Free Museums in the San Francisco Bay Area

(please note, this is just a placeholder for SanFranciscoStock.com- you can find images here until this site is fully functional)

Free Museums in the Bay Area

Most museums have a free day every month. But there are a few museums that are always free. Unlike the “ you get what you pay for” mantra, there are some real jewels.

Rodin Statue at the Cantor, Stanford Rodin Sculpture the Gates of Hell at the Cantor Museum, Stanford
The best free museum in the San Francisco Bay Area is found on the beautiful Stanford campus by Palo Alto. The Cantor Musuem is among other things home to the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris. In addition, the surroundings are absolutely gorgeous! There can be a charge for parking depending on what time or day you arrive. And you might be tempted to spend a few bucks at the fantastic cafe and sit outdoors and watch kids play under the statues.

For photography enthusiasts, there is the Pier 24 Photography museum. The museum is free, but there’s one catch: they are open by appointment only. If you are visiting San Francisco, they are in an area that you might end up anyhow, right beneath the Bay Bridge and an easy walk from the Ferry Terminal.

The Silicon Valley city of Santa Clara is home to two free art museums. The Triton Museum of Art is located centrally just across from city hall. Santa Clara University also boasts the De Saisset Museum on their beautiful campus. Don’t be deterred by the security gate, just let the attendant know you want to visit the museum and you’ll get a pass.

Corporate Silicon Valley is a surprisingly uninviting place. All those websites you know and love on your computer..... you know, like Facebook, Ebay, Yahoo, even Google will sick a security guard on you the second you step on their property from the sidewalk.... even if just to ask if they have a visitors center. However one surprising exception is the Intel Museum in Santa Clara. They offer a free musuem, with free parking, a photo spot with their logo and building in view. As you’d expect, it’s all about Intel, but after being harassed by security by all the other tech companies, this museum offers a welcome change. Great for kids too, who may already be tired of all the art museums you dragged them to.

View Free Museums in a larger map

		SanFranciscoStock.com
		photography of the San Francisco Bay Area

	HOME ::

	(please note, this is just a placeholder for SanFranciscoStock.com- you can find images here until this site is fully functional) Free Museums in the Bay Area Most museums have a free day every month. But there are a few museums that are always free. Unlike the “ you get what you pay for” mantra, there are some real jewels. The best free museum in the San Francisco Bay Area is found on the beautiful Stanford campus by Palo Alto. The Cantor Musuem is among other things home to the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris. In addition, the surroundings are absolutely gorgeous! There can be a charge for parking depending on what time or day you arrive. And you might be tempted to spend a few bucks at the fantastic cafe and sit outdoors and watch kids play under the statues. For photography enthusiasts, there is the Pier 24 Photography museum. The museum is free, but there’s one catch: they are open by appointment only. If you are visiting San Francisco, they are in an area that you might end up anyhow, right beneath the Bay Bridge and an easy walk from the Ferry Terminal. The Silicon Valley city of Santa Clara is home to two free art museums. The Triton Museum of Art is located centrally just across from city hall. Santa Clara University also boasts the De Saisset Museum on their beautiful campus. Don’t be deterred by the security gate, just let the attendant know you want to visit the museum and you’ll get a pass. Corporate Silicon Valley is a surprisingly uninviting place. All those websites you know and love on your computer..... you know, like Facebook, Ebay, Yahoo, even Google will sick a security guard on you the second you step on their property from the sidewalk.... even if just to ask if they have a visitors center. However one surprising exception is the Intel Museum in Santa Clara. They offer a free musuem, with free parking, a photo spot with their logo and building in view. As you’d expect, it’s all about Intel, but after being harassed by security by all the other tech companies, this museum offers a welcome change. Great for kids too, who may already be tired of all the art museums you dragged them to. View Free Museums in a larger map Words and Photographs ©Michael Halberstadt