San Francisco Museums Now Offering Free Weekend Visits After Anonymous Donation

Come December 3 and December 4, 2022, 21 museums in San Francisco will offer visitors free admission to their exhibitions, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. 

According to Datebook, the Asian Art Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art have formed a special San Francisco Free Museum Weekend.

Calling the initiative a demonstration of the “vibrant, resilient, and boundary-pushing” arts community in the city, SFMOMA Director Christopher Bedford tells The Chronicle that the institution is glad to join its peers in this “communal celebration” of arts, culture, and creativity. 

The Free Weekend certainly seems to have come at the right time, with a New York Times report alleging San Francisco is losing its status as a cultural center for the arts, with the city’s museums and galleries said to be in decline. 

As Thomas P Campbell, Director of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, tells the publication, opening up more access for the public to get in touch with art, and “removing barriers” to entry is an important step in the right direction. 

Head here to view the full list of museums offering free admission on each day. Visitors are required to reserve tickets in advance. 

[via ARTnews and Datebook, cover image via Rafael Ben Ari | Dreamstime.com]