de Young Museum - San Francisco, California

savvysambra

I visited on the free first Tuesday of the month. The museum has a great deal of open space in the building which is nice; however, it still has a closed in feeling about it. I think this has to do with the brown exterior walls that can be seen through the glass and narrow garden space…and perhaps a little bit of a sterile appearing lobby. I can’t really explain it, it’s just my impression. The coat and bag check is convenient. The layout of the galleries has a easy to follow flow, allowing you to see everything without concern that you may have missed a room, as can be the case in some larger museums. The observation floor is a MUST see in the museum…I believe it can be accessed without a ticket, but not entirely sure. Overall it was a nice visit.

Ivan H.

The museum has an extensive collection of American art from the 17th century through the 21st century including works from the colonial period to contemporary pieces. The museum also has art from Africa among other places. If you arrive in the morning, there will probably be free parking nearby in Golden Gate Park.

Rose Y.

What a great way to spend a Sunday. As we walked from one room to another, learned so much about the history of Legendary Battle of Pavia Tapestries, other amazing paintings from various artists and beautiful artifacts.
Visiting museums must be added to our list of places to go. I love spending time and look at every piece of art. To think that so much intricate detail and creativity was put into each and every piece, gave me such appreciation for everything that was displayed. A must on everyone’s list.

Jyoti Y.

We visited this beautiful museum on 26th of December, so it was very busy. The parking lot was full, but the attendant was friendly and let us wait until a couple of cars exited.

Exhibits were nice, place was clean, nice gift stores, and the view from the Observation area was awesome.

Anita B.

I took public transportation from afar to Irving and 9th to walk there. I enjoyed my little journey walking along 9th to eventually arrive the gate into Golden State Park where de Young Museum is nestled in it. Consider having a bite on 9th instead of eating in the museum cafe. My expensive quesadillas tasted like it came out of a frozen package.
The museum has a lot of open space and I like the wide set of staircase leading you from ground to first floor.
This museum spotlights American artists upstairs and I thought is great, as one normally don’t get to focus on them when in bigger museums eg MET. I enjoyed the Native American room and the few paintings by Bierstadt.
I’m no art connoisseur but I thought the labeling can improve as currently very few art has audio commentary to them.
The sculpture garden outside provides a feeling of zen walking through various pieces on a warm sunny day would even be better.
I recommend people taking time looking at the botanical garden as well and plan for a whole day here.
Please do not forget to take the lift to the top floor for the panoramic view of San Francisco, where you will also run into Ruth Asawa’s exhibition.

Kalpesh S.

This is a must visit place in San Francisco. It has a huge collection of American, African, Latin American art, artifacts and paintings. The architecture of the building is also very good.
The cafe here serves delicious food. It is free for public on the 1st Tuesday of the month.

Tass W.

The museum is stunning and full of history. The exhibits are thoughtfully organized by eras, like different economic periods, which is super interesting. But what shocked me more was how the staff managed a school trip with kids who were badly acting out. It made me worry about potential damage to the artwork.

Natalie D.

Situated in Golden Gate Park, this is a lovely art museum with a very diverse offering. It's not one with art world icons but more a good mix of styles and lesser-known pieces from well-known artists.
Very well curated and presented with strong themes for each of the rooms.

The layout is a little confusing with some rooms closed off so I'd recommend following the map to make sure you don't miss anything. There are ticket checks too as you'll come in and out of ticketed areas so keep your sticker visible!

The main special exhibition at the moment on Tamara de Lempicka is on the lower level and was absolutely fantastic! Her style is wonderful and the array of artwork on display was amazing with a great video accompanying the presentation.

There's a gift shop and cafe too as well as an observation tower (the elevator is by the ticket desk area) which on a clear day, gives lovely views over San Fran! It's worth having a look around outside as there's quite a few statues dotted around too!