Bay Area attractions can often be visited for little or no admission price. Check out these locations for low cost admittance. Always confirm offer is still valid before going.

Asian Art Museum, SF: Free – first Sunday of every month.

Autodesk Gallery, SF: Free – always.

Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausilito: Free – first Wednesday of every month.

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley: Free – first Thursday of every month.

Pez Museum, Burlingame: Free – first Thursday of every month.

Cable Car Museum, SF: Free – always.

California Academy of Sciences, SF: Free – check calendar, SF resident days vary check calendar.

Cantor Arts Center, Palo Alto: Free – always.

Cartoon Art Museum: Pay What You Wish – First Tuesday.

Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland: Free – first full weekend of every month for Bank of America Card Holders ; $5 – after 6 pm first Friday of every month.

Children’s Creativity Museum, SF: Free – check calendar.

Chinese Historical Society of America, SF: Free – always.

Conservatory of Flowers, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month.

Contemporary Jewish Museum, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month, check calendar.

de Young Museum, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month.

Exploratorium: Free – check calendar.

GLBT Historical Society: Free – first Wednesday of every month.

International Art Museum of America: Free – always.

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco: Free – every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9-10 am.

LACIS Museum of Lace and Textiles, Berkeley: Free – always.

Legion of Honor, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month.

Musee Mecanique, SF: Free – always.

Museo Italo Americano, SF: Free – always.

Museum of the African Diaspora, SF: Free – check calendar.

Museum of American Heritage, Palo Alto: Free – always.

Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley: Free – check calendar.

Museum of Craft and Design, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month.

Museum of Performance and Design, SF: Free – always.

Oakland Museum of California, Oakland: Free – first Sunday of every month, ages 18 & under every Friday 5-9 pm. ; Half Price – every Friday 5-9 pm.

Randall Museum, SF: Free – See website.

San Francisco Art Institute, SF: Free – always.

San Francisco Botanical Garden, SF: Free – every morning 7:30-9am, second Tuesday of every month, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.

San Francisco Fire Department Museum, SF: Free – always.

SF Camerawork, SF: Free – always.

Museum of Modern Art, SF: Free – always 18 & under.

Railway Museum, SF: Free – always.

San Francisco Zoo, SF: Free – check calendar (S.F. residents only).

San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose: Free – check calendar.

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose: Free – always.

San Mateo County History Museum, San Mateo: Free – first Friday of every month.

Sake Museum, Berkeley: Free – always.

Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose: Half Price – last hour of every day; Third Thursdays.

Wells Fargo History Museum, SF: Free – always.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SF: Free – first Tuesday of every month.

 

Discover & Go: Free – always, Public Library card holders reserve free and discounted passes to local museums and cultural institutions. Check with your local library.