An Experience to Remember

The de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor offer distinctly different yet deeply complementary experiences. Together as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, these two locations offer more than remarkable collections — they provide a richly layered portrait of the city itself, where art, architecture, and scenery converge in moments of reflection and discovery.

In Golden Gate Park, the copper façade of the de Young Museum captures the flicker of the sun’s rays filtered through the distinctive palm trees in front. The Museum’s collection includes works commissioned during the 2005 construction of the boldly contemporary building: “Drawn Stone,” a work by English sculptor Andy Goldsworthy inspired by California’s topography, and “Three Gems,” an experiential space created by James Turrell, an American artist known for his visionary work with light. The sweeping 360-degree views from the glass walled summit of the Hamon Observation Tower stretch from downtown rooftops to the Pacific horizon, offering perspective on both the city and the landscapes that shape it.

Hushed galleries and coastal vistas create a serene atmosphere at the Legion of Honor. Inside the neoclassical building set high above the Pacific in Lincoln Park, a world-class collection of European painting, sculpture and decorative arts spans centuries, with ocean fog and cypress trees framing the art beyond the windows. Works include more than 90 sculptures by Rodin and paintings by Impressionist masters such as Monet, Renoir and Degas.