decided to do the trifecta as it was first tuesday of the month which equates to free admission to de young, legion and $1 donation to the cartoon museum

great day as my mind was heavy and left de young lil more clear and feelin somewhat better.  

great american art inside as its my 3rd time coming but enjoyed it the most today.  the observatory deck on 9 has a great panoramic view and good day for people watching also.

they're gearing up for the keith haring (rip) political line exhibit to begin nov 8th into feb '15 so got a sneak peek of the prep, would definitely like to come back for it too.  

had a swatch of his unique style in the day only to learn they auction for hundreds and some new ones..thousands even on ebay!

wish I was exposed to more art, culture, etc as a youngin but its really never too late

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  lay like broccoli, still life fruit

  lay like broccoli, still life fruit

11/30/2014

Pretty solid art from a wide variety of sources and time periods, super cheap (only $10! and even less for students), and a good way to spend an afternoon. There's a lot of abstract art and also a lot more realism if you're like me and don't understand the white squares and squiggly lines. There are some sculptures but mostly focused on paintings in the Americas (maybe it's a particular exhibit?).

All in all a great place to wander around if you're feeling touristy. It's right next to the Japanese tea garden and across from the California Academy of Sciences as well as situated right in the park, so overall a very nice place to spend your day with lots more things around!

12/8/2013

I came here because it was the last weekend for free admission with my BOFA card. I tried to make this a free trip by finding street parking instead of garage parking so the closest you can park is on 10th street. It was around 1pm and I was luckily able to find one parking spot so hopefully you are lucky too. If not, there are garages with hourly rates. We originally tried parking near the Ocean and looking for the shuttle but the shuttle stops were nowhere to be found and it is a pretty far shuttle so might as well try to find parking. General admission was free but if not, it is $23 without the special exhibits. My friend forgot his card and check so the lady told him that he could download the app and sign in and got in for free. That is nice.

The rooms are pretty big and you can see most of the second and third floor but the first floor and some of the rooms are blocked off if you purchased general admission. It took us about 2 hours to go through everything. There is a mix of sculptures, paintings, and fixtures so I really enjoyed the variety. There are a few rooms that go through US history and it reminded me of AP US history haha. You must go to the Hamon Tower on the 9th floor and check out the view. It is free and you can see the rest of the park including the Academy of Science. It reminded me of the Empire State Building but obviously not to the same extent. Definitely worth a visit :)

**TIPS**
1) I am not sure how long free admission will last but this weekend may be your last chance with your BOFA card. My friend was able to download the BOFA app and got free admission, so maybe they will let you here. If not, bring a check as proof.
2) Go to the tower and go to the 9th floor for a nice surprising view.
3) Cafe food is decent and feels so smancy fancy.
4) Enjoy!

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  View from on top of the tower

  View from on top of the tower
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  You gotta visit the tower on the 9th floor

  You gotta visit the tower on the 9th floor
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  Meatballs at the cafe

  Meatballs at the cafe

7/28/2014

After visiting the California Academy of Sciences, we walked over to the nearby de Young Museum.  Since we were traveling with a 12 & 14 year old, we opted to skip the actual museum and instead partake of the free elevator ride up to the top of the Hamon Observation Tower.  

I had read about this on a website of "things to do in the city with teenagers".   It basically said: museum=boring, tower=cool . . . and I would definitely have to agree with the latter assessment.

There was no line for the elevator and once we got to the top, there were only about a dozen other people.  This was on a Friday afternoon, so that might have been part of the reason.

I would highly recommend it, the view was spectacular.  Our girls definitely enjoyed it.

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  overlooking the city at the top of the Hamon Observation Tower . . . best of all, it's free!!!

  overlooking the city at the top of the Hamon Observation Tower . . . best of all, it's free!!!