Your Guide toSan Francisco's Museums and Galleries This Fall
Explore inspiring exhibitions from esteemed creators of the past and present at these San Francisco institutions.
San Francisco is home to dozens of must-see museums and acclaimed art galleries. Need help deciding which to visit during your stay? No problem! We’ve gathered the goods on the most exciting exhibitions on display across the city. Keep reading to learn more and buy your tickets.
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
NightLife
Every Thursday, the California Academy of Science invites visitors (21+) to a vibrant evening of dancing and musical performances, participating in thought-provoking talks and presentations. And to ensure you're having a fabulous night, the café and bars at NightLife serve pizzas, pastas, specialty cocktails, craft beer, and delicious wines.
Vivid: Immerse Your Senses
An all-new exhibit transports you to six ecosystems that reveal Earth's mysterious, magical worlds through ultra high-definition video projections, ambient soundscapes, nature-inspired scents, and animated animal avatars. On display through September 6, 2026.
Tiny Chef, Big Impact
In a museum-wide takeover, including an inspiring short film in the Morrison Planetarium, Tiny Chef will host a pop-up exhibit celebrating how tiny actions can make a big impact on our planet. Now on display through September, 2026.
Children's Creativity Museum
221 Fourth Street
The Children's Creativity Museum is the perfect place to spend time with the children in your life! Visitors can explore two floors of multimedia exhibits and activities designed to guide children of all ages through self-discovery while building creative confidence and collaboration skills.
Counterculture Museum
1485 Haight Street
The Counterculture Museum is a brand-new museum in San Francisco’s historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood that explores the city’s role as the epicenter of America’s countercultural movements. From civil rights and racial justice to LGBTQ+ liberation, women’s rights, and the hippie era, the museum highlights how these transformative movements helped shape the city—and the country—through immersive exhibits and powerful storytelling.
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Treasures of the Pharaohs
This exhibition brings the world of the pharaohs to life through 130 exquisite works spanning 3,000 years of history. From towering stone statues to gilded masks to intricate gold jewelry, these objects reveal the power, beauty, and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. On display from August 1, 2026, to January 31, 2027.
Edge on the Square
800 Grant Avenue
All Eyes On Us
All Eyes on Us: Invention & Ingenuity During Artistic Diasporas, shines a spotlight on “hidden dragons”: individuals whose artistic careers, practices and expressions shape-shifted or became dormant as they navigated the complexities of immigration, assimilation and survival.
Legion of Honor
100 34th Avenue
The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy
Drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries and cutting-edge scholarship, this is the most comprehensive exhibition on Etruscan culture in the United States to date. Over 150 exquisitely crafted and well-preserved examples of bronze and terracotta sculpture, gold jewelry, ceramics, and architectural features, as well as the longest-surviving piece of Etruscan writing, reveal a legacy that continues to captivate today. On display through September 20, 2026.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 Third Street
Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal
Experience the moment Matisse used color to break the rules of modern art. In 1905, Henri Matisse sent shockwaves through the art world with Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), a portrait of his wife, Amélie, painted in bold color and loose brushstrokes that defied convention. This exhibition brings the original stakes into focus and explores the enduring impact of one of Matisse’s most iconic works. On display through September 13, 2026.
Feel the Beat: Dance in Photographs
Drawn primarily from SFMOMA’s permanent collection, Feel the Beat: Dance in Photographs traces different ways image makers have represented dance. On display through February 28, 2027.
The Walt Disney Family Museum
104 Montgomery Street
Happiest Place on Earth: The Disney Story
The Walt Disney Family Museum continues its celebration of the 70th anniversary of Disneyland with the debut of Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story, an original special exhibition curated by award-winning producer and Disney Legend Don Hahn with museum Director of Collections and Exhibitions Marina Villar Delgado. Inspired by the 2025 book, this treasure trove of Disney history will take guests behind the scenes of one of the most groundbreaking endeavors of the 20th century—the creation and opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. On display through September 13, 2026.
Lucas Mittenentzwei is a digital project and content consultant. Originally from Germany, he has lived in California since 2010, calling San Francisco his home for several years. Lucas started in the hospitality industry before joining Visit California in its mission to inspire the world to visit the Golden State. He is passionate about all aspects of the travel experience, but trying new restaurants (or tried-and-true classics) is at the top of his list.
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