The museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, international textile arts and costumes, and art of Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas.
From its origins as the Fine Arts Building constructed for the California Midwinter International Exposition in 1894, the de Young has grown into the foremost museum in the western United States.
Founded in 1895 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the museum evolved into the current contemporary building. Constructed of warm, natural materials including copper, stone, wood and glass, the new de Young blends with and complements its natural surroundings. The building features a 144-foot tower that gently spirals from the ground floor to a public observation floor offering panoramic views of the entire Bay Area. Original elements include the sphinx sculptures and the Pool of Enchantment.
Please check the museum website for updated exhibition information. Scheduling may have been modified as a result of the temporary museum closure.
Exhibitions & Dates
Nampeyo and the Sikyátki Revival
Feb 27 2021 - Sep 15 2024
32 pots expose the artistic ingenuity of Nampeyo, famed Tewa-Hopi potter
Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence
Mar 18 2023 - Oct 15 2023
Explores the iconography of death and sacrifice in Western art
Ansel Adams in Our Time
Apr 8 2023 - Jul 23 2023
100+ of Adams’ works alongside 19th-century photographers & contemporary artists who influenced, and were influenced by, him.
Lhola Amira: Facing the Future
Dec 17 2022 - Dec 3 2023
The artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States
The de Young Open 2023
Sep 30 2023 - Jan 21 2024
Juried exhibition features work by artists from the nine Bay Area counties