If you’re visiting Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the de Young Museum is one of the best stops you can make – whether you want to spend a few hours admiring art or just pop in for the free observation tower and sculpture garden. As a San Francisco local, it’s one of my favorite museums to recommend because it combines great art, striking architecture, and an easy location near several other attractions.
One of the things I love most about the de Young is that it works for different kinds of visitors. The building itself is worth a visit for architecture enthusiasts. Not to mention, the museum is set in Golden Gate Park, with so many other attractions and things to do surrounding it. You could easily spend an entire day exploring Golden Gate Park. Then there’s the art, both the permanent collections and rotating special exhibits. Even if you don’t have time to spend hours in a museum, there are a few free things to see at the de Young that are worth a stop if you are visiting Golden Gate Park.
Related Post: Summer in San Francisco
Logistics – What to Know Before You Visit
Don’t Miss These Free Highlights: Observation Tower and Sculpture Garden
Time: I recommend 2 hours to see a special exhibit and to spend some time seeing permanent collections. Allow more time if you want to see EVERYTHING.
Parking: There is a paid garage attached to the museum. There is also free parking in Golden Gate Park nearby on Martin Luther King Jr Drive, but it can be tricky to find parking on busy days. I have also parked on the street in nearby neighborhoods and walked.
The de Young encourages taking public transportation and will give you a discount for it.
Tickets: If you are planning to see a special exhibit, you will need a timed ticket. On weekends and busy days, I recommend reserving your time online before you go. If it is not that busy, I have also just bought my ticket to a special exhibit at the museum. For the permanent collection, you can also purchase a ticket ahead of time online, or at the museum. The museum recommends purchasing tickets ahead of time.
My Recommendation: My favorite way to spend time at the de Young is to see a special exhibit in the morning when the museum is less crowded. Then I visit some of my favorites parts of the permanent collection and the observation tower before having lunch at the cafe, followed by wandering the sculpture garden.
Why the de Young is Worth Visiting for the Architecture Alone
The building is worth a visit for architecture lovers. It was designed by Swiss architects Herzog and De Meuron in 2005. The facade is copper panels with perforations inspired by the light filtering through tree canopies. The copper panels are expected to turn green over time to blend in with the trees in Golden Gate Park, although it is still a dark brown color, but it does have a patina that has weathered over time you can observe.
One of the most stunning features is the observation tower that twists above the museum and rises above the trees. There are also gardens incorporated into the museum, so you get glimpses of the outdoors even within the basement for special exhibits.
What Art to See at the de Young
The de Young Museum is known for its collection of American Art and modern and contemporary art. They also have sections featuring art from Africa and Oceania.
Most of the modern and contemporary at is on the ground floor. Costume and textile arts, American art, and art of Africa and Oceania are on the upper level.
My favorite wing of the museum is the American Wing and specifically the Hudson River School paintings. This part of the museum features dramatic landscape paintings, and the end of the gallery overlooks the sculpture garden.
The de Young is also known for their textile collection. I visited in May 2026, and that part of the museum is closed until the fall of 2026 unfortunately, but there is plenty of other art to admire.
Special Exhibits at the de Young Museum
The de Young Museum has rotating special exhibits throughout the year. Make sure to check out the museum website to see what special exhibits are coming up for your visit. I recently went to the Monet in Venice Exhibit and loved it.
Free Things to Do and See at the de Young
There is actually a lot of art you can see for free at the de Young, and I don’t think a lot of people know about it. Most of the ground floor of the museum is open to the public and accessible without a ticket. I like to take visitors to Golden Gate Park and will show them some of the free art if we don’t have time to spend hours in a museum. Here are a few free things to do at the de Young Museum.
Harmon Observation Tower and Ruth Asawa Sculptures
You can go to the top of the observation tower and admire the views of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco for free. To do this, head inside the main entrance to the museum and head to the right, past the ticket counter. Look for signs for the Observation Tower. You will pass a vestibule with some Ruth Asawa tied wire sculptures worth admiring (and the lighting and shadows). Head up the elevator to the 9th floor and admire the views. Alternatively, there is a separate East Entrance that is closer to the elevator.
Sculpture Garden and James Turrell Skyspace
Another free thing you can do at the de Young is visit the sculpture garden and even the James Turrell Skyspace. There is a west entrance you can go through to be closer to the courtyard entrance, but you can also get there from the main entrance. From the main entrance, head left and walk through the Museum Café and out to the sculpture garden.
Make sure to follow the signs for Three Gems, the James Turrell Skyspace. It is an art installation that is partially underground. You can sit inside it and admire the light and the sky from the oculus above. I find it very calming to just sit in there for a few minutes.
Entrance Art by Andy Goldsworthy
If you walk into the main entrance of the de Young Museum, there is a crack in the pavement that starts near the streets and goes through several larger stones that function as benches as you approach the entrance. This is an art installation called “Drawn Stone” by Andy Goldsworthy, inspired by the earthquake history of San Francisco. He also has other public art installations in The Presidio like the Wood Line and Spire.
Museum Store
The de Young Museum store is on the ground level and can be accessed without a ticket.
Museum Café and Courtyard
While food is not free, you can access the Café and courtyard without a ticket. The food is decent if you decide to have lunch while you visit. They even have seating outside by the sculpture garden if it is a nice day.
Enjoy Your Visit to the de Young Museum
Whether you visit for the architecture, the art, or just the free observation tower, the de Young is one of my favorite places to recommend in San Francisco. It’s an easy stop in Golden Gate Park and perfect for a quick visit or a long afternoon.
If you are looking for more to do nearby, I wrote an entire post about the best things to do in Golden Gate Park and it includes a free map.
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