How to Visit Museums in San Francisco

When you visit museums in San Francisco, you usually get two treats: beautiful architecture and top-notch art. Several museums are housed in stunning new buildings, so leave extra time to tour the premises. Some areas in San Francisco have more than one museum -- if you're energetic, visit two in a day, but otherwise stay in a nearby hotel and divide your museum trips into separate days.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Visit the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for an example of impressive art and equally impressive architecture. The museum's new modern building connects the artwork and the surrounding landscape. Collections include art from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific; special exhibits range from Dale Chihuly's spectacular glass to Maya Lin's systematic landscapes. To learn more, visit famsf.org/deyoung.

2. Be sure to see the California Academy of Sciences, which occupies another stunning building in Golden Gate Park (opening date: Sept. 27). The unusual structure, sporting a 2.5-acre "living" roof, houses the Kimball Natural History Museum, Steinhart Aquarium and Morrison Planetarium. Exhibits include Foucault's Pendulum, an African hall, an amazing coral reef and much more. You can find more information at calacademy.org.

3. Head south of Market Street for more artwork in beautiful settings. Start with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) -- it's in a modern brick building, with an urban rooftop garden on the way in 2009. SFMOMA spotlights modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture and more. In the same neighborhood, visit the Museum of Craft and Folk Art and the Contemporary Jewish Museum, with its dynamic contemporary exterior. Further information is available at sfmoma.org.

4. Don't miss the Legion of Honor, which may win the award for the San Francisco museum with the best view. The building, renovated and expanded in the early 1990s, overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Its collection covers 4,000 years of ancient and European art, with special exhibits ranging from the Dead Sea Scrolls to da Vinci. Be sure to eat in the museum restaurant overlooking the garden and the ocean. For more details, visit famsf.org/legion.

5. Visit two great museums for children in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco's Exploratorium is wonderful for elementary school kids and up, with hands-on science exhibits from frogs to faultlines. Across the bridge in Sausalito, the Bay Area Discovery Museum offers hours of building, exploring and creating for preschoolers and early elementary school children. To learn more, visit exploratorium.edu and baykidsmuseum.org.

Tips & Warnings

• Save money by purchasing a pass for several San Francisco attractions, including museums. Two examples: City Pass (citypass.com) and Explorer Pass (explorerpass.com).