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19 Best Museums in San Francisco

Updated March 18, 2025
Laura McFarland
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The author Laura looking at the abstract art in the Museum of Modern Art

I could spend years exploring San Francisco’s wide-ranging collection of museums — and I have! I’m a local, and I’ve been visiting the city’s museums since I was old enough to go on school field trips.  The museum collection here is truly one of the best in the world, and several made my list of the best things to do in San Francisco. Spoiler alert: we even have a real World War II ship-turned-museum — and it still sails! So whether you’re looking to gaze at art, learn about history, or just have fun, don’t worry — this list will tell you where to go. 

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Laura McFarland is a writer and second-generation Bay Area local. Laura fell in love with traveling and chronicling her adventures after moving with her family to London for several months and co-writing a blog at the ripe age of 12. Laura is passionate about travel, climate change mitigation, sustainable food systems, and being outdoors whenever she can. In her free time, you can find Laura chatting with farmers at a local market, going for a swim in the nearest body of water, or drinking a pale ale.