Free Museum Days in San Francisco and the Bay Area

Oakland Museum of California is free for everyone on first Sundays, including special exhibitions. de Young and Legion of Honor offer free permanent-collection admission on Saturdays to residents of the nine Bay Area counties. SFMOMA is free for visitors 18 and younger every day, and for everyone on its scheduled free days.

See free museum events coming up.

Museums on Us rules: At participating museums below, Bank of America’s terms allow one free general admission per eligible cardholder, on the first full weekend of each month. Bring an active Bank of America, Merrill or Bank of America Private Bank credit or debit card and government-issued photo ID. The offer is for the cardholder only, can’t be transferred and doesn’t guarantee entry. Other family members pay unless separately eligible for free admission. Special exhibitions and add-ons cost extra.

San Francisco

• de Young: Nine-county Bay Area residents get free permanent-gallery admission every Saturday. Special exhibitions cost extra. Booking online ahead is suggested. Eligible cardholders also get Museums on Us admission on the first full weekend; bring card and photo ID.
• Legion of Honor: Residents of the nine Bay Area counties get free permanent-gallery admission every Saturday. Special exhibitions cost extra. Booking online ahead is suggested. Eligible cardholders also get Museums on Us admission on the first full weekend; bring card and photo ID.
• SFMOMA: Ages 18 and younger are free every open day. Adults pay, except on the free days listed on that page. Everyone needs a ticket, including children.
• California Academy of Sciences: Children 2 and under get free daytime admission daily. Accompanying adults pay. Discover & Go passes are available through participating libraries for cardholders 14 and older; check your library’s eligibility rules.

East Bay

• Oakland Museum of California, Oakland: Everyone gets free galleries and special exhibitions on first Sundays. Reserve online for a preferred entry time; walk-up tickets are first come, first served. Eligible cardholders also get Museums on Us admission on the first full weekend; bring card and photo ID.

South Bay and Peninsula

• Cantor Arts Center, Stanford: Free for everyone on open days; no reservation needed. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Computer History Museum, Mountain View: Museums on Us cardholders get free general admission on the first full weekend. Bring card and photo ID.
• San José Museum of Art: Museums on Us admission for eligible cardholders on the Sunday of the first full weekend (Sundays only on Bank of America’s list). Bring card and photo ID.

North Bay

• Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma: Free for everyone every Wednesday. Eligible cardholders also get Museums on Us admission on the first full weekend; bring card and photo ID.
• Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture, St. Helena: Museums on Us cardholders enter free on the first full weekend. Bring card and photo ID.
• Napa Valley Museum Yountville: Museums on Us cardholders enter free on the first full weekend. Bring card and photo ID.

Library passes

With San José Public Library’s Discover & Go, library cardholders 14 and older can reserve free or discounted museum passes; some venues set the minimum at 16 or 18. The pass is for the person named on it, on that date, and valid ID is required. Some venues want a printed pass. Other Bay Area libraries run Discover & Go too, so check your own library’s rules.

Free museum events coming up

The lists below show museum free days and other free-admission events for kids over the next 60 days.