San Francisco's Exploratorium offers free admission to the public on the first Wednesday of every month.

Housed within the walls of the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, the Exploratorium boasts more than 400 interactive science, art, and human perception exhibits for kids of all ages.

Also offering public presentations such as hands-on workshops, lectures, performances, films, and other special events, the museum aims to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

San Francisco's most visited museums offer FREE admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Take advantage of Free Museum Tuesdays at:

Cartoon Art Museum
The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to preserving and exhibiting cartoon art in all its forms. In addition to housing approximately 6,000 pieces of original art, the museum also has an extensive research library and a classroom for cartoon art classes and workshops. As a bonus, the museum has one of the best bookstores in the city with a vast collection of interesting and eclectic coffee table books.

Conservatory of Flowers
Located in Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers boasts almost 2,000 plant species in five immersive galleries. From tropical flowers to giant water lilies, the conservatory is a lush and diverse living museum for all ages.

de Young Museum
Founded in 1895 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the de Young boasts a state-of-the-art new facility that integrates art, architecture, and the natural landscape in one multi-faceted destination. The museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art
As the only folk art museum in Northern California, the museum is known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world, demonstrating how folk art, contemporary craft, and fine art are all part of the same continuum.

Palace of the Legion of Honor
Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful Beaux-arts building located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park. Displaying an impressive collection of 4,000 years worth of ancient and European art in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the Legion is also home to an early cast of Rodin's famous "Thinker" sculpture. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
YBCA presents contemporary art from the Bay Area and around the world that reflects the profound issues and ideas of our time, expands the boundaries of artistic practice, and celebrates the diversity of human experience and expression.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco offers free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, the Asian Art Museum collection spans 6,000 years of history and includes 17,000 objects, from tiny jades to monumental sculptures, paintings, porcelains and ceramics, lacquers, textiles, furniture, arms and armor, puppets, and basketry.

The only children's museum in the U.S. to be located in a national park, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor children's museum nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The first Wednesday of the month, admission is free to the museum. Bring the family down to explore the 7.5-acre, indoor-outdoor environment that harmonizes nature and nurture.

Check out permanent exhibits such as Lookout Cove, which includes a shipwreck with clues to dig up and discover, and the San Francisco Bay Hall, a playful simulation of the Bay Area with an "underwater" tunnel, 300-gallon sea star tank, a fishing boat, a model of Fisherman's Wharf, and a play shipping port.

Members of the LGBTQ community should never feel limited in their travel choices, but planning a safe and rewarding travel experience can occasionally be more challenging. This workshop is designed for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer travelers who are planning to travel by themselves and wondering if it's safe and preferable to look beyond the usual gay cruise lines and group tours. Those in attendance will learn how to travel on a budget, stay healthy while having fun, and how to travel responsibly. There will be complimentary refreshments.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI on Brannan Street and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI in San Carlos and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI on Brannan Street and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.