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Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

Photo: LPS.1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsRainy-Day PickDate Night

Asian Art Museum

200 Larkin St · San Francisco, CA

Why you should go…

The Asian Art Museum holds more than 20,000 objects from across Asia, with pieces dating back as far as 6,000 years. Its galleries cover South Asia, Iran, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, China, Korea and Japan, alongside special exhibitions. The museum sits in the Civic Center in a Beaux-Arts building that opened in 1917 as the city's main library and was renovated under architect Gae Aulenti before the museum reopened there in 2003.

  • #art museum
  • #asian art
  • #civic center
  • #special exhibitions

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Asian Art Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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