San Francisco - De Young Museum (formerly M H de Young Memorial Museum)

The M H de Young Memorial Museum is the oldest museum in San Francisco. While art and period interiors from North America - especially the USA from the Colonial period to the 20th century - feature strongly in the collection, there are also many exhibits from Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East. British art, and folk art from Africa, America and the Pacific Islands, are also represented.

Must-see attractions nearby:

Palace of the Legion of Honor

Palace of Fine Arts

The original museum building was an art gallery, purpose-built for the International Californian Exposition held in Golden Gate Park in 1894. Afterwards the Exposition's director, the newspaper proprietor Michael H de Young (1849-1925), was charged with setting up a permanent museum. The collection at that time consisted of just a few items remaining from the exhibition. Over the next quarter of a century benefactions made possible the continuous, planned expansion of the museum, as a result of which more and more extensions were added until, in 1921, the old building in Egyptian style - of which two sphinxes are the only remaining sign - was finally replaced by more up-to-date premises.

Hours:

January 15 to November 30: 9:30am-5:15pm; Fri: 9:30am-8:45pm; Closed: Mon

December 1 to January 14: 9:30am-5:15pm; Closed: Mon, Mon

Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)

Tips: First Tuesday of each month - free admission. Admission tickets to the de Young include same-day general admission to the Legion of Honor .

Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.

Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service

Transit: Bus: 5 to Fulton Street and 8th Avenue.