de Young

Here’s what you need to know about the de Young Museum:
— Admission is free to the Observation Tower, which closes at 4:30.
— Admission is free to the galleries after 4:30, while the museum itself closes at like 5:10.
— You can check out the sculptures they have around the museum for free, like the giant pin.
— If you are from the Bay Area and have a library card, you can get free admission by checking out a Discover and Go pass from your library online.
We originally came here to check out the observation tower… but since it was closed we opted to do the free admission and check out the galleries quickly. Security is a little weird here — when you enter they inspect your bags and ask that you carry your backpacks next to you, rather than on your back. No outside food or drink allowed, though they didn’t make us throw away our unopened box of cookies, instead asking us to put it in our backpack.
They have a very diverse collection of art, from modernism to impressionism, glass art from Chihuly, landscape paintings, classical portraits, African masks, and some abstract. It’s a different theme for sections of the museum. Whoever creates the gallery spaces does a good job of putting the right pieces together, as it made our stroll through the galleries more enjoyable. It’s very open so you’ll never feel too crowded and you can appreciate the art the way it is. Even if you’re not into art, I think there’s something for everyone at the museum, and part of fun is finding something interesting.
It’s a little amusing how much security there is here — they just stand in the corners watching people. Can’t imagine mysterious art thieves swooping down to steal a glass statue. And for those of you who like taking selfies with art backgrounds, they allow no-​flash photography at this museum.
If you really want to be thrifty, you could come here before 4:30 to check out the observation tower… the come downstairs around 4:30 to enjoy the gallery. 40 minutes is enough time to look at the art they have, but seriously this place is huge so I recommend coming back to really appreciate the art. I’ll have to come back some day.

Keith Haring’s Untitled (Three Dancing Figures), Version A, Edition ²⁄₃ (1989) is a public sculpture that has been in San Francisco since 2001, and has been moved multiple times since its original installation. The sculpture depicts three brightly colored cut out figures in traditional Haring style (similar to human outlines or stick figures). Their arms are in the air in different positions and they are bending their knees or kicking to create the motion of dancing. They are twisting in a circle on a black plastic base. The figures are created in the primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — and have a glossy finish that reflects surrounding movement. It is made of painted aluminum and weighs 3,200 pounds. Keith Haring was a part of the pop art movement and had a political focus on the AIDs movement and the gay rights movement. Haring died in 1990 after a long personal battle with AIDs. Untitled holds a certain level of subtext relevant to San Francisco’s political history, however it remains within the realm of art generic enough to be considered publically acceptable.
San Francisco is seen as a progressive city, especially surrounding gay liberation related struggles. By featuring a sculpture that exudes celebration, brightness, and acceptance, the city attempts to bring joy and city pride to the public through art. This is one of Haring’s more celebratory sculptures, but it fails to create a political message past a childlike lens of basic differences (the only separation between figures is color, and they are bright and primary, so the sculpture is easily non-​politicized). As Matthew Bajko, a journalist from the Bay Area Reporter, puts it, «the piece depicts a trio of enmeshed figures that resemble larger-​than-​life characters that have escaped from the children’s board game Candy Land.» A lot of public art is made to avoid politicism; in order to sell most public art it has to be detached from political sore spots in the community. Despite the piece’s background, it still falls into the realm of generalized, uncontroversial public sculpture. At a deeper level the piece has a message of inclusivity and appreciation of humanity. The figures are separated from gender binaries, and their bright colors could represent different ethnicities coming together, or the LGBT community (the symbolism of the rainbow flag).
Untitled was originally located on the corner of 3^rd and Howard streets in front of the Moscone center and across the street from SFMOMA. In 2012 the sculpture was part of a large public art restoration project funded by ArtCare, San Francisco’s fund dedicated to maintenance of the Civic Art Collection. The majority of the restoration funding came from the Keith Haring Foundation, which donated $ 65,000 in comparison to ArtCare’s $ 10,000 contribution. At that point, the sculpture had been there for a decade and showed signs of negligence. By restoring the piece, the city showed renewed interest in maintaining its public art collection to piqué interest. More recently the piece was moved to the front entrance of the de Young museum for an exhibition of Haring’s work. Moving the sculpture questions the importance of public art placement. If Untitled is as successfully received in front of the de Young as it was in front of the Moscone center, does that make it diverse and malleable, or simply ineffective? Public art is typically put in spaces where it’s visible but not attention grabbing enough to control a space, so in all fairness, the piece may be equally effective because it wasn’t given the centrality it deserved in the first place. Most site-​specific public art pieces end up being moved at some point, and although it changes the artwork, it doesn’t have to ruin its purpose.
In fact, the move from the Moscone center to the de Young wasn’t the first time the piece changed locations. This sculpture wasn’t originally commissioned by the city of San Francisco or by the Moscone family. It was made in New York in 1989, one year before Keith Haring’s passing, and was added to San Francisco’s art collection over a decade later. By moving this sculpture from New York to San Francisco, a part of its original intention was taken away. Haring visited San Francisco several times and enjoyed the city, but it wasn’t his original grounds for working or living. He represents the concept of celebration, and the deeper concept of equality, but that doesn’t mean he’s representing San Francisco as a whole. In the time since its original placement in 2001, San Francisco’s environment has changed drastically. Despite its liberal history, the city is at a point where people who have lived there for decades are being displaced. This occurs even more so for people of color and people in the LGBT community, so even if in the past Haring’s sculpture held representative qualities for San Francisco, its political message is slowly becoming obsolete.

Love this museum… came when Versace had a show so it was crazy packed. Probably best not to come when they have events if you don’t like crowds. The showings at this museum is always is beautiful and I love the architecture of the building. Definitely recommend this place if you’re an art lover. Parking can be tough, but if you don’t mind the walk you can park in sunset district and walk through the park. It’s a nice walk.

In the interest of keeping it short and sweet, here are just a few tips I can rattle off from my first weekend experience here:
— Try to buy tickets for special exhibits online; my husband and I came late in the day and I guess I really didn’t know what I was expecting but the Oscar de la Renta exhibit was sold out.
— You’ll want to come with plenty of time to explore everything, but after 4:30 admission is free, so maybe ask yourself if you are fine with missing a lot (unless you have your running shoes on) by paying nothing.
— Eat something before you start, though this is also a good rule of thumb for most activities in life.
— Plan to maybe walk around the grounds after the museum closes, because otherwise you will be stuck in parking garage traffic as everyone tries to leave at the same time as you.
— I’m more of a «stick to the map» type of person, so I highly recommend — of course — sticking to the map. It seems easy to get lost and even easier to get overwhelmed by everything around you so a plan is key.
You will definitely enjoy your visit here no matter the day or time you swing by, so you really can’t miss; just learn from my mistakes and chances are you’ll enjoy it much more!

One of my favorite museums! The building itself is absolutely beautiful, as are the views outside (especially on a clear day).
They always have great exhibitions from all over the world, and have a nice permanent collection as well. There’s a great Picasso, and even a room with futurism art.
There’s just an incredible ambiance here, bringing nature inside. I could spend hours wandering throughout the galleries. You can even go on the 9^th floor to an observation deck, and on a clear day you can see all of San Francisco.
The café is the perfect spot to grab a glass of wine or a cappuccino. You can sit inside or out, and both rooms have a lovely ambiance.
I definitely recommend setting aside a few hours for a visit! With your ticket here, you can also visit the nearby Legion of Honor. I know they have lots of special dates and deals for locals, so be sure to look at those online to save some $$.

We just renewed our membership, moved up to a ‘contributing membership’ of $ 249 (fully tax deductible) which upgrades the dual membership to include reciprocal privileges to more than 500 museums and unlimited access to de Young & Legion of Honor. I love the de Young fashion exibits, most recently saw the Oscar de la Renta collection (closed May 30, 2016). It was fabulous!
Avoid weekends if possible, we had to actually wait in line for the spaces to free up in the parking garage, we almost missed our timed entry for the special exhibit. Also check out the de Young Friday night schedule for music, drinks and art!
Parking: Street parking is difficult so we always park in the garage which is convenient but pricey, parking for 75 minute visit was $ 9.50, $ 5.50 per hour (which is the minimum even for a 10 minute drive thru) weekend daily max is $ 31.
If you live in the city public transport is a great option but from South Bay/​Peninsula public transportation to the de Young would take over 2 hours and would cost $ 12 each, no incentive to leave the car at home.

Awesome museum. Beautiful, clean and a large collection of arts!
We had a guided tour here. The tour guide was really friendly and patient on explaining every story behind a piece of art (otherwise I have no clue to appreciate the art).
The admission fee is also much cheaper than the science museum across the street.
Also there is a bike rental shop nearby. Beautiful surroundings in the golden state park, and this museum can def. be one interesting stop when you are biking around the park!

Parking on Tuesday: aaaawwwfffuuulll! But the museum: goooorrrggggeeeeous. Deal with the parking & don’t miss out on this amazing museum. I went with a friend for a florist event, where the created arrangements influenced by a specific art piece. It was wonderful!

The DeYoung Museum offers some great special and featured exhibits ranging from classic to modern. My last visit before this time was the Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis, including the renowned Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer while their museum was under renovations. What a coup for us to be able to see the Dutch Mona Lisa right in our backyard.
All featured exhibits including the current Oscar De La Renta is for an additional fee if you are not a member. However, this time we were there to see a special exhibit that was included in the general admission price, the Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali’i, most of which is from the Bishop Museum in O‘ahu. Although I have seen most of the pieces on a previous visit to the Bishop, there were pieces there from private collectors and universities around the country and world like New Zealand. Anyone who is from the islands or Hawaiian at Heart would appreciate seeing this before it closes on ⁴⁄₁₀. After their tour is over, they will all return back to Hawai‘i, their original home.

I’ve lived within 1 mile from de Young for years and finally checked it out yesterday. Man, now I wish I’ve done this earlier!
The collection is very eclectic. From African artifact to modernist painting to photography to contemporary fashion design, they’ve got everything.
Also, the panoramic view on top of the 9-​story Hamon Tower is amazing too!

A member for many years, I think the De Young Museum is one of the crown jewels of the City.
The current Oscar De la Renta exhibit is terrific. Well worth the trip. Looking forward to the annual Bouquet de Arts. Staff is very helpful and the Café is busy, fun and expensive. Also– love the Wayne Theibaud pieces. Look for parking on Fulton Street.

Such a lovely place. One of the better museums in the Bay Area and one of the cheapest too. $ 10 for an adult, $ 6 for an adult, and free on the first weekend of the month if you show them your Bank of America Card! What a steal!
There are plenty of painting and art pieces. There is a lot of early America’s type of vibe going on here, but there is still plenty with the international front as well. This place has much to look at, and time will fly bye while you’re here.
It might be a bit boring for the kids or someone who doesn’t appreciate art, but otherwise you’ll love this place. Also, make sure to check out the tower to get some lovely views! It’s great.

Visiting art museums is one of my favourite things to do. Living in SF, I really, really wish I had better things to say about de Young.
Let’s start with the positives:
— the viewing gallery offers a great view of San Francisco
— it’s located in a very beautiful part of Golden Gate Park
— the building itself is quite handsome
… and that’s about all I can think of.
To be fair, I didn’t spend a ton of time in the permanent collection area. The collection of American paintings seems extensive, but I found the arrangement quite hard to navigate.
Now I will start ranting about my most recent visit, and sadly it’s a pretty standard experience I’ve had with de Young so far.
The exhibition: Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective (a blockbuster exhibition just from the title).
1. Ticket price: $ 38 with audio guide for a less than 1-​hour exhibition, that’s more expensive than most European museums.
2. Getting into the show: On our first try, my friend and I got there at 12:30 pm. We were running a bit short on time, but the lady at ticket counter ensured us that we could finish by 1:30, so we proceeded with the purchase. However, when we got to the entrance the staff said we needed to wait till 1pm to get in. Naturally the first attempt was a failure, but luckily we were allowed to change to tickets for another day. This time, we were again told to wait in line for entrance and all the staff seemed very impatient (maybe due to how popular this exhibition was). But we got in nevertheless.
3. The curation: This is a super interesting theme and they have some very exciting pieces of work from Oscar de la Renta, but the curation was very odd. Here’s why:
1. In the first room, the dresses and the explanatory signs were not arranged in matching order, which was very confusing.
2. Some dresses were placed facing away from the audience with the intention of showing off the details on the back. However, in most exhibitions the mannequins would be placed in front of a mirror so people can see the front as well. Well, not de Young (at least not until the last room).
3. All of the dresses on display were made to measure, therefore they don’t always fit the mannequins. In the souvenir book of this exhibition there are photos of clients wearing the dresses and descriptions of the occasions, but these details were lacking in the actual exhibition.
4. One of the rooms was showcasing how the designer loved gardening and was inspired by gardens. There’s a gigantic TV showing the views of a garden, but there was no description of where this garden is from whatsoever (we found out it was the designer’s garden in the souvenir book)
5. There were some random objects on display to help creating the atmosphere of a theme. For example, in the part where they show the oriental influence on the designer, the curators put a huge Chinese style vase along the dresses. There was an explanatory sign for the vase, but it simply says «borrowed from the mayor’s office» (what? why?) without giving more details on which era it’s from, or country of origin. Given that this is in a fine art museum, I found it very underwhelming. It’d have been better not to put any signs at all.
I’ve been to 4 or 5 exhibitions in de Young, and was disappointed by the curation every single time. Given the ticket price for these shows, I probably won’t go back any time soon.

One of the mornings on my recent trip to San Francisco was a surprise visit to the de Young Museum to view the Royal Hawaiian Feather display. I’ve seen many of the items on view at the Bishop Museum however there were a number of capes and headdresses on loan from other Museums and private collections making this a wonderful walk thru of Hawaiian culture with some items over 400 years old.
Up close you can also view the tiny birds from which the feathers are collected and the intricate patterns used on the items. The history of each item is posted stating the dignitary it belonged to, how they obtained it, i.e., gifted by the King or queen, and who’s collection it now resides. A beautiful presentation of Hawaiian art and culture and includes the items gifted to Captain Cook who was later killed by the same King.
We were also lucky to take a ride to the rooftop observation deck for an awesome 360 degree view of the city. Beautiful place. Gift shops available for both the exhibits and the main floors. I made my purchases to support both the exhibit and the museum.

A pretty great museum. de Young is one of those staple museums that almost everyone in SF goes to once in awhile. The best thing about this museum is that the first weekend of every month is free courtesy of Bank of America! Yay! It’s quite large and the exhibits are arranged by era and geographical location. There’s also a really lovely observation deck that will give some pretty spectacular views of the city that extend pretty far out.
I’m not a huge art aficionado so it’s hard for me to comment a ton on this, but the de Young is definitely a great place to spend an afternoon at. Tons of different exhibits — paintings, portraits, sculptures, etc.
tldr; great museum! lots of interesting things to explore

A terrific collection of artworks here in this lovely structure. The art was nicely separated and not bunched up, giving an opportunity to enjoy each piece. Free docent tours at random times, though the docent who took us around was a bit at a loss for words especially when one of the pieces she wanted to show us was out on tour. Oops.
While backpacks are permitted, they can not be work on front or back. I’m sure there’s logic to this, but they do have a free coat check room. No lockers, but this will have to do.
Don’t miss the elevator to the top of the 9^th floor observation deck. It’s not high high, but it’s pretty good!
Dali, Warhol, Copley, etc. Great masters, terrific artworks including paintings, sculptures, silver and furniture.

We came to see the Jewel City and William Worden exhibits. A docent warned us that it would get very crowded on closing day of the special exhibition, so we headed downstairs to the Jewel City exhibit first.
It’s too bad we couldn’t take pictures at the Jewel City exhibit. I wanted a photo of the Star Maiden. If you were expecting to see pictures from the PPIE, you will be disappointed. The galleries were filled with the works of art that were actually on display at the Palace of Fine Arts in 1915. There were many forms of art, including paintings, prints, and sculptures. Included were photos showing how the art was arranged on the walls. It was originally arranged rather densely, «salon style».
The galleries were very crowded by the time we arrived at the Jewel City gift shop. I managed to avoid temptation and not buy anything. But I was tempted by so many things. After that, we headed back upstairs to see the William Worden exhibit.
The PPIE only comprises a small portion of Worden’s work on display. I really liked his nighttime PPIE photos, they were impressive. You also learn that he liked close-​ups of seagulls. But my favorite photo was the one of Chinatown at night. You could see the street illuminated by Chinese lanterns.
Admission is $ 10 for adults, but there is an added fee for the special exhibits.

It’s nicely located in golden gate park, the tower (for free! no admission) presents you a nice view over the city and parts of the bay, the architecture is interesting but nothing special… and so is the art collection.
Too bad, I love museums but this one couldn’t catch me.
Parts of the museum are far too dark.
The staff is very nice and they have a lovely garden.

So you’re far from artsy but your in San Fran and you’re trying to do something more than eat and drink… maybe you’re even trying to impress your companion with how incredibly sophisticated you are. Why not venture over to the de Young museum and cap it off with a walk through the botanical gardens? Turns out as boring as that may sound, you’ll score a good amount of points for ignoring your initial instincts and possibly even enjoy yourself. There’s tons to see here, from painting and glass sculptures to artifacts dating back before Christ. I mean who doesn’t want to see something Jesus might have missed? My favorite part was actually all of the ceremonial masks. Surrounding the de Young is a myriad of other point scoring experiences so you really can’t go wrong here.
Try it or Pass by it Final Word
Try it men. If nothing else it will sharpen your ability to «notice» and offer positive opinions… unless of course that’s already your specialty.

Beautiful place!
My initial thought when I saw this building was that it looked like a portion of a battle ship from Star Wars lol. My friend took me here to the top floor and I thought it was beautiful. You could see an astonishing amount of San Francisco.
This would be an ideal place for a reception after a wedding if they transformed it into that! Ugh, would love to come here during night time. Really pretty.
Go. Now.

I’m a member of the FAMSF (Fine Art Museums of San Francisco) and I highly recommend you becoming one too! The membership pays for itself if you bring a friend with you to all of their special exhibits.
If you are out of town with no intention of becoming a member, I still recommend it.
Nice amenities include a generous coat check and real orchids in the ladies’ room. It’s the little things!
Also, all of the security guards are super nice. A lot of them are fans of art, just talk to them!

This is a great museum to spend a couple of hours at. They have a very diverse collection and it seems like their rotating shows are great too. Overall, it’s small but definitely worth the trip.
First Tues of the month there’s free admission! Sold.
I wandered around amongst the rooms. I loved the paintings. Not so much into all the tribal relics they had, but it was kinda neat to browse. Definitely some weird/​interesting things in that area too!
Really nice little café. Lots of vegan and gluten free snacks to choose from. You can grab a glass of wine and sit on their patio if it’s a nice day too.
I haven’t done the tower yet because I ran out of time, but I heard that’s always free so I’ll make an attempt to go back sometime when the land is free of Karl the Fog’s dirty grasp.

Das de Young-​Museum habe ich 2012 besucht. Mitten im Golden Gate Park wunderschön gelegen, bietet es nicht nur moderne Kunst (die Keith Hearing-​Ausstellung im Dezember 2014 habe ich leider versäumt), sondern auch einen tollen Blick über den Park und die Stadt San Francisco.

Peut-​être le meilleur musée de SF: pour les collections ça peut se discuter, pour l’architecture en tous cas c’est limpide, créée par les mêmes architectes suisses que la Tate Modern à Londres ou l’Elbphilarmonie à Hambourg (et qui ont eu le prix Pritzker, autrement dit le «Nobel d’architecture», pour l’ensemble de leur œuvre).
À l’extérieur comme à l’intérieur, le style est sobre, dépouillé, sombre et pourtant lumineux, une merveille d’équilibre qui se met en retrait pour né pas voler la vedette aux collections, et qui arrive en même temps à créer une ambiance agréable et propice à la découverte.
Ce n’est pas un musée thématique, il fonctionne par les collections rassemblées par les institutions de la ville et les nombreux donateurs, ce qui fait qu’on peut s’y plonger dans des mondes très différents: de l’art papou jusqu’à la création contemporaine américaine. Les habitués du Quai Branly né seront peut-​être pas renversés par les collections d’art premier mais la section de peinture (principalement, mais il y a aussi quelques sculptures et même de l’artisanat) américaine depuis l’époque coloniale jusqu’au 20ième siècle, à l’étage, est passionnante et inégalée en Europe à ma connaissance. Dans un autre registre, les peintures murales de Teotihuacan, présentées dans une salle spécifique, valent le détour.
Et même si vous n’avez pas le temps ou l’envie de visiter le musée, né loupez pas la montée dans la tour (accessible gratuitement) pour profiter d’une vue circulaire (et au chaud, car c’est dans une grande pièce vitrée) sur l’ouest de San Francisco ! La vue n’est pas aussi étendue qu’on pourrait le croire, car partiellement bouchée par les nombreuses collines alentour, mais le spectacle reste plaisant.
Conclusion, si vous vous trouvez au milieu du Music Concourse et que vous hésitez entre les 2 musées qui s’y trouvent, l’Academy of Sciences et le De Young, dirigez-​vous vers ce dernier: 3 fois moins cher et 3 fois plus intéressant !

Très beau musée à l’architecture résolument moderne. Oeuvres américaines et amérindiennes intéressantes. Montez en haut de la tour, au 9ème étage, pour profiter d’une vue spendide et à 3360 degrés sur San Francisco.