Go to: San Francisco Museums (A to Z) | San Francisco Museum Map
There's a cluster of museums, all within several blocks of Yerba Buena Gardens in SoMa. SF MOMA is the big player in the district, but smaller museums in San Francisco provide a unique exploration of esoteric subjects.
Public Transit to Yerba Buena Gardens
- BART Station: Montgomery or Powell
- MUNI Station: Montgomery or Powell
- Bus Routes
- #14 Mission
- #9X,9AX,9BX (formerly #15 Third)
- #30 Stockton
- #45 Union
Photos of the SoMa area:
1. Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)
© Ingrid Taylar
MoAD emphasizes the power of technology with a gorgeous design of interactive displays and multimedia presentations. MoAD's exhibits teach visitors about the African Diaspora: "The scattering of people from Africa and the sowing of their cultures globally." To that end, MoAD draws upon other institutions, organizations and universities to compile and showcase the global African experience in all forms of story.
685 Mission Street (at Third)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 358-7200
2. Museum of Craft and Folk Art
© Ingrid Taylar
For a global showcase of arts and crafts, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art is the destination. Through a wide variety of exhibits, the museum creates visual connections between traditional arts and crafts, and other forms of fine art. Past exhibits have ranged from African-American quilt-making to world puppet art and Native American glass work.
51 Yerba Buena Lane (at Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone: (415) 227-4888
3. Cartoon Art Museum
The museum focuses on a broad range of topics in the world of cartooning art. In addition to traveling exhibits, the Cartoon Art Museum offers lectures, engages in community outreach, and even has a cartooning camp for children in the summer.
655 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 227-8666
4. Zeum
© Ingrid Taylar
Zeum is high-tech, inside and out. The spiral glass structure houses hands-on exhibits that incorporate all forms of modern multimedia. The mission of the non-profit Zeum facility is to inspire imagination and innovation in young people and their families, by providing the resources to create films, music and more.
221 Fourth Street (at Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone: (415) 820-3320