audio tour de young museum

A guide to ‘Ramses the Great’: 8 takeaways from the de Young’s new exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts

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Thousands of years before the ’49ers descended upon San Francisco in the hopes of unearthing a fortune in the mountains of California, a living god half a world away was laid to rest in The Valley of the Kings with a cache of gold that all but the most fortunate prospecters could have only dreamed of.

“ Ramses the Great and The Gold of the Pharaohs ,” opening Aug. 20 at the de Young Museum, showcases this royal mother lode in one of the largest exhibitions of ancient Egyptian splendor to come to the West Coast since the de Young’s “King Tut” exhibits—which captivated local museum goers in 1979 and 2009 .

The exhibit features 181 artifacts lent to the de Young by the Egyptian government. It includes priceless relics found at the tomb of the powerful Pharaoh Ramses II, along with animal mummies, intricate jewerly and recently uncovered burial objects from the ancient cities of Dashur and Tanis along the Nile River. Present day Egyptologists continue to excavate and unearth new treasures.

The collection has been billed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to see the “greatest collection of Ramses II objects and Egyptian jewelry ever to travel to the United States”—and the hype is not without merit.

In recent decades, evolutions in international law and curatorial codes of ethics have made exhibitions like “Ramses the Great” increasingly difficult to coordinate. All of the objects currently on display at the de Young are on a short-term special loan from Egypt—approved by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They are not likely to leave their country of origin again for a long time after this world tour ends in 2025.

But “Ramses the Great” is more than a rare chance to see Egyptian treasures. It is also a cutting-edge display of applied technology. The highly choreographed experience features state-of-the-art lighting, sound and multimedia equipment—and includes a virtual reality tour of two of Egypt’s most impressive monuments (tickets to this cost extra).

With all there is to see and experience, you may feel overwhelmed by it all. To help you better appreciate “Ramses the Great and The Gold of the Pharaohs” here are eight essential takeaways—from easily recognizing a Pharaoh and quickly understanding Egyptian seating arrangements to avoiding the nausea some experience while strapped into a VR headset. Read on to prepare yourself to walk through the show like an Egyptian.

The King is King

With few exceptions, artistic depictions of the pharaohs remained the same for 3,000 years. But while the people of ancient Egypt were familiar with the uniform aesthetic, modern museum goers would do well to keep a few things in mind.

For starters, ancient Egyptian artists often put the king’s head on the body of a lion to form a sphinx. Also, the patriarchy was just as real then as it is today: All pharaohs, no matter their actual sex or gender, were depicted as male.

Finally, keep an eye out for some of these key pieces of royal regalia:

• Triangular royal kilt, with an ornamental bull’s tail.
• Emblematic crown with a sacred cobra, uraeus , at the forehead. The nemes, the most common headdress, has black and gold stripes framing the face and hanging to the shoulders.
• False rectangular beard.
• Hand held scepters, crook and flails or an ankh (symbol for life).

Size Matters

Size indicates relative importance. Pharaohs are often rendered larger than life to symbolize their authority and superhuman powers. In wall reliefs and paintings, workers and entertainers, flora and fauna, and architectural details are subsidiary and usually shown in smaller scale than the figures of the gods, kings, high officials or landowners. 

Walk Like an Egyptian

Why did the ancient Egyptian paintings depict people in such stilted and stiff poses? The key is to think of these paintings as a composite established hieroglyphic forms, which were never intended to be naturalistic representations. The views of the body come from different perspectives: the eye and shoulders from the front; torso and hips from three-quarter view; head, feet, legs and arms in profile.

Take a Seat

Seated figures are almost certainly of a higher social status than anyone shown standing or working. Gods, goddesses, kings and scribes are often depicted as sitting. Scribes were part of an elite group of individuals who knew over 700 hieroglyphs. The elevation of these select writers attests to the importance of writing and literacy in Egypt. A scribe is usually seated with a papyrus scroll on his lap. 

Stoned Poses

Egyptian sculptors seldomly completely freed the figure from the stone block. With few exceptions they did not carve out the space around the legs or between a figure's body and arms due to the stone’s brittleness. Artists left that negative space filled in so the sculpture stayed intact.This technique provided not only with a desired longevity but also resulted in a very centered, calm, poised and motionless pose. 

Colorful Patterns

Jewelry, sculpture, wall paintings and coffins are enriched with patterns and bright colors. Egyptians adored patterns—not only because they are pleasing to the eye, but because they could go on and on without end and thus served as a potent symbol for eternal life. Colors also had both aesthetic appeal and symbolic meaning for ancient Egyptians:

• Yellow & Gold = Sun and Ra, the Sun God
• Red & Orange = Desert, power, blood and vitality
• Blue & Green = Water, the Nile River and vegetation
• White = Lotus flower and purity
• Black = Death and resurrection

As Good As Gold

Mined along the Nile River and the Eastern Desert of Egypt, gold was prized for its color and sheen. Since it does not rust, gold served as a metaphor for eternal life. The Egyptians’ love of gold has never been a secret, and royal Egyptian burial sites have been a target for grave robbers for millennia. As such, exhibits like “Ramses the Great” are particularly noteworthy; by the time modern museums started seeking out ancient Egyptian relics, much of the gold beneath the sand was long gone.

In recent years, Western museums have been forced to reckon with the role they have played in encouraging, enabling and profiting from ancient plunder . In an effort to right historical wrongs, the UNESCO 1970 Convention, a permanent intergovernmental committee, oversees the return and restitution of cultural property and takes measures to prohibit the import, export or transfer ownership of objects from the country of origin.

Don’t Skip The VR Tour

Tucked away in a side room on the ground floor of the de Young, the “Ramses & Nefertari: Journey to Osiris” virtual reality tour is available to visitors for an additional $18. Donning a VR headset and headphones, viewers are invited to sit in an articulating chair that twists, turns, rumbles and even occasionally releases the scent of frankincense. The experience is not recommended for small children and a disclaimer on the de Young’s website warns that it may induce anxiety and vertigo in some participants. However, the virtual tour does an impressive job of conveying the scale and grandeur of these ancient Egyptian sites without the price or stress of intercontinental travel. It is well worth the extra charge. Pro tip: closing your eyes while swooping through narrow hallways can help viewers avoid feeling nauseous.

Ramses the Great and The Gold of the Pharaohs

de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. Aug. 20 Through Feb. 12, 2023 |  $23+ ($16-$18 additional for VR experience)

Nick Veronin contributed additional reporting for this story.

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How to See the De Young Museum

de Young Museum

The de Young Museum in San Francisco is the city's flagship art museum, but don't let that lofty description put you off. Visitors to the de Young find lots to see, including a collection of art that includes works from 17th- to 20th-century America, the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific.

The de Young Museum also hosts most of the important special exhibits that come to San Francisco. Their curation is excellent for both presentation and explanation. Check the de Young exhibit schedule  to find out what's coming up when you visit.

The de Young has been around since 1895, but the current facility was completed in 2005, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and San Francisco's Fong & Chan Architects. People either love or hate the building itself, but everyone agrees that views from the observation tower are great.

In fact, the tower is a don't-miss part of the museum and is open to the public without an admission ticket. All you have to do is get there at least an hour before the museum's closing time and walk through the lobby to the tower elevator. You can also get into the museum's excellent gift shop without buying a ticket. 

If you're in a hurry to see the de Young, look for these five paintings which span more than three centuries. They are also among their most spectacular holdings:

• Still Life With Crabs on a Pewter Plate by Abraham Mignon (1669-1672)
• Caroline de Bassano, Marquise d’Espeuilles by John Singer Sargent (1884)
• Diego Rivera's Two Women and a Child (1926)
• Crusades by Helen Frankenthaler (1976)
• A Particular Kind of Heaven by Ed Ruscha (1983)

Tips for Visiting the de Young Museum

The de Young Museum doesn't allow baby carrier backpacks (unless they convert to the front), but strollers are fine.

Ticket counter lines are rarely long, but you can buy your tickets online before you go to avoid any waiting.

If you visit the de Young and its sister museum the Legion of Honor on the same day, you'll only have to pay one admission fee.

To dodge the crowds at popular exhibits, go at the latest entry time and go slow, staying at the end of your group.

The Museum Café is a good place to get a bite to eat, and it's a good place to view the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden. It closes about an hour before the museum does.

To get more out of your visit, you can rent an audio tour or take a free docent tour. Or do it at your pace:  Download their app which gives in-depth insights into more than 30 of their works.

The museum's rules about what you can bring in and what you can do inside are typical for art museums, but there are few things you can't stow in their coast-check area, so you might want to check the policies before you go .

What You Need to Know About the de Young Museum

M. H. de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA de Young Museum website

The museum is open most days of the week, except major holidays. You can find their operating schedule on the  de Young Museum website . They are also sometimes  open late on Friday evenings , with music and local artist demonstrations.

You don't need a reservation to visit the de Young except for special exhibits, which require a separate, timed-entry ticket. The museum charges a general admission fee, but children under six years old get in free. The museum also offers monthly free days for the general public. Check the schedule for free days on their website .

The de Young Museum is on the east end of Golden Gate Park, near the California Academy of Sciences , The San Francisco Botanical Garden , and Japanese Tea Garden . 

If you drive to the de Young Museum, enter the underground garage at Fulton Street and 8th Avenue. You can park for free on streets nearby, but on a busy day, it's a frustrating search that is best avoided. The most convenient places for street parking are John F. Kennedy Drive near the Conservatory of Flowers or Martin Luther King Drive. Find several ways to get there by car .

Parking fills up on weekends, and some nearby streets are closed to automobiles on Sunday. Using public transit is not only convenient but if you keep your pass or transfer to show at the ticket desk, it will save you money on museum admission.  Check public transit options .

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De Young Museum – tickets, prices, free days, Hamon Tower

De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is one of the largest public arts institutions in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Museum gets its name from Michael H. de Young, who spearheaded the creation of the fine arts destination in 1895.

The museum is home to painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century, from Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.

Besides costume and textile arts, visitors also explore international modern and contemporary art.

This article shares everything you must know before booking your De Young Museum tickets.

Table of contents

What to expect at de young museum, where to book tickets, how do online tickets work, de young museum ticket price, de young museum tickets, how to get to de young museum, de young museum timings, how long does the tour take, best time to visit de young museum, audio tours at de young museum, de young museum free days, what’s inside de young museum, de young’s hamon tower, de young cafe.

Step through the de Young Museum doors, and you’ll be greeted by a stunning collection of American art, international contemporary art, textiles, and costumes spanning centuries.

Impressive examples of American art, such as paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and photography, will be found in the permanent collection. 

Works by well-known painters like Ansel Adams, Diego Rivera, and Georgia O’Keeffe will be on display, providing a thorough understanding of the rich history of American art.

From avant-garde installations to boundary-pushing sculptures, the museum’s contemporary art collection showcases the thought-provoking evolution of artistic expression.

Delve into the rich history of textiles and costumes from around the world, featuring a kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, and craftsmanship.

The de Young Museum constantly hosts an array of temporary exhibitions, presenting a dynamic mix of artistic movements, thematic showcases, and cutting-edge multimedia installations.

Tickets for the de Young Museum are available online and at the attraction.

Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the attraction.

When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the ticket counters. 

Because de Young Museum sells limited tickets, they may sell out during peak days.

Booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.

Visit the ticket  booking page for de Young Museum , select the preferred date and number of tickets, and buy the tickets immediately.

Once you purchase tickets, they get delivered to your email address.

There is no need to get printouts of the ticket. 

Show the e-ticket on your smartphone at the entrance and walk in.

Please carry a valid ID with you.

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For de Young Museum: Entry Ticket , adults aged between 18 and 64 are charged US$20.

College students with ID are charged US$11 for entry, while seniors above 64 years of age are charged US$17.

Visitors under 18 years of age can enter the museum for free.

Image: Selene

These tickets provide a brilliant deal as, along with de Young Museum, they also allow you same-day admission to the Legion of Honor , an art museum merely a 12-minute drive from the de Young

Access to some temporary exhibitions is excluded from this visit, and you can visit them by paying an extra fee.

Once at the art museum, you can explore at your own pace or join a free guided tour led by one of the museum guides. 

Ticket Price

Adult ticket (18 to 64 years): US$20 Seniors ticket (65+ years): US$17 College Students (with student ID): US$11 Child ticket (up to 17 years): Free entry

De Young Museum is at Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118. Get Directions

The building is an essential architectural landmark of San Francisco and offers sweeping views of the city from a fascinating observation deck. 

The de Young Museum is in the Golden Gate Park, next to another popular San Francisco fixture, the California Academy of Sciences.

You can use  MUNI  to get to the de Young Museum, a mini-bus and light-rail mass transportation service in San Francisco.

N Judah, a Muni Metro light rail line in San Francisco at 9th Avenue and Irving Street station, is just a 10-minute walk from the museum.

If you don’t want to walk, get onto the 44-O’Shaughnessy bus outside 9th Avenue and Irving St Station and get down at the Cal Academy stop on Music Concourse Drive​.

When Southbound,  44-O’Shaughnessy bus  stops at the Music Concourse on Tea Garden Drive (across Cal Academy).

When Northbound, it stops in front of the Academy of Music Concourse Drive.

5-Fulton bus  stops at  8th Avenue and Fulton Street bus stop, a five-minute walk from the de Young museum

The 7-Haight bus line stops at Lincoln Way & 9th Ave bus stop, just a seven-minute walk from the museum.

Cars for Rent and Taxis for hire are easily available in San Francisco.

Put on Google Maps to navigate to the de Young Museum.

De Young Museum doesn’t have parking of its own.

When driving to the museum, the Music Concourse Garage is the best spot to park your car.

It is an underground parking facility a few steps from the Academy’s main entrance.

You can enter the parking facility from  Music Concourse @ MLK, Jr.  or  Fulton @ 10th.

The Garage remains open from 7 am to 7 pm from Fridays to Wednesdays.

On Thursdays, it stays open from 7 am to 11 pm.

The parking charges are $5.25/hour on weekdays and $6.25/hour on weekends.

After 5.30 pm, the cost of parking goes up to a flat rate of $17.

Learn about more parking spots nearby.

* Unfortunately, car burglaries occur often in San Francisco. Please don’t leave anything valuable in your car, in the trunk, or out of plain sight to lower your risk. For $8, you can rent a secure locker at Academy to store your stuff.

Several parking slots are available within Golden Gate Park and along Fulton Street. 

de Young entrance

If you park your vehicle in Music Concourse Garage, you can cross into the museum through a simple tunnel walk from Fulton Street and 10th Avenue. 

If you have parked elsewhere or have taken public transport, you must enter from the entrance on Tea Garden Drive. 

Some other parking spots can be found in the vicinity.

Tip: Book your De Young Museum tickets in advance for a quick, seamless entry.

De Young Museum opens at 9.30 am and closes at 5.15 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. 

During the peak season (28 Mar to 28 Nov), the museum remains open till 8.45 pm on Fridays.

The last entry is an hour before closure. 

It remains closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. 

From the perspective of casual visitors, a tour of the de Young Museum typically takes around 2 to 3 hours, providing ample time to explore the museum’s architecture, permanent collection, and any special exhibits that may interest them.

For art enthusiasts who wish to delve deeper into the museum’s offerings, a visit to the de Young Museum can span anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, allowing them to immerse themselves in the art thoroughly, engage with the exhibits, and possibly interact with docents or guides for additional insights.

Since De Young Museum is spaciously laid out and doesn’t seem crowded even when many visitors are exploring the exhibits, any time of the day is good enough for a visit.

Most visitors usually spend two to three hours exploring De Young Museum.

When you start early, you can explore the exhibits and then stop by De Young Cafe for lunch. 

Visitors who prefer an immersive experience of the Permanent Collections can opt for De Young’s audio tours, which are available for purchase.

Visitors can get the audio tour in English and Spanish at the entrance for $7 per person. 

Or book them online along with your De Young Museum tickets . 

The audio tour is customized for kids and adults and is designed by the museum’s curators.

Visitors must bring their mobiles and headphones. 

Check out this visitor guide if you don’t plan to spend on the museum’s audio tours.

De Young in San Francisco offers free entry to qualified visitors on the first Tuesday of the month and all Saturdays. 

Free Tuesdays for all

General admission is free on the first Tuesday of every month.

Visitors can see the permanent collection galleries for free but must purchase tickets to enter the special exhibitions.

It would be best if you visited the museum’s Ticketing Desk to avail these free tickets, which are issued based on availability. 

Free Saturdays for locals

The de Young art museum offers all nine Bay Area county residents free general admission every Saturday.

Locals must reserve tickets in advance and have a valid local ID (driver’s license or postmarked envelope) for verification on the day of the visit. 

The nine qualifying counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.

The San Francisco Fine Art Museum has a three-story main building and a nine-story educational tower.

Access to both these sections is included in the regular De Young Museum tickets .

The primary building has three levels: Concourse, Exhibition, and Upper Gallery.

The main entrance of the De Young Museum leads to the Concourse Level. 

Here, visitors see the art of the Americas, 20th Century and Contemporary Art, Native American Art, and the Piazonni Murals Room.

The de Young Cafe is also on the Concourse Level, as is the Sculpture Garden entrance.

The exhibition level is below the Concourse level, and the Herbst Special Exhibition galleries are the main attractions here. 

The upper Gallery Level is above the Concourse Level. 

You can view various paintings, sculptures, decorative objects, furniture, and more throughout your visit. 

Besides what’s on display in the galleries, visitors enjoy the outdoor sculptures and site-specific artworks near the West Entrance in the Osher Sculpture Garden and the Marcus Garden of Enchantment.

The nine-story De Young’s Hamon Tower has an observation deck offering sweeping views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean.

Visitors don’t need a ticket to get to the observation deck and enjoy the fascinating views. 

The Hamon Tower Observation Level closes one hour before the museum closes for the day.

The De Young Cafe on the Concourse Level is the perfect place to take a break from centuries-old artwork on display at the museum.

The café is open from 11 am to 3 pm and has limited indoor and outdoor dining.

Reservations are not accepted; you must have a De Young Museum ticket to enter.

Sources # Famsf.org # Wikipedia.org # En.wikiarquitectura.com # Tripadvisor.com The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy .

Popular attractions in San Francisco

# Alcatraz Island # San Francisco Zoo # California Academy of Sciences # Monterey Bay Aquarium # San Francisco aquarium # Exploratorium # De Young Museum # San Francisco Bus Tours # Madame Tussauds # San Francisco Bay Cruise # San Francisco Ghost Tour # The Tech Interactive # San Francisco MoMA # San Francisco Dinner Cruise # SFO Go Car Tour # Legion of Honor Museum # Walt Disney Family Museum # Museum of 3D Illusions # 7D Ride Experience

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This article was researched & written by

Hanan Irfan

Hanan Irfan is fascinated by exhilarating treks, alpine lakes, landscape photography, and football. He loves trying different cuisines and meeting people from around the world. He's a sucker for solitude and sunsets, capturing memories on the run. His favorite cities: Tromsø, Reykjavik, and Seychelles

Edited by Rekha Rajan & fact checked by Jamshed V Rajan

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Tickets to De Young Museum

Admission prices, parking, directions, and more.

If you're interested in visiting the De Young Museum, this post will cover details about ticket prices, directions, parking, and what you can expect to see and do while you're here.

• Tickets & Hours
• How to Get Here

Internationally acclaimed, the De Young Museum is the third most visited art museum in the United States.

It is one that every art, architecture, and culture lover should make a point of exploring.

Reopened in a newly designed building in 2005, the de Young dates back to 1895 and, in its own words, “has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and a cherished destination for millions of residents and visitors to the region for over 100 years.”

The main categories of collection at the De Young Museum include American Art, Spanning from 17th century to the 20th century; Africa Art, a collection featuring masks, sculptures, textiles, textile arts and ceremonial objects from Africa.

Art of Oceania, showcasing the artistic traditions of Pacific Island cultures including Mori woodcarvings from New Zealand; Art of the Americas, highlighting indigenous art from the Americas, including North, Central, and South America and Textiles and Costumes, Featuring a wide range of textiles, garments, and fashion.

This is one of the best  44 museums in San Francisco .

De Young Museum Tickets

This section lists the different ticket options and add-ons available for the De Young Museum.

But there's no need to pay full price - take a look at  the discounts section  to find ways to get cheap tickets.

General Admission prices

• Senior 65+: $17
• Youth 0-17: FREE
• Click here to purchase tickets .

Special Exhibits (Add-On Charge)

• Senior 65+: $27
• Youth 6 - 17: $15
• Audio Guide: $8

De Young Museum Hours

Monday:  Closed

Tuesday – Sunday:  9:30 am – 5:15 pm

Hamon Observation Tower closes at 4:30 pm.

HOW TO GET HERE

You have several transportation options to get to the De Young Museum:

Driving Directions

If you're approaching from the north, take US-101 South and exit at Fell Street. Turn left onto Fell Street and continue onto John F. Kennedy Drive. The museum will be on your right.

If you're coming from the south, take US-101 North and exit at Octavia Street. Continue straight onto Octavia Street and turn right onto Fell Street. Follow Fell Street, which will merge into John F. Kennedy Drive. The museum will be on your right.

Use the below map to get to the museum from your present location.

Public Transportation

There are several ways to reach the museum using public transportation.

• Bus : Several Muni bus lines serve the area near the De Young Museum. You can check the official website of the  San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)  for specific bus routes and schedules.
• Light Rail:  The N-Judah Muni Metro line stops near the museum. Exit at the Judah/Lincoln Way stop and walk east to the museum.
• Golden Gate Park Shuttle:  Visitors to the park can enjoy the complimentary Golden Gate Park shuttle service. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes between 9 am and 6 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. On weekdays, the shuttle operates every 20 to 25 minutes between noon and 6 pm.

Parking at De Young Museum

Free parking

There are only a restricted number of free parking spaces on the streets within Golden Gate Park and along Fulton Street.

Paid parking

You can find paid parking options for both cars and bicycles at the Music Concourse Garage.

This garage is owned by the Music Concourse Community Partnership (MCCP) and operated by REEF Parking.

To access the garage, you can enter from Fulton Street and 10th Avenue on the north side or from Concourse Drive near the California Academy of Sciences on the south side.

In addition to this, the museum is also wheelchair accessible by ramp or level ground.

EXHIBITS AND EVENTS

The De Young Exterior

The exterior of the De Young was designed with the surrounding landscape in mind; warm copper hues, stone, wood, and glass reflect and balance the nature of Golden Gate Park around it.

The perforated copper walls are meant to make one feel as though they were looking through a tree canopy — a work of art in itself!

The De Young Tower

Be sure to visit the De Young’s 144-foot tower for a panorama view of the surrounding Sunset and Richmond Districts, with the sunny day possibility of seeing even more of San Francisco.

The De Young Sculpture Garden

Before or after you visit the museum, take a stroll outside of the museum.

Not only will this give you an opportunity to admire the building’s unique design and get an up-close view of the copper, but it will also provide you with an added art experience.

Through the various small gardens surrounding the museum, you’ll see sculptures both old and new, including some of the museum’s original sphinxes.

Permanent Collection at the De Young Museum

The De Young hosts one of the finest collections of American art, showcasing over 1,000 paintings dating from 1670 to today.

Along with paintings, the museum has over 800 sculptures, 3,000 decorative objects, 13,000 textiles and costumes, and much much more.

Special Exhibits at the De Young

The special exhibits at the De Young Museum are ever-changing and always exquisite.

With past exhibits including Bulgari jewelry, Johannes Vermeer’s  Girl with a Pearl Earring , Danny Lyon photography, Jean-Paul Gaultier’s haute couture fashion, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and others.

De Young Museum Events

The De Young Museum conducts a variety of events and programs to engage and educate visitors. Some of the events commonly held at the de Young Museum include:

• Sketching in the Galleries
• Docent Tour: Ansel Adams in Our Time
• Free Saturdays at the de Young
• Compelling Conversations
• Highlights Tour

In addition to this, museum also conducts some date specific events. To know more about them, click  here .

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to go through the De Young Museum?

On average, visitors spend around two to three hours exploring the De Young Museum in San Francisco.

However, the duration can vary based on individual interest and the size of current exhibitions. Plan accordingly and allocate more time if you have specific areas of interest.

Is the Hamon Observation Tower free to access?

Yes, it is free to access and doesn't require tickets for entry.

Hamon Observation Tower is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

How many floors does the De Young Museum have?

The main museum building has a total 3 floors, but there is also a tower which is a 9 story structure.

Does the De Young Museum permit backpacks, small bags, or food?

Visitors can bring backpacks of a regular size.

Any bags, purses, or backpacks that are bigger than 8" x 8" x 5" need to be held by hand.

For the protection of the collection, the museum doesn't allow visitors to wear backpacks in the galleries.

Bags larger than the typical carry-on size (over 9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches) are prohibited.

Basically, if you have a purse or something of similar size, you should be fine.

Only food and drinks bought at the De Young café are permitted in the café and adjacent terraces, so you cannot bring snacks inside.

Do I need to reserve tickets to the De Young Museum in advance?

Yes, it is recommended to reserve tickets to De Young Museum in advance.

Reserving tickets in advance helps ensure your entry into the museum and allows you to plan your visit accordingly.

It also helps manage crowd capacity and maintain a smooth visitor experience.

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de Young Free Museum Weekend + Free Audio Tour (May 20-21)

Free / learn more.

Submitted by the Event Organizer

de Young Museum Hosts 8 Free Weekends in 2023 (March 18-Sept. 17)

The US Premiere of “Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence” at the de Young Museum received grant from Google.org providing eight weekends of free admission to the exhibition and support for vital public programming, including school and youth curriculum.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (the “Museums”) just announced the receipt of their single largest grant in the institution’s history from a corporate foundation. Google.org, with support from Google Arts & Culture, has provided $1 million in funding in support of the US premiere of the exhibition Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence , which opens at the de Young museum on March 18.

de Young Museum Free Weekends 2023 Select Weekends, March 18-Sept. 17, 2023 9:30am to 5:15pm de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., Golden Gate Park, SF FREE for all visitors (does not include certain special exhibitions) The Museums will welcome all visitors free of charge for the following eight weekends: Saturday–Sunday, March 18–19 (opening weekend) + Free artist talk at 1pm on March 18 Saturday–Sunday, April 15–16 Saturday–Sunday, May 20–21 Saturday–Sunday, June 17–18 Saturday–Sunday, July 8–9 Saturday–Sunday, July 29–30 Saturday–Sunday, August 19–20 Saturday–Sunday, September 16–17 What is free? What’s not free? General admission on free dates includes entry to see the permanent galleries plus Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence (on view March 18–October 15, 2023) Free audio guide There are no residency requirements (i.e. you don’t have to be a Bay Area resident. This offer is valid for anyone) Free public programming and events Free days do NOT include admission to special exhibitions like Sargent and Spain, which requires separate admission fee Get Free Tickets Special Events Free Programs – In addition, there will be many opportunities for visitors to engage with free public programs, including an opening day talk with artist Kehinde Wiley, facilitated by the Museums’ Curator in Charge of Contemporary Art and Programming Claudia Schmuckli on Saturday March 18 from 1 -2 pm in the Koret Auditorium at the de Young museum. An accompanying four-part conversation series will run throughout the exhibition, exploring its major themes, and connecting with current racial justice conversations. Workshops – Google.org’s grant also supports a special series of workshops titled The Quiet Hours, a series of community undertakings and collective mournings, that will take place on May 27, August 5, August 19, and September 16 in the de Young’s Piazzoni Murals Room from 1 – 2 pm. Paying homage to Black funerary practices, the series will be hosted by artist and professor Angela Hennessy and poet, author, and public theologian Marvin K. White. Other Opportunities for Free Admission Google.org will support eight weekends of free admission for visitors to the exhibition and the de Young museum for visitors. This is in addition to free admission to the de Young and Legion of Honor for Bay Area residents on Saturdays supported through a generous grant from Diane B. Wilsey, as well as free admission to all on the first Tuesday of the month. In addition, medical and food assistance recipients and California library card holders enjoy free admission during museum hours through the Museums for All and Discovery & Go programs. See full details of free + reduced admission .

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About Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977, Los Angeles) is an American artist best known for his portraits that render people of color in the traditional settings of European Old Master paintings. Wiley’s work brings art history face-to-face with contemporary culture, using the visual rhetoric of the heroic, the powerful, the majestic and the sublime to celebrate Black and Brown people the artist has met throughout the world. Working in the mediums of painting, sculpture, and video, Wiley’s portraits challenge and reorient art-historical narratives, awakening complex issues that many would prefer to remain muted. In 2018, Wiley became the first African American artist to paint an official US presidential portrait for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery after former US president Barack Obama selected Wiley for this honor. In 2019 Wiley founded Black Rock Senegal, a multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program that invites artists from around the world to live and create work in Dakar, Senegal. Wiley is the recipient of the US Department of State’s Medal of Arts, Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, and France’s distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. He holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, an MFA from Yale University, and honorary doctorates from the Rhode Island School of Design and San Francisco Art Institute. He has held solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally and his works are included in the collections of more than 50 public institutions around the world. He lives and works in Beijing, Dakar, and New York.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by de Young Museum (@deyoungmuseum)

Respite Room  Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence  features paintings and sculptures that force viewers to confront their relationship to and complicity in systemic violence against Black people. Throughout the run of the exhibition, the TB Walker Textiles Education Gallery adjacent to the exhibition will be utilized as a space of respite with the primary aim of practicing care for visitors during and after their visit.  Exhibition Organization Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence  is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Presenting sponsors: Ford Foundation and Google.org. Major support is provided by Dagmar Dolby. Generous support is provided by The Harris Family, Charles and Brandi Hudson, Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman, Paul L. Wattis Foundation and Sonya Yu. Additional support is provided by the Adamolekun Family, Lisa Blackwell, Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan, Delvecchio and Kelly Finley, Bryan and Tara Meehan, Elaine Mellis, the Plexo Foundation, Soho House, Lisa and Jim Zanze, and the Contemporary Support Council. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s Contemporary Arts Program is made possible through the following donors: generous support is provided by the Harris Family, Rebecca and Cal Henderson, and Vance Wall Foundation. Additional support is provided by Joachim Bechtle, Katie Colendich and Albert d’Hoste, Jeffrey N. Dauber and Marc A. Levin, Shaari Ergas, Lizelle and Martin Green, Katie Hagey & Jill Hagey in memory of their mother, Mary Beth Hagey, Kate Harbin Clammer and Adam Clammer, Ella Qing Hou and J. Sanford Miller, Kaitlyn and Mike Krieger, Lore Harp McGovern, Jason Moment, Katie Schwab Paige and Matt Paige, Rotasa Fund, Keiko Sakamoto and Bill Witte, Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Schwab, David and Roxanne Soward, Pascale Thomas and Tayo Famakinwa, Zlot Buell + Associates, and the Contemporary Support Council of the Fine Arts Museums. Visiting \ de Young Entry to  Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence  will be included in general admission to the de Young museum, with free admission for San Francisco Bay Area residents every Saturday, generously provided by Diane B. Wilsey.

The de Young Museum is open Tuesday–Sunday, 9:30 am – 5:15 pm. For more information, please visit famsf.org.

Google.org Google.org , Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change. LIVE FREE LIVE FREE is a justice network of thousands of organizers, faith leaders, directly impacted families, and organizations working to reimagine public safety and increase civic engagement. We build power and agency in communities to eradicate gun violence, mass criminalization, and mass incarceration. LIVE FREE sees a world where every person is safely and peacefully connected to community, free of the systemic constraints that undermine freedom. For more information on LIVE FREE, visit  www.livefreeusa.org . About Contemporary Art and Programming at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Established in 2016, the Department of Contemporary Art and Programming (CAP), led by Claudia Schmuckli, has distinguished itself through an innovative and dynamic program of commissions, exhibitions, and interventions in dialogue with the Museums’ historical sites, architecture, and permanent collections. As the only department not delineated by either medium or geography, CAP presents and collects works in all mediums and across geographies that incite dialogues, embrace a multiplicity of perspectives, and shed new light on both the past and the present. Reflecting a commitment to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and forward-looking dialogue, CAP highlights pressing societal issues and concerns through its programs and acquisitions. About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco oversee the de Young museum, located in Golden Gate Park, and the Legion of Honor, in Lincoln Park. It is the largest public arts institution in San Francisco, and one of the most visited arts institutions in the United States. The de Young originated from the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park and was established as the Memorial Museum in 1895. It was later renamed in honor of Michael H. de Young, who spearheaded its creation. The present copper-clad landmark building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in October 2005. Reflecting an active conversation among cultures, perspectives, and time periods, the collections on view include American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries; arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international modern and contemporary art. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco respectfully acknowledge the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original inhabitants of what is now the San Francisco Peninsula, and acknowledge that the Greater Bay Area is the ancestral territory of the Miwok, Yokuts, Patwin, and other Ohlone. Indigenous communities have lived in and moved through this place over hundreds of generations, and Indigenous peoples from many nations make their home in this region today. Please join us in recognizing and honoring their ancestors, descendants, elders, and communities.

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de Young museum, 2022. Photograph by Gary Sexton. Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Free Saturdays events

Free Saturdays at the de Young creates a space where our Bay Area roots can merge through expression and creativity.

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Every Saturday the de Young offers free general admission to all residents of the nine Bay Area counties. 

• This offer applies only to the permanent collection galleries.
• Reserve your tickets in advance online. Please be prepared to verify with ID onsite.
• Free admission may be redeemed onsite with a driver’s license or postmarked envelope.
• Visitors ages 17 and under always receive free admission to the permanent collection galleries.
• Qualifying counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma

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Family tour, family art making, sketching in the galleries, de youngsters day out 2024, book launch + curator talk on the osher collection of american art, drag story hour with per sia, lasting letters writing workshop, contact info.

[email protected] 415.750.3600

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Perspectives Womens History

Museums without men at the met.

Traverse the Museum’s galleries highlighting remarkable achievements by women artists.

Katy Hessel

Begin the tour

Join guest host Katy Hessel—an art historian, curator, and author known for the international bestseller The Story of Art Without Men and The Great Women Artists podcast—as she highlights women artists who have been excluded from art-historical narratives and provides contemporary perspectives on issues of inclusion in the Museum and art world at large.

In conversation with Met experts, Hessel examines stories of people who went against the grain despite the odds being against them. The tour aims to encourage as many people as possible, at all levels of art-historical knowledge, to seek out work by these artists in museums. 

• 10 audio stops
• Audio runtime: 30 minutes total

Guerrilla Girls’s Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?

Listen to the introduction

Read Transcript

Have you ever wandered the galleries at The Met and thought about the gender representation on display? In 1989, the Guerrilla Girls questioned this and famously found out that “Less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women, but 85% of the nudes are female.” Katy Hessel and Met curator Allison Rudnick revisit this 20th-century art collective’s public bus campaign that challenges patriarchal assumptions about the legitimacy of artists.

Learn more about this artwork

Guerrilla Girls (American, established 1985). Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum? , 1989. Lithograph, 11 x 28 in. (27.9 x 71.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Scott, Lauren, and Lily Nussbaum, 2021 (2021.70). © Guerrilla Girls, courtesy guerrillagirls.com

Rosa Bonheur’s The Horse Fair

On view, Gallery 812

Katy Hessel visits one of her favorite works in The Met, painted in 19th-century Paris, when the Academy’s rigid hierarchies reigned supreme. At the time, paintings of the human figure were considered the most prestigious genre of artmaking—but women were barred from the life room, where they could paint from observation of live models. Rosa Bonheur was not deterred. Turning to images readily available to her, she painted The Horse Fair (1852–55), a monumental depiction of a horse market.

Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822–1899). The Horse Fair, 1852–55. Oil on canvas, 8 ft. 1/4 in x 192 ft. 7 1/2 in. (244.5 x 506.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1887 (87.25)

Marie Denise Villers’s Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes

On view, Gallery 634

In 1917, The Met purchased this portrait of a young woman artist for $200,000. At the time, it was thought to be painted by the male Neoclassical artist, Jacques-Louis David. Art historian Kathryn Calley Galitz shares how the scholar Margaret Oppenheimer made a surprising discovery when she reevaluated that attribution more than half a century later.

Marie Denise Villers (French, 1774–1821). Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes (1786–1868) , 1801. Oil on canvas, 63 1/2 x 50 5/8 in. (161.3 x 128.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac D. Fletcher Collection, Bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher, 1917 (17.120.204)

Edmonia Lewis’s Hiawatha & Minnehaha

On view, Gallery 759

These two sculptures of Native American figures, Minnehaha and Hiawatha, are chiseled with incredible skill and restraint by the Black and Native American sculptor, Edmonia Lewis. Art historian Lisa E. Farrington recounts how this talented artist and savvy businesswoman rose to prominence after the Civil War. Despite consistent backlash from the wealthy white elites of the art world, Lewis achieved great success.

Learn more about these artworks

Left: Edmonia Lewis (American, 1844–1907). Hiawatha , 1868. Marble, 13 3/4 x 7 3/4 x 5 1/2 in. (34.9 x 19.7 x 14 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Morris K. Jesup and Friends of the American Wing Funds, 2015 (2015.287.1). Right: Edmonia Lewis (American, 1844–1907). Minnehaha , 1868. Marble, 11 5/8 x 7 1/4 x 4 7/8 in. (29.5 x 18.4 x 12.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Morris K. Jesup and Friends of the American Wing Funds, 2015 (2015.287.2)

Mary Cassatt’s Young Mother Sewing

On view, Gallery 768

Met curator Laura Corey considers the legacy of Mary Cassatt, an American Impressionist painter known for her sensitive portraits of motherhood who also played a critical role in influencing American collectors to purchase Impressionist paintings. Corey notes that some of the most significant works of Impressionist art at the Museum came from the donation of Louisine Havemeyer’s collection, which was assembled with Cassatt’s guidance.

Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926).  Young Mother Sewing , 1900. Oil on canvas, 36 3/8 x 29 in. (92.4 x 73.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929 (29.100.48)

Leonora Carrington’s Self-Portrait

On view, Gallery 901

“I didn’t have time to be anyone’s muse,” the artist and writer Leonora Carrington once said. “I was too busy rebelling against my family and learning to be an artist.” While viewing Carrington’s famous self-portrait, Katy Hessel rethinks the role of muses and reflects on the gap between how artists represent themselves and the narratives that eclipse their identities.

Leonora Carrington (Mexican [born England], 1917–2011). Self-Portrait , ca. 1937–38. Oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 32 in. (65 x 81.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Pierre and Maria-Gaetana Matisse Collection, 2002 (2002.456.1). Image © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Firelei Báez’s Olamina

On view, Gallery 915

Firelei Báez explains how her painting is an ode to Lauren Olamina, the protagonist of Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series. Set in a dystopian near-future United States, the novels imagine a world on the brink of political and environmental collapse. Against this backdrop, Olamina establishes a new religion to envision a future liberated from the unrelenting demands of industrialization—one that centers moments of rest and reflection. 

Firelei Báez (Dominican, b. 1981). Olamina (How do we learn to love each other while we are embattled) , 2022. Oil and acrylic on inkjet on canvas, 86 1/2 in. x 9 ft. 6 1/2 in. x 1 1/2 in. (219.7 x 290.8 x 3.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, Civic Practice Partnership Artist Residency, Anonymous, and Lila Acheson Wallace Gifts, 2023 (2023.355). © Firelei Báez

Discover more works by great women artists in The Met collection online

There are countless works by women artists in the collection that reside out of sight in storage facilities. In many cases, this invisibility is a symptom of the materials used to create artworks. Works on paper and textiles are extremely sensitive to light, temperature, and humidity. To ensure that these works are preserved, they can only be on view for short periods of time.

In this next section of the tour, we highlight some of these incredible works not currently on view. Though they may be out of sight, curators and artists attest to their wide-reaching influence and advocate for sharing the stories of these works beyond the walls of the Museum.

Wangechi Mutu’s The Seated I

Online only

In 2019, the Kenyan American artist Wangechi Mutu was invited to make sculptures for The Met’s inaugural facade commission. In this episode, she describes how she began her process by examining the Museum’s Beaux-Arts architecture, focusing on a very curious type of architectural feature called caryatids. Met curator Brinda Kumar discusses the ways Mutu’s work both represents and subverts traditional structures and the narratives they upheld.

Wangechi Mutu (Kenyan, b. 1972). The Seated I , 2019. Bronze, 79 1/8 x 33 1/2 x 44 1/2 in., 842 lb. (201 x 85.1 x 113 cm). Purchase, Hazen Polsky Foundation Fund and Cynthia Hazen Polsky Gift, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2020 (2020.119). © Wangechi Mutu. Courtesy of the Artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels

Emma Civey Stahl’s Woman’s Rights Quilt

When you imagine a truly “great” work of art, what comes to mind? Perhaps a massive oil painting in a gilded frame, or a carefully chiseled marble bust. Met curator Amelia Peck shares that before most women had the resources to pursue sculpting or painting, they channeled their creative energies into an art form they could pursue in their own homes: quiltmaking.

Emma Civey Stahl (American).  Woman’s Rights Quilt , ca. 1875. Cotton, 70 x 69 1/2 in. (177.8 x 176.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Funds from various donors, 2011 (2011.538) 

Mrinalini Mukherjee’s Aranyani

In 2019, The Met held the first U.S. retrospective of Indian artist Mrinalini Mukherjee. The exhibition included Aranyani (1996), a towering sculpture made of knotted colorful rope that was placed directly on the gallery floor. Through exploring Mukherjee’s work and career trajectory, Met curator Brinda Kumar reflects on how museums may work to more proactively shine a light on women artists.

Mrinalini Mukherjee (Indian, 1949–2015). Aranyani , 1996. 55 7/8 x 50 x 41 in. (142 x 127 x 104 cm). Gift of the Estate of Mrinalini Mukherjee, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2020 (2020.211.2) © Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation 

This audio tour is one in a series of tours called  Museums Without Men  produced by Katy Hessel in collaboration with institutions across the globe, such as the Fine Arts Museum San Francisco, the Hepworth Wakefield, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and Tate Britain. The series encourages museum visitors to seek out work by great women and gender non-conforming artists in these institutions who, simply by virtue of their gender, were often overlooked and underrepresented.

Production Credits

Museums Without Men at The Met with Katy Hessel is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with Katy Hessel.

Host: Katy Hessel

Producer: Emma Vecchione Managing Producers: Ann Collins and Christopher Alessandrini Project Management and Content Design: Maria Kozanecka Photographer and Video Editor: Aurola Wedman Alfaro Videographer: Lela Jenkins Studio Management and Distribution: Skyla Choi Executive Producer: Sarah Wambold Contributors: Firelei Báez, Laura D. Corey, Lisa E. Farrington, Kathryn Calley Galitz, Brinda Kumar, Wangechi Mutu, Amelia Peck, Allison Rudnick Special Thanks: Guerrilla Girls

Music provided by: Podington Bear / Sound of Picture, Blue Dot Sessions, and Free Music Archive

Executive Sponsors: Douglas Hegley, Inka Drögemüller Marketing, Communications, and Social Media: Ann Bailis, Meryl Cates, Claire Lanier, Micah Pegues, Jonathan Lee, Gretchen Scott

About the contributors

Art historian, author, and curator

“Abstraction” by Maggie Millner

Great Women Artists

Emma Scully and the Van Gogh Paintings

Behind the Scenes

For Families

From the Archives

In Circulation

Notes from Museum Leadership

Religion and Spirituality

Social Change

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Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style

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Explore the history of San Francisco through fashion. Featuring one of the most iconic collections of 20th- and 21st-century women’s clothing in the United States, this exhibition includes 100 collection highlights, along with local loans of high fashion and haute couture. The first major presentation of our costume collection in over 35 years, it showcases designs from French couturiers, Japanese avant-garde designers, and other pillars of the fashion industry, including Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Christopher John Rogers, Comme des Garçons, and Rodarte. The designs on view, many never shown before, reflect San Francisco’s long-standing tradition of self-expression through fashion.

In San Francisco — a city with a vibrant history of embracing radical clothing styles — fashion mavericks have perennially supported boundary-pushing designers. These advocates include retailers, such as Susan Foslien, Sherri McMullen, or the Ospital family of Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC); individuals like Georgette “Dodie” Rosekrans, who famously financed John Galliano’s early collections; and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which preserve designers’ legacies in their permanent collection. Today, the Museums’ collection boasts avant-garde creations by the Japanese fashion designers Rei Kawakubo, Kei Ninomiya, Junya Watanabe, and Yohji Yamamoto as well as European innovators like Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen.

The term avant-garde is often synonymous with innovative, unusual, and experimental ideas; in fashion, it denotes garments or objects that redefine artistic convention, utilize new tools and techniques, and question the very nature of what constitutes clothing (as noted by Diana Crane in The Transformation of the Avant-Garde: The New York Art World, 1940–1985 [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987]). The work of Chinese American designer Kaisik Wong, who was active in 1970s San Francisco, embodied avant-garde fashion while also exemplifying the tenets of Bay Area counterculture: Wong eschewed mass production, making his clothes by hand, and blurred the physical limits between dress and body with amorphous forms that drew from a wide array of artistic, cultural, and mythical references.

This same period witnessed the emergence of Japanese designers in the international fashion landscape, with designer Kenzō Takada debuting his collection in Paris in 1970, followed by Issey Miyake (1971), Hanae Mori (1977), Yamamoto (1981), and Kawakubo (1981), among others. These artists challenged the conventions they saw in Europe and the United States by employing unusual materials and dressmaking techniques, such as expansive forms, unfinished elements, and asymmetry. When famed fashion editor Polly Mellen saw Yamamoto’s and Kawakubo’s collections in 1982, she proclaimed, “It shows us a whole new wave of dressing. It is modern and free” (Nina Hyde, “Japan’s Runaway Looks,” Washington Post , October 16, 1982).

In Europe, Gaultier, Galliano, and McQueen interrogated the traditional trappings of haute couture with their 1990s collections. While Gaultier injected humor into and glamorized street style as high fashion, Galliano combined diverse sources from various eras to create never-before-seen shapes, styles, and silhouettes. A virtuoso in the art of construction, McQueen fused the best of Savile Row tailoring (Savile Row is a street in London well known for its bespoke men’s tailoring) and haute couture techniques with innovative and unusual materials to create garments that challenged customary notions of race, class, religion, and sexuality — often grouped under collection names that did the same. All three designers presented their works in large-scale runway productions, with showmanship antithetical to the couture tradition of austerity.

In recent decades, a new generation of Japanese designers, namely Ninomiya and Watanabe, have further pushed the limitations of fashion by emphasizing fabrics made by contemporary technologies and using innovative clothing constructions that envelop, obscure, and often overwhelm the body. These garments echo the evolving urban landscape of San Francisco — a city populated by structures that push the confines of modern architecture, likewise made by advanced engineering and with state-of-the-art industrial materials.

From Laura L. Camerlengo, “Avant-Garde: Fashion as Art,” in Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style (San Francisco and Petaluma: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Cameron Books, 2024), 243.

Have you ever wished you could try on the fashions you see in museum exhibitions? Well, now you can. Snapchat Augmented Reality Mirrors let you try on three iconic looks from our collection. The outfits, featured in Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style , include a 1955 “Soirée de Paris” dress by Yves Saint Laurent, a 1985 lamé outfit by San Francisco–designer Kaisik Wong, and a 1987 velvet gown by Valentino.

Lights, camera, fashion! Strike a pose and share your glam moments with us using #FashioningSF and @deyoungmuseum (Instagram) or @famsf.org (TikTok).

Developed by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in partnership with Snapchat.

A deep-dive into women’s local fashion history through the work of over 50 fashion designers. Jamie Ferrell, Secret San Francisco

There are iconic looks — both for day and evening, as well as shoes — from Jeanne Lanvin to Karl Lagerfeld . . . not to mention a cache of lesser known talents who will have you googling like crazy to learn more. Mark Holgate, Vogue

This exhibition aims to prove ‘San Francisco does, and has always had, style.’ Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle

Docent Tour: Fashioning San Francisco

A conversation on san francisco’s retail landscape, appropriation, appreciation + commodification.

What cultural appropriation is, and what we can do about it.

By Abram Jackson, director of interpretation

5 Pairs of Shoes That Tell San Francisco’s Fashion Story

Take a stroll through our shoe collection.

By Talia Spielholz, curatorial projects coordinator, costume and textile arts

Sister Dresses: Christian Dior’s “Junon” and “Venus”

The designer’s “Junon” and “Venus” gowns represent the pinnacle of his creativity.

By Laura Camerlengo and Anne Getts

Lost Department Stores of San Francisco

Madame alix grès evening dress magnet.

This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Presenting Sponsor John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn

Lead Sponsor The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund Diane B. Wilsey

Major Support Yurie and Carl Pascarella Denise Littlefield Sobel Christine Suppes

Significant Support The Diana Dollar Knowles Foundation Carole McNeil

Generous Support Lorna Meyer Calas and Dennis Calas Textile Arts Council of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Additional support is provided by Sandra Bessières, Dr. Roger Budge and Ms. Leslee Jane Budge, The Mary A. Crocker Trust, Dana and Gregory Lee - Ted and Doris Lee Family Foundation, Cathy and Howard Moreland, Jan and Bob Newman, and Gwynned Vitello.

Also on view

Nampeyo and the sikyátki revival, lhola amira: facing the future, lee mingwei: rituals of care.

1 million Mexican Americans were deported a century ago. A new L.A. audio tour explores this 'hidden' history

O lvera Street, adorned with brightly colored papel picado (perforated paper) and teeming with lively puestos (food stalls), did not always look as vibrant as it does today. While the historic pedestrian street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument attract about 2 million tourists annually, many don’t know how the area came to be or that it was the site of the first public immigration raid in Los Angeles.

A new self-guided audio tour , presented by the California Migration Museum, explores both the origin of this storied area and the “hidden” history of the La Placita raid that ultimately led to the deportation of as many as 1.8 million Mexican Americans across the country in the 1930s.

The immersive experience, titled “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá” — meaning neither from here, nor from there — is narrated by Karla Estrada, an activist and advocate for immigrant justice. The founder and director of the museum, Katy Long, contributes to the story’s narration as well. The tour, which is also available as an interactive, 360-degree YouTube video , is part of the museum’s “Migrant Footsteps” series, which offers similar free audio walks in the San Francisco area.

The project took nine months to develop and was funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The museum has four walking tours based in San Francisco; this new tour is the first to trace the rich migration history of L.A..

In an interview with The Times, Long said the museum wanted its first L.A. experience to trace the history of La Placita and Olvera Street because it "made sense on so many levels."

"It is the space where Los Angeles was founded," Long said. "That area has this long, layered history going back to the Native Americans, who were there before the Pobladores arrived, and then you have these layers upon layers of different migration histories that all center and circle around La Placita."

Long said the California Migration Museum has plans to create more tours in L.A. The "short list" of ideas and topics they'd like to explore in future experiences include California's Proposition 187 , the Great Migration and the history of Jewish Los Angeles.

A century ago, the subset of downtown L.A. where La Placita and Olvera Street exist today was home to Mexican, Chinese and Italian immigrants. The plaza became known for “radical political rallies” by the 1920s. Because it was such an active gathering spot, government officials launched a highly visible immigration raid at the plaza in February 1931, Estrada says in the audio tour.

The tour’s narration details how the public became more hostile toward immigrants during the beginning of the Great Depression. In L.A., officials made plans to expel immigrants to create job openings for U.S. citizens, and the La Placita raid was one of the first steps of that effort.

The audio features reenactments of the scene of the 1931 raid, with voice actors depicting police and immigration officials demanding immigration papers from the 400 Mexicans who were enjoying music and food at the plaza that day. Estrada says prior to 1917, there were significantly fewer checks at borders and less restrictions on immigration, so many of the people there did not have documentation.

While only a "few" people were deported as a direct result of the raid, many immigrants were intimidated by the officials and feared deportation following the public scene. After the larger L.A. community criticized the intimidation tactics, Estrada says immigration officials switched their focus to “coercing” the poorest immigrants to voluntarily return to Mexico.

Long asks in the narration, “When you leave because you feel you have no other choice, is that really voluntary?”

Over the next decade following the raid, more than a million people across the country, tens of thousands of whom were children born in the U.S., making them American citizens, were deported to Mexico or left under coercion.

The final stop on the tour is a monument, unveiled in 2012, acknowledging California’s history of Mexican repatriation.

“The State of California apologizes to those individuals that were victims of this ‘repatriation’ program for the fundamental violations of their basic civil liberties and constitutional rights committed during this period of illegal deportation and coerced emigration,” the description on the monument reads.

Long said this chapter of L.A. history has "so many contemporary resonances" with ongoing conversations about immigration to the U.S.

"The story felt like a way to connect with so many questions that are still being asked today about what it means to be Mexican American in the United States today," Long told the The Times. "What does it mean to be a second-generation immigrant? Do you belong, and how contingent is that on having the right paperwork?"

The tour also examines the origin story of what we know as modern-day Olvera Street, including Christine Sterling's efforts to transform the area from a “forgotten” part of town to a treasured cultural site and tourist attraction. Estrada notes in the tour’s narration that Sterling wanted to present a more “colorful” history but that her creation was “far away from the reality of Mexico.”

“This place is an invention, a fantasy,” Estrada says of modern Olvera Street, especially compared with her Mexican hometown of Cuernavaca. “The plaza there does not have colorful stands, nor the Día de los Muertos in July. This place reminds me of the movie ‘Coco.’ Vendors with embroidered shawls and dresses, bright Catrinas and sugar skulls.”

Sterling lobbied L.A. officials and fought for the area’s preservation and development in the 1920s until Olvera Street’s grand opening in April 1930, just a year before the first immigration raid in the area. The tour includes interviews with the owners of Casa California on Olvera Street whose relatives hold Sterling in “high regard” for giving their family the opportunity to escape poverty decades ago. Her portrait is framed at the entrance of their shop.

Despite her contributions to Olvera Street, the narrator acknowledges Sterling’s complicated relationship with Mexican Americans, saying she had a “white savior complex” and calling her “patronizing and autocratic.” Much of the criticism of Sterling comes from her effort to obscure a 1932 mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros, titled “América Tropical,” that depicted a country “oppressed and destroyed by imperialism.”

By the end of the 1930s, the mural was entirely whitewashed and would not be seen by the public again until 2012, after a years-long conservation effort by the Getty .

“Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá” incorporates the origins of Olvera Street and its status as a cultural attraction into the larger conversation of the history and current state of Mexican immigration to the U.S. Estrada notes that “eating tacos or dancing in the street can’t erase the dark reality that many Mexican immigrants live in fear of deportation.”

One of Estrada’s final remarks on the tour speaks to that effort to bridge this untold story with our present: “Unless we remember our history, we will be condemned to repeat it.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

THE 10 BEST California Science Museums

Science museums in california.

• Art Galleries
• Speciality Museums
• History Museums
• Art Museums
• Children's Museums
• Science Museums
• Military Museums
• Natural History Museums
• Observatories & Planetariums
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Exposition Park
• North Waterfront/Embarcadero
• Golden Gate Park
• Corona Heights
• Balboa Park
• Central L.A
• Mid-Wilshire
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• Good for Kids
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Exploratorium

2. California Academy of Sciences

3. La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

4. California Science Center

5. The Tech Interactive

6. Children's Discovery Museum

7. Jet Propulsion Laboratory

8. Sensorio

9. Seymour Marine Discovery Center

10. Turtle Bay Exploration Park

11. Fleet Science Center

12. Discovery Cube

13. Chabot Space & Science Center

14. Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center

15. The Lawrence Hall Of Science

16. CuriOdyssey

17. MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation

18. Museum of Ancient Wonders

19. Aerospace Museum of California

20. Mt. Shasta Sisson Museum

21. Western Science Center

22. Fresno Discovery Center

23. Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

24. World of Wonders Science Museum

25. Gateway Science Museum

26. SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity

27. California Raptor Center

28. Randall Museum

29. Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center

30. University of California Museum of Paleontology

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