Get a FREE day at the museum

There are a number of museums in the Bay Area that are either always free, offer a free day weekly, or are free one day per month.

The guide at About.com is useful to find these absolutely free deals.  This particular Web page not only provides information about free days in San Francisco, but also in other parts of the Bay Area.

Of particular note: Cable Car Museum (always free), Cantor Arts Center at Stanford (always free), Asian Art Museum (first Sunday of month free), de Young Museum (first Tuesday of month free), Museum of Modern Art (first Tuesday of month free), and the Exploratorium (first Wednesday of month free).

Although I didn’t see the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on the list at this website, I do know they offer free admission on the 3rd Wednesday of the month (and this is listed on their own website).

Another website listing free days at museums in San Francisco is www.museumfreedays.com.  This website lists free days for museums in Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, and New York City, in addition to San Francisco.  So, you may even be able to find a free day at a museum while traveling on vacation.

Be sure to call to double check that the free admission is still offered on the day you plan to visit before heading out.  Also, some museums may be very crowded on the free days (in particular, I waited in line at the Califronia Academy of Sciences for more than an hour to get in).