Legion of Honor - San Francisco, California

Robin

The Legion of Honor is the little sister to the original located in Paris, France. The smaller Legion of Honor even includes the Louvre's famous glass pyramid skylight! (@ the main entrance). It has a very nice Cafe with expected fare, including cold sandwiches, soup, & Great coffee! Lots of Windows and seating offer a cheery lunch spot. I also enjoyed the gift shop of course 😁 the price for entry is on the lower side and there is a 50% discount for students with ID. The only trick is the parking: It's outdoors, along a winding trail that rises in elevation quite a bit. There is a bit of gravel, potholes, uneven terrain etc, so if you're visiting with friends or family who need a bit of assistance, I recommend dropping them at the front entrance. There is a ramp along the side of the building for stroller or wheelchair access. If you're bringing little ones they would enjoy the large grassy area adjacent to the entrance. Beyond that, I would not recommend this museum for young children. There weren't any child-friendly or specific exhibits designed for kids when I visited in November of 2024. Do save your ticket! The cost of entrance to the legion of Honor also grants you entrance to the De Young museum on the same day. Again, this was the case when I visited in November of 2024. As one could take in this museum in 3 hours or so, a same day visit to the De Young museum would certainly be possible. Highly recommend the short walk through the adjacent golf course, to a trail that takes you to views of the Golden Gate. Time this at sunset & it's breathtaking ☺️ several hundred stairs take you to the beach below.

Linda R.

Hadn’t been in years. Arrived when they opened at 9:30 and left at 12:30 after seeing everything and listening via my phone to various details on various paintings. Beautiful building inside and out. Plenty of parking. Highlights include history of this art museum, Rodin collection including original thinking ma and much more, Some Degas, Monet and other famous artists. I love how they lay out the art by perods

Noel B.

Building, site or contents, which is most interesting? A 100 year old replica of an 18th century palace in Paris perched on Lands End overlooking the entrance to San Francisco Bay hosts Rodin's The Thinker in the magnificent courtyard.

The permanent collection of paintings includes a room boasting a pastiche of works by impressionist masters. The Rodin collection shows numerous busts as well as some of his more adventurous works. There's much more to see here, perhaps not on the level of a top European museum but still quite satisfying.

The best reason to visit the Legion of Honor is for the special exhibits. I appreciated the excellent Mary Cassatt at Work exhibition that cast her as a modernist innovator with unheralded messages in her body of work.

The Legion of Honor should be on your list if you are visiting San Francisco, be it for the views and walks at the edge of the continent, the building itself, or the art contained within.

Grant L.

Prepare to be enchanted by stunning architecture, picturesque landscapes, and breathtaking vistas. This exhibition features a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures, so captivating that you may find yourself lingering for an entire day or more.

Trung V. (.

Visiting the museum on the Veteran Celebration weekend and surprisingly very good! The scenery around the museum, the collection in gallery, and the monuments are excellent.
Parking is free and around the building.
The ticket for weekdays is $20/adult, but it's free on Sat for all residents in 9 counties in Bay Area! Thumb-up!
Recommended for all tourists and all ages!

Kelly L.

The San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts is a wonderful place to visit, boasting an extensive permanent collection of Auguste Rodin's works. Its hilltop location offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. However, it is worth noting that there is only one restroom available, and the two floors of art displays are somewhat smaller than one might expect.

Tori S.

Lovely place to browse art. My favorite collections are the impressionists, they have the beautiful water lilies by Monet and the Rodin sculpture room. The views are stunning from here on a clear day.

somkietr R.

Great fine arts museum of San Francisco. There are a lot of permanent collections of Auguste Rodin pieces obtained mostly during his final days before he died in 1997. There are continuing changing special exhibits throughout the year. During my visit was the history and her paintings and printings, which I did not know that she worked on that. Also there was her whole life history which mostly spent in Paris.