Frequently Asked Questions

Site visits can be scheduled with the Facility Rental Manager. If you prefer to come by on your own, rental areas are open to the public and can be visited during business hours without an appointment or tickets. The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday from 9:30 am–5:15 pm. Please keep in mind the Tower and Café close early at 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Please call the facility rental manager to check date availability. If a date is open, you may place a tentative hold on the date. Holds are valid for 30 days.

The calendaring system can place two holds for any given date. If you are interested in a date with one tentative hold, you can be placed as the second hold. If you are interested in a date with holds, you must challenge the holding parties in order to secure your date.

In order to challenge a hold, you must sign the challenge waiver and submit a payment of 50% of your estimated rental fees. Once this has been received by the facility rental manager, the holding party(ies) will have 48 hours to book the space or lose their hold. By challenging a hold, you are committing to going to contract for that specific date. Challenge deposits are non refundable.

If your hold is challenged, the facility rental manager will give you notice via phone or email that you have been challenged. You will be required to go to contract and submit a 50% rental deposit within 48 hours or you will release your hold.

The de Young is available for events beginning each evening at 6:30 pm. On Mondays, events may start earlier as the museum is closed and there is more flexibility with start time and set up.

The latest an event can run is until 1 am.

Caterers have access to the catering kitchen beginning at 2 pm on the day of your event. Set-up of event space cannot begin until 5:30 pm. You may rent the Piazzoni Murals Room during the daytime as a private set-up area for your event. Please contact the facility rental manager for costs.

The museum will not open doors to your guests until your contracted event start time.

All rental fees are based on a three-hour event. You of course do not need to use the entire three hours if your event is shorter.

The museum does not accept any deliveries or shipments. All materials must be brought on site by your vendors or staff. All meeting or event equipment/supplies must be brought into the museum via the loading dock. No materials will be allowed to enter the museum from any other door. All materials must be removed within two hours of the event end time.

Any persons entering the museum before the event start time must be approved by the facility rental manager. You will be required to submit a list of all staff arriving early (10 staff max). All staff must enter the museum via the security entrance/loading dock located on John F. Kennedy Drive and may be required to show I.D.

The de Young Café entrance is located on the west side of the de Young and is accessed from Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive through the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden. The main entrance is located on the front of the building on the south side of the de Young facing the music concourse. Your event entrance is determined by your event rental space.

The de Young offers the Piazzoni Murals Room for daytime event rentals. Events taking place at the de Young during the day must use the in-house concessionaire, McCall Associates for all catering services.

Outside caterers listed on the de Young approved catering list are permitted to cater on site at the de Young. All caterers listed have been approved by the director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and are permitted to use the catering kitchen at the de Young. No caterers other than those listed on the approved list are permitted to cater in the de Young.

Our comprehensive policies and procedures will be included with your contract. You can request an electronic version prior to contract by emailing the facility rental manager.

No, the museum does not provide any equipment for events.

The rental fees listed include an engineer, custodial services, a museum representative, and security. No food, beverage or service staff is included in rental fees.

None of the above are permitted at the de Young.

Guided tours and self-guided visits are free for K–12 student groups with advance reservations. Guided tours require a deposit of $100 to secure your reservation. The deposit is returned to you on the day of your visit or in the event of a cancellation with advance notice (preferably one month in advance).

Reservations may be made by submitting a reservation request from our website, either through an online form or by downloading a PDF request form. Please view the “Scheduling A Visit” page for more information.

Guided tours accommodate up to 35 students per reserved time slot. Self-guided groups are scheduled for entry every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the galleries requested and other reservations on a given day. If your group is larger than 35, you may divide it into two smaller groups with consecutive entry times.

Members always receive unlimited free admission to the permanent collections at the de Young and the Legion of Honor.
Members also receive unlimited free admission to our current special exhibitions, The Fashion World of John Paul Gaultier and The Cult of Beauty. However, daily ticket limits based on membership levels still apply. Members at the Individual, Out of State, Senior, Teacher, and Student levels can receive up to two free tickets per day. Members at the Family/Dual, Contributing, Supporting, and Sustaining levels can receive up to four free tickets per day.

No, it has always been our policy that membership benefits are not transferrable to non-members. Members are welcome to bring guests with them to visit the museums; guests (and children, for those with Family/Dual and above memberships) can only gain free entry when they are accompanied by the member named on the card. We cannot make benefits transferrable because we would lose revenue if an unlimited number of people could share one membership. The revenue we receive from membership dues and ticket sales goes to support exhibitions, underwrite special programs, maintain both museum buildings, and to expand and conserve our permanent collection—all of the things that make being a member worthwhile. Please note, the number of complimentary guests are dependent on membership level. In order to enforce this policy and preserve the privileges of membership for members only, we began asking for photo identification in 2008.

Click here, to purchase a gift membership. Order the membership with the recipient's mailing information and your billing information and we'll send a membership package directly to them. You can also purchase gift memberships on-site  or by calling (415) 750-3636 (Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm).

We have taken several steps to improve your ticketing experience. For our current special exhibitions, The Fashion World of John Paul Gaultier and The Cult of Beauty, tickets are not timed and advance reservations are not required. Members receive unlimited free admission during the run of these exhibitions. However, daily ticket limits based on membership levels still apply. To save time and avoid waiting in line, members can take advantage a special one-time option to reserve tickets online and print them at home.  Click here for more information and to reserve tickets.

The following upcoming exhibitions do not require timed tickets. If you are a member, simply pick up your tickets at the Membership Desk on the day of your visit.

de Young
Real to Real: Photographs from the Traina Collection, June 9  through September 16, 2012
 

Legion of Honor
Man Ray | Lee Miller, Partners in Surrealism, July 14 through October 14, 2012

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are very fortunate to have membership support from over 118,000 member households. The cost of sustaining our membership program—the third largest art museum membership in the country—increases along with the number of members. In order to ensure that the majority of membership funds go toward our exhibitions and programs, and not administrative expenses, we needed to increase the revenue that we receive from membership dues. We appreciate that our members continue to contribute generously because of their dedication to the arts and their desire to support our exhibitions and programs.

The most recent change to membership rates took place in August 2010. Prior to that, the last change occurred on September 1, 2008, when the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco adjusted its membership rates for the first time in five years.

After doing a survey of comparable museums, we found that our dues were below the industry average, relative to the benefits offered. For example, at the previous rate of $95, a Family/Dual level membership includes—among other generous benefits—free admission for two members, two guests, and all children under 17 living in the same household at two museums (the de Young and the Legion of Honor). This rate is actually cheaper than buying four adult tickets to a single special exhibition. At the new rate of $125, the Family/Dual level is only a few dollars more—the value of a single adult admission in some cases—than comparable levels of membership at one-museum institutions in the Bay Area.

It takes two to four weeks to process your membership. It may take six to eight weeks before you receive your permanent membership card. In the meantime, we welcome you to visit the museums; just be sure to bring along photo identification. If you are a renewing member, your current card will still work.

We are no longer sending out expiration stickers. As long as your membership is current, your card will remain active.

As long as you added a second name to your membership and upgraded to the Family/Dual level or above, you will receive another membership card in approximately six to eight weeks. If you still have not received a second card, please call 415.750.3636 or email membership@famsf.org to request the card. Please specify the second name for the card. In the meantime, simply check in at the membership desk to receive you full upgraded benefits when you visit.

No. Once you have received your permanent plastic card, you will continue to use those indefinitely. As long as your membership is current, your card will remain active.

The benefit for Individual, Senior, Student, Teacher, and Out-of-State memberships allows for admission for one member and one guest. Only one name can be on the membership and the guest must be accompanied by the member in order to receive free admission. In order to receive two cards, you must upgrade to at least a Family/Dual level membership. Family/Dual, Contributing, Supporting, and Sustaining memberships allow free admission to the permanent collection and most special exhibitions for one member and one guest per card plus children in the same household up to age 17. Guests and children must be accompanied by a member to receive free admission.

No, you may upgrade your membership at any time during the year by paying the difference between your current level and the new level; your expiration date remains the same. Call the Membership office at 415.750.3636 and begin taking advantage of increased membership benefits.

Email your new address to us at membership@famsf.org; call the Membership office at 415.750.3636; or, fill out a change of address form in person at either Museum.

Yes, mail us at membership@famsf.org or call the Membership office at 415.750.3636, 24 hours a day. If the museum is closed, leave a message and we will get back to you. Or, fill out a replacement card form in person at either museum. Please note there is a $5 fee per replacement card. Membership cards are permanent and remain current as long as your membership is active.

Yes! ArtPoint is the young professionals’ organization associated with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. ArtPoint emphasizes educational, social and networking opportunities. It can be added to any membership at the Individual level or higher for $50. For more information, visit the ArtPoint website at www.artpoint.org, email artpoint@famsf.org, or call 415.750.3548.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco participates in two reciprocal membership programs: the Western Reciprocal Program and the North American Reciprocal Program. Listings appear below.

Special stickers are issued to Contributing-level ($225) members and above which, when attached to their FAMSF membership cards, grant them limited member privileges at other museums across North America and in Bermuda. Click here for a list of museums that participate in the Western Reciprocal and North American Reciprocal Programs.

Privileges may include:

• Free general admission during museum hours
• Free admission to special exhibitions when no ticket is required
• Admission to members' previews
• Discounts on purchases made on the premises in art and book shops
• Discounts on film, concert, and lecture tickets

After much deliberation, we have had to remove the member ticketing kiosks. It has become expensive to maintain the outdated kiosks, which are not compatible with our new ticketing system.

However, there is a more important reason for this change. It has always been our policy that membership benefits are not transferrable to non-members. In order to enforce this policy and preserve the privileges of membership for members only, we began asking for photo identification over a year ago. The kiosks do not allow us to maintain this membership service standard because they create an opportunity for non-members to access the museums with a borrowed membership card(s). It is necessary for our members to interact with a museum staff member each time they visit us so as to limit the use of membership benefits to those who have paid for them.

The reason we cannot make benefits transferrable is that we would lose revenue if an unlimited number of people could share one membership. The revenue we receive from membership dues and ticket sales goes to support exhibitions, underwrite special programs, maintain both museum buildings, and to expand and conserve our permanent collection-all of the things that make being a member worthwhile.

We do apologize to those of you who enjoyed using the kiosks and hope you will understand our decision. Please call 415.750.3636, or email membership@famsf.org, if you would like to share your feelings about this issue with us. Thank you very much for your support of the de Young and the Legion of Honor.

We reserve the right to revoke memberships for abuse of member privileges. For example, membership will be revoked if it comes to our attention that a member is selling free or discounted member tickets.

Do you have any questions which have not been answered here? We are committed to providing the best possible service to our members--please feel free to send your questions to us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Call us at 415.750.3636 or e-mail membership@famsf.org.

All of the areas that are available to rent are open to the public and can be visited during business hours without an appointment or tickets. Please feel free to stop by at your convenience and have a look around to determine if the spaces fit your needs. The museum is open Tuesday–Saturday from 9:30 am–5:15 pm, and stays open late on Friday evenings until 8:45 pm. Please keep in mind the tower closes early at 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Mondays. After visiting the museum, if you have specific questions on the spaces you can call the facility rental manager or send an email to deyoungevents@famsf.org.

Please call the facility rental manager to check date availability. If a date is open, you may place your name to hold the date. You will be required to give your full name and contact info, the areas you would like to rent, and the approximate number of guests. Holds are valid for 30 days. After 30 days, your hold can be cancelled without notice.

The calendaring system can place two holds for any given date. If you are interested in a date with one tentative hold, you can be placed as the second hold. If you are interested in a date with holds, you must challenge the holding parties in order to secure your date.

In order to challenge a hold, you must sign a waiver and submit a payment of 50% of your estimated rental fees. Once the facility rental manager has received your signed waiver and check, they will contact the holding parties to let them know they have 48 hours to book or they lose their hold. By challenging a hold, you are essentially committing to going to contract for that specific date. If you cancel after we have challenged the holding parties, you will forfeit your deposit or be charged a $1,500 administrative fee.

If your hold is challenged, the facility rental manager will give you notice via phone or email that you have been challenged. You will be required to go to contract and submit a 50% deposit within 48 hours or you will release your hold.

The de Young is available for events beginning each evening at 6:30 pm. On Mondays, your event can start earlier as the museum is closed and there is more flexibility with start time and set up. On Mondays, evening pricing applies. Wedding ceremonies taking place in the Sculpture Garden can begin at 6 pm, however, any portion of the reception taking place inside the museum cannot begin until 6:30 pm.

The latest the event can run is until 1 am. Your vendors will still have two hours after your guests leave for tear down, however, all guests must be off-premises by 1 am.

Caterers have access to the catering kitchen starting at 2 pm on the day of your event. Set-up of event space cannot begin until 5:30 pm once the museum has been cleared, closed and secured. You can rent the Piazzoni Murals Room to be closed to the public and utilized as a private set up area for your event. The cost is $1,500 and your vendors would have access at 2 pm. Ceremony set-up of chairs, etc. on the lawn of the Sculpture Garden can begin at 4 pm on the day of your event.

The museum will not open doors to your guests until your contracted event start time. Please advise your guests to come to the museum at the specified time. There are bathrooms available at the bandstand of the music concourse for guests who arrive early and need to use restrooms.

All spaces are rented in 4-hour blocks, however you do not need to use all four hours if your event is shorter.

The museum does not accept any deliveries or shipments. All party décor must be brought onsite by your vendors.

The de Young Café entrance is located on the west side of the de Young and is accessed from Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive through the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden. The main entrance is located on the front of the building on the south side of the de Young facing the music concourse. Your event entrance is determined by your event rental space.

The de Young offers the Piazzoni Murals Room for daytime event rentals. Events taking place at the de Young during the day must use the in-house concessionaire, McCall Associates for all catering services. The Murals Room is rented in four hour increments of time and does not include set up and tear down time. We do not rent the Piazzoni Murals Room for daytime weddings.

Outside caterers listed on the de Young approved catering list are permitted to cater on site at the de Young. All caterers listed have been approved by the director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and are permitted to use the catering kitchen at the de Young. No caterers other than those listed on the approved list are permitted to cater in the de Young.

Our comprehensive policies and procedures will be included with your contract. You can request an electronic version prior to contract by emailing the facility rental manager. The renter must submit a list of all vendors to the facility rental manager 30 days prior to the event. All vendors will be contacted by the facility rental manager directly and must adhere to the museum’s policies and procedures as well as sign a waiver to work on-site. All logistics must be approved by the facility rental manager. Entertainment must be approved and must end 15 minutes prior to the end of the event. Due to strict conditions affecting art all decorations, lighting, floral, ice sculptures, displays, audio/visual and sound equipment must be approved 30 days from the event.

No, the museum does not provide any equipment for events. All cooking supplies, water and fuel must be provided by outside caterers. Caterers are also responsible for disposal of waste and must carry recycling off-site at the end of each event.

The rental fees listed include an engineer, custodial services, a museum representative, and security. No food, beverage or service staff is included in rental fees.

None of the above are permitted at the de Young.

This is one of our most common questions. Periodically throughout the year, the de Young Café Terrace is tented with a full, clear span tent, covering the entire outdoor Terrace. The tent is generally up during our large exhibitions; however, it may be up at any time (or removed at any time) and is therefore hard to plan around. If you have rented the café, your guests will have access to the terrace, regardless if there is a tent up or not. If the tent is installed, please be aware that it is not heated nor specially lit and may contain banners or other museum materials.