Back to top
Home | Visit a Museum for Free in August

Visit a Museum for Free in August

Families visiting Oakland Museum of California

The Oakland Museum of California is free to all on the first Sunday of the month, August 6. Photo courtesy OMCA.

Did you know you can visit most of the Bay Area's major museums and cultural attractions for free every month? Just about all museums have one day a month set aside as a free day. They all aren't on the same day, too, so if you plan it right you can take in several museum outings without having to pay a thing.

Note that most museum free days ally only to general admissiopn; usually there's an additional charge for special exhibitions. Also, groups are generally not admitted on free days; check with each museum for their free day group policy.

First Tuesday of the Month—August 1

First Thursday of the Month—August 3

Every Saturday—August 5, 12, 19 & 26

Residents of the 9 San Francisco Bay Area counties receive free general admission to the de Young and Legion of Honor on Saturdays. Proof of residency required.

Bank of America Museums on Us—August 5 & 6

Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card holders get free general admission on the first full weekend of every month. Present your card and a photo ID for admission (one free general admission per cardholder). Get full details here. Participating museums include:

First Sunday of the Month—August 6

If you can't make it to the museum on any of these free days, don't worry—the Marin County Free Library offers Discover & Go museum passes for patrons to check out. These passes provide free or discounted admission at many San Francisco Bay Area museums, including the Asian Art Museum, the Lawrence Hall of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, the Exploratorium, the Charles M. Schulz Museum, and more. You can even log in with your library card number and print a pass online! You can also check out passes to the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Visit their website for more information.