Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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European paintings (b y M onet and R embrandt, among others), drawings, decorativ e
arts, and one of the world 's best collections of R odin's sculptures, including an original
cast of
The Thinker.
International tapestries, print, and drawings ar e also on display.
The cafe offers healthy and flav orful snack and lunch items in a delightful indoor/
outdoor setting; it is only accessible through the museum. If you can, come on a weekend
afternoon to catch the 4pm organ concer t. The museum's impressive 1924 Skinner pipe
organ has 4,500 pipes v arying in siz e fr om a half-inch to 32 feet, all hidden behind
canvas painted to look like marble.
Clement St. and 34th A ve.
&
415/750-3600.
www.famsf.org/legion. Admission $10 adults, $7 seniors,
$6 youth 13-17. Free children 12 and under, free to all 1st Tues of the month. Tues-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm;
Friday 9:30am-8:45pm. Organ concerts Sat and Sun at 4pm. Muni: no. 38-Geary to 33rd Ave., then trans-
fer to the no. 18-46th Ave.
Cartoon Art Museum
Ages 6 and up.
Cartoons are taken seriously in these par ts.
Exhibits in the museum's five galleries a half-block from Yerba Buena Center trace the his-
tory of cartoon art from political jabs to underground comics. Temporary shows highlight
individual artists, such as B ill Watterson and E dward Gorey, and specific forms, such as
television cartoon animation. Most of the comic strips are geared to adults. Given the invit-
ing name of the museum, kids may be disappointed. Certainly they'll appreciate the collec-
tion of D isney cels and backgr ounds that w ere actually used to make classics such as
Fantasia
and
Snow White,
but you could be better off just renting a Disney movie. Contact
the museum for information on car tooning classes and 1-day workshops for kids.
655 Mission St.
&
415/227-8666.
www.cartoonart.org. Admission $6 adults , $4 students/seniors , $2
kids 6-12, free children 5 and under. Tues-Sun 11am-5pm. First Tues of the month is “pay what you wish”
day. Closed on Mon and major holidays. Muni: Any streetcar to Montgomery St.; 14, 30, 45, 74X bus.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
Ages 8 and up.
This museum has been
designed as an evolving space welcoming people of all backgrounds to come together to
experience ar t, music, film literatur e, and other expr essions of the J ewish spirit and
imagination. Among recent exhibits was the thought-provoking “Jewish Identity Project:
New American Photography,” which featured the work of 13 artists, not all of them Jew-
ish, who pr ofiled differ ent J ewish communities thr oughout the U.S.—and shatter ed
some stereotypes along the way. The museum is scheduled to move in 2008 to a dynamic
new space in SoMa designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.
121 Steuart St. (btw. Mission and Howard sts.). 736 Mission St. (btw. 3rd and 4th sts.)
&
415/344-8800.
www.thecjm.org. Fri-Tues 11am-5:30pm, Thurs 1-8:30pm. Closed Wed, Jewish holidays, Fourth of July,
Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day (open limited hours on Christmas). Admission $10 adults, $8 students
and seniors, free for kids 12 and under. Free admission 3rd Mon of every month. $5 Thurs after 5pm Muni:
F-Market streetcar; 14, 30, 45, 74X bus.
de Young Museum
Ages 5 and up.
Designed by the Swiss architecture firm
Herzog & de M euron, the de Young raised ey ebrows when its gleaming copper facade,
with a 144-foot-tall to wer soaring w ell abo ve the for est canopy, first became visible.
Residents complained that the imposing building had no place in a par k, despite assur-
ances fr om the ar chitects that the copper—per forated and textur ed to r esemble light
streaming through trees—would eventually turn gr een, blending mor e seamlessly into
the surroundings. That the copper has indeed begun to take on a subtle green sheen now
seems irrelevant. The museum has won locals over since its 2005 opening.
Among the museum's many assets is, in fact, its architecture. Once inside, elements of
light and nature weave together compellingly with unexpected angles and modern mate-
rials such as exposed concrete and glass. And while the museum's tower does soar beyond
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