Bucket list experience:
© Joe Fletcher. Courtesy of SFMOMA
With seven floors and more than 33,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including design, photography, and media arts, the SF MoMA boasts one of the largest holdings of 20th- and 21st-century works on the planet.
The Mario Botta-designed building is a sight in itself, but inside you’ll find Picassos and Pollocks galore, as well as works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol’s self-portraits, and photography by Ansel Adams. Also look out for artwork by abstract painter Mark Rothko, and master of 20th Century Realism, Edward Hopper, as well as the 30-foot-tall Living Wall made up of over 19,000 plants.
The museum’s store features everything from sunburst clocks to Warhol ‘Soup Can’ skateboards, and a gourmet cafe serves up tasty seasonal eats.
MOMA’s Fisher Collection showcases the once private works of Doris and Donald Fisher, founders of SF-based GAP Inc. From American Pop to German postwar pieces, it spans floors one-through-three.
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Destination Guide >SF MOMA is located in the city’s industrial SOMA neighborhood, just a four-minute walk south of Market Street via 3rd Street – located between the Powell and Montgomery stops on both Muni and BART trains.
Tickets are required for both general admission and special exhibitions and can be purchased onsite or online.
Downloadable visitor guides/maps are available on the website, and the museum’s audio app provides enriching stories and unique takes on the art and exhibits that you might otherwise miss.
Stop for refuelling at the fifth-floor Cafe 5, overlooking a rooftop sculpture garden. It serves up tasty, seasonal cuisine like curried squash bisque and sweet potato hummus tartine.
The museum is open all year round, Thursday to Tuesday. Closed Wednesday. Open late on Thursdays, and free admission on the 1st Thursday of the month.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
San Francisco
$25 | Rating 4.25 / 5 [111 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[0.1 miles]
A high-gloss city hotel full of luxe creature comforts, including butlers at guests’ beck-and-call. The best of the top-end luxury hotels in San Francisco.
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San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[0.6 miles]
Affordable, funky hotel that’s centrally-located, featuring rooms and public spaces designed by provocative, contemporary artists.
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San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[0.7 miles]
Artsy, eclectic, and one-of-a-kind, the great value Hotel Triton stands in prime location between three distinct (and walkable) neighbourhoods: Chinatown, the Financial District, and Union Square.
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San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[1.1 miles]
The city’s iconic grand dame hotel, perched enviably atop Nob Hill, with easy access to cable cars, Union Square, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
California, United States of America (USA)
Beautiful bayside city with home-grown authenticity, charmingly unique neighbourhoods and excellent locally-driven food.
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San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[1 miles]
One of the world’s best Chinese New Year celebrations, held in the oldest Chinatown in North America. The highlight is the Chinese New Year parade, complete with a 28-foot-long golden dragon.
Best for ages: 6+ | Free | 2.5 weeks
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[1.3 miles]
A historic transit centre turned food artisan marketplace that’s one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[2.4 miles]
Marketers call Lombard the world’s crookedest street. True or not, the block-long lane hits eight hairpin turns – built to slow people as they drive the steep-steep street – as it snakes down Russian Hill. Instead of driving it (and sitting in traffic), you’ll have more fun walking it.
Best for ages: 6+ | Free
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[2.9 miles]
A hub for tourists, Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for its seafood, mainstream attractions, buskers, and sea lions who bed down on the docks of Pier 39.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
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San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[0.1 miles]
Celebrating black cultures around the world through a global lens, MoAD remains one of the few museums in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the artworks of the African Diaspora. Artist discussions, literary events, and film screenings take place here regularly.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[0.2 miles]
With no permanent collection, San Francisco’s CJM offers ever-changing exhibits highlighting the Jewish culture and its complexities. It’s housed in a historic Pacific Gas & Electric substation that’s been modernly redesigned with elements of Jewish symbolism.
Best for ages: 18+ | £12
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[1.1 miles]
There’s nothing better than sipping sugary mai tais in a dimly lit tiki setting, where an indoor thunderstorm occurs hourly on cue. With red leather banquettes, a floating stage with its own house band, and a dance floor created from a former schooner, the Fairmont’s historic Tonga Room has been drawing crowds since 1945. Weekend nights here are like the greatest wedding reception you’ve ever been to, times 10.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[1.2 miles]
Three days a week, the Ferry Building hosts this, one of San Francisco’s best markets. Every morning to mid-afternoon on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, more than 100 local purveyors set up shop offering top-quality, locally-grown produce.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
From New York to London, Paris to Berlin, here’s our round-up of the must-see art galleries and museums around the world that should be on everyone’s travel bucket list.
