San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: Skip the ticket line

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration1h–3h

GroupUp to 15

Audio guideEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

What's inside a seven-story art museum that the New York Times said changed how museums work?

You get seven floors of modern and contemporary art, six terraces with city views, and the largest living wall in the US, all in one ticket. Kids 18 and under are free. The building is three blocks from Union Square, fully accessible, and you can spend as long as you want inside without separate charges for the main galleries — just book in advance.

1h–3h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Arrive at SFMOMA
Explore modern and contemporary artworks
Visit six city-view terraces
Enjoy dining options
Shop at museum store

The Experience

SFMOMA sits three blocks from Union Square, and the ticket gets you into all seven floors without worrying about separate charges for the main collection. You're walking past 33,000 pieces — painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, media — spread across the building in a way that doesn't feel like you're checking boxes. The New York Times called it a place that's "changing the face of museums going forward," which sounds like hype until you're actually there and the scale of it hits different.

The building itself is part of the thing. Six outdoor terraces have city views, there's a sculptural staircase you can sit on, Roman steps where people gather, and the largest living wall in the US covers part of the interior. You're not just looking at art; you're moving through spaces designed so you can breathe between galleries. If you bring kids under 18, they're free — everyone else pays, but the ticket covers the whole day, so you can leave and come back if you want. Just know that special exhibitions like Yayoi Kusama's Infinite Love cost extra and aren't included.

The museum has a restaurant, a café, and a shop if you need to eat or grab something on the way out. Parking garages are nearby, but public transit gets you there just as easily — the location is walkable from downtown hotels and the Moscone Center. Wheelchairs work everywhere; strollers are fine too. Book ahead because it fills up, especially on weekends.

What’s included

Your ticket includes admission to all seven floors of galleries, access to six outdoor city-view terraces, the living wall installation, and the sculptural staircase.
Kids 18 and under enter free.
Dining options and the museum shop are available on-site.
The ticket does not include special surcharged exhibitions.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to see SFMOMA's main collection without buying tickets at the door or figuring out what's included — the flat admission covers everything except special exhibitions, and the location near Union Square means you can combine it with other downtown stops.