The Bay Area is known for being expensive but many museums offer free or pay-as-you-wish options. As long as you are flexible and don’t mind crowds you have many places to choose from. Bay Area libraries may have FREE museum passes that you can check out or make reservations using your library card. Check with your local library for more information and availability.

MUSEUMS, ALWAYS FREE:

• Bay Model, Sausalito, Closed Sunday & Monday
• Belvedere-Tiburon Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum, Tiburon, April thru October, Wednesdays thru Sundays
• Cable Car Museum, San Francisco
• Cantor Arts, Stanford, Closed Tuesday
• Chinese Culture Center, San Francisco, Closed Sunday & Monday
• Fire Department Museum, San Francisco, Thursday thru Sunday
• Marin History Museum, San Rafael
• Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito
• Maritime Museum, San Francisco
• Mexican Museum, San Francisco, Thursday thru Sunday
• Musée Mécanique, San Francisco
• Museo Italo Americano, San Francisco, Tuesday thru Sunday
• Museum of the American Indian, Novato, Friday thru Sunday
• Nike Missile Site, Marin Headlands, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 PM
• Outdoor Exploratorium, San Francisco
• Randall Museum, San Francisco, Closed Sunday & Monday
• San Francisco Railway Museum, San Francisco, Closed Monday
• Space Station Museum, Novato, Friday thru Sunday April-October
• West County Museum, Sebastopol, Thursday thru Sunday
• Wildcare, San Rafael
• Wells Fargo History Museum, San Francisco

MUSEUMS, FREE DATES VARY, CHECK WEBSITE.:

• California Academy of Science, for San Francisco residents by zip code
• Charles Shultz Museum, Santa Rosa, Closed Tuesday
• Children’s Museum, Sonoma, Closed Tuesday
• CuriOdyssey (formerly Coyote Point Museum), Closed Monday
• Walt Disney Family Museum, free on Walt Disney’s Birthday in December, San Francisco
• Exploratorium, 5 days of the year, San Francisco, Closed Monday
• Habitot, Berkeley
• San Francisco Zoo, once a month for San Francisco residents

MONDAY:

• Japanese Tea Garden, FREE admission if entered by 10am, San Francisco

TUESDAY:

• Cartoon Museum 1st Tuesday is pay what you wish, San Francisco, Closed Wednesday
• Conservatory of Flowers 1st Tuesday, San Francisco, Closed Monday
• Contemporary Jewish Museum 1st Tuesday, San Francisco, Closed Wednesday
• deYoung 1st Tuesday, San Francisco, Tuesday–Sunday
• Legion of Honor 1st Tuesday, San Francisco, Tuesday–Sunday
• San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum – Free on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, daily 7:30-9am, as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• The Museum of Craft and Design, First Tuesdays of the month, San Francisco, Closed Monday
• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) First Tuesdays of the month, San Francisco, Tuesday–Sunday

WEDNESDAY:

• Bay Area Discovery Museum 1st Wednesday, Sausalito, Closed Monday
• Japanese Tea Garden, FREE admission if entered by 10am, San Francisco
• UC Botanical Garden,  1st Wednesday, Berkeley

THURSDAY:

• Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive – 1st Thursday, Berkeley, Closed Monday and Tuesday
• Pez Museum, first Thursday, Burlingame, Tuesday-Saturday

FRIDAY:

• Japanese Tea Garden, FREE admission if entered by 10am

SUNDAY:

• Asian Art 1st Sunday of the month, San Francisco, Closed Monday
• California Academy of Science, once per quarter, San Francisco, Free Sunday will take place on February 11, 2018.
• Oakland Museum of California 1st Sunday of the month, Closed Monday and Tuesday