About Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprised of the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is experiencing transformative growth in its mission to deepen engagement with the art and ideas of today. As the largest public art museum in San Francisco, FAMSF welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors annually and is among the most visited museums in the United States, supported by the 3rd largest museum membership base in the country. The de Young Museum and Legion of Honor ignite a creative curiosity in visitors, reflecting their past and stimulating creative agencies in their futures. By taking an inclusive and equitable approach in presenting its extraordinary collection of over 150,000 works, FAMSF is both a cherished community hub and a vibrant beacon in the global art world.
FAMSF Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thomas P. Campbell leads a vibrant and innovative program and strategic plan in which diversity and inclusion are the guiding principles. The museums annually host a prolific and comprehensive lineup of exhibitions and educational programs. In 2024, to celebrate the centenary of the Legion of Honor, the museums organized exhibitions highlighting female artists, including Mary Cassat at Work, Tamara de Lempicka and Leilah Babirye: We Have a History; additional exhibitions included Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style examining the history of San Francisco through fashion and featuring one of the most iconic collections of 20th and 21st century women’s clothing in the United States, Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World featuring permanent collection works from the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts that haven’t been displayed for a more than a decade. This two-part exhibition (The Floating World and The Modern World) highlights this stylistic transition and the work of one artist, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who successfully spanned both epochs, and Irving Penn, featuring approximately 175 photographs, spanning every period of Penn’s nearly 70-year career.
The de Young Museum collections include the most comprehensive survey of American art in the American West, international textile arts and costumes, photography, and art of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. In 2005, the museum’s expansion and new facilities by Herzog & de Meuron reframed the museum by engaging it with the surrounding park and creating a setting that explores the diversity and intersection of different cultures. The Legion of Honor, built in 1924, is situated on the headlands of Lands End overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Its collections include The Thinker and other masterworks by August Rodin, European decorative arts and paintings, Ancient art, and one of the largest collections of prints and drawings in the country. The Penny and James Coulter Objects Conservation Center, the Sardegna Paintings Center, the George and Marie Hecksher Textiles Conservation Center, and the Paper Conservation Center support and complement the museums’ collections, providing preservation and scientific study that is both culturally sensitive and authentic.
FAMSF provides an expansive variety of community-centered public programs and educational opportunities for visitors, educators, and learners of all ages. FAMSF’s commitments to engage new and diverse audiences include Free Saturdays, a free general admission day for Bay Area residents; the annual de Youngsters Day Out; and concerts featuring the 1924 Legion of Honor Spreckels Organ. FAMSF encourages meaningful artistic experiences, uplifts educators, and collaborates with community groups, schools, and city organizations through a rich array of programs. The Diversity and Innovation Fund was launched in 2021 and supports the Equity School Partnership project which serves the museum’s kindergarten through fifth grade public school programs.
