Visit a Museum for Free in September

Admission to the Bay Area Discovery Museum is free on Wednesday, September 6.

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 museums charge for admission to special exhibitions and usually only the special exhibition fee is charged on free days; see details with each museum listing in our ultimate guide to San Francisco Bay Area museum free days below. Many museums also require advance tickets due to COVID precautions.

Also, groups are generally not admitted on free days; check with each museum for their free day group policy.

First Sunday of the Month—September 3

• Asian Art Museum
• Oakland Museum of California

Every Saturday—September 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30

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 and admission fees apply for most special exhibitions.

• de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor

Bank of America Museums on Us—September 2 & 3

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:

• de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor
• Contemporary Jewish Museum
• Oakland Museum of California
• Napa Valley Museum, Yountville

First Tuesday of the Month—September 5

• de Young Museum
• Legion of Honor

First Wednesday of the Month—September 6

• Bay Area Discovery Museum

First Thursday of the Month—September 7

• Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
• SFMOMA — free general admission for San Francisco Bay Area residents from 4–8 pm

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.