Hidden gems: Museums in San Francisco

Discover the city's hidden treasures—remarkable spots that are relatively undiscovered but offer exceptional experiences. Our selection criteria? A rating of 4.5 or higher with fewer than 150 reviews. Explore these lesser-known yet outstanding places that promise a delightful visit in San Francisco. This list contains 19 places from Museum category.

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Gregangelo's Velocity Arts & Entertainment image
1
Gregangelo's Velocity Arts & Entertainment
Circus
Opulently decorated house, HQ & museum for avant-garde entertainment troupe, with private tours.
4.90 (125 reviews)
WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall image
2
WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall
Museum
Humble museum preserving the history of China's military efforts during WWII, with photos & models.
4.90 (34 reviews)
Legion of Honor Museum Store image
3
Legion of Honor Museum Store
Gift shop
Sophisticated shop for art books, posters & prints, plus gifts inspired by the museum's collection.
4.80 (49 reviews)
San Francisco Fire Department Museum image
4
San Francisco Fire Department Museum
Museum
Small, free museum exhibiting antique fire engines, helmets, extinguishers & other SFFD memorabilia.
4.80 (44 reviews)
Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye image
5
Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye
Museum
👍👍 FREE, with interesting information and hands-on exhibits, what else could you ask for? I enjoyed the exhibit, which included interesting trivia about how our sight is sometimes fooled and detail explanations about how it anatomically works. I highly recommend it.
4.80 (34 reviews)
ICA SF image
6
ICA SF
Museum
👍👍 The free exhibition I checked out was beautiful and timely.
4.80 (33 reviews)
History Of Golden Gate Bridge image
7
History Of Golden Gate Bridge
Museum
👍👍 It's nice that there is a place to show the history of the bridge's construction and the importance of the bridge for society.
4.80 (13 reviews)
The American Bookbinders Museum image
8
The American Bookbinders Museum
Museum
Museum devoted to bookbinding history with vintage equipment, changing exhibits & group tours.
4.70 (106 reviews)
Hyde St. Pier Historic Ships image
9
Hyde St. Pier Historic Ships
Museum
👍👍 A great place for anyone interested in sailing and history. You can tour the ships in peace and understand their importance to the development of Alaska and the west coast of the United States.
4.70 (76 reviews)
Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences image
10
Osher Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences
Museum
👍👍 A must visit when you go to the Academy. If you visit during the. Nightlife events on Thursdays make sure you stop here first before the last entry at 7:30pm. The dome is full of plants, butterflies and birds. On each floor there are small terrariums and exhibits with lizards, insects, frogs that l...
4.70 (56 reviews)
Southern Exposure image
11
Southern Exposure
Arts organization
4.70 (29 reviews)
Antique Vibrator Museum image
12
Antique Vibrator Museum
Museum
Small 1-room museum in an adult shop tracing the history of the sex toy from the 19th century.
4.60 (95 reviews)
Academy of Art University Automobile Museum image
13
Academy of Art University Automobile Museum
Museum
👍👍 $15 Entrance fee Tuesday 11-1 thursdays 2-4 No tounchin
4.60 (61 reviews)
The Long Now Foundation image
14
The Long Now Foundation
Foundation
👍👍 Interesting, hidden, an enormously rewarding experience. Neil Gaiman and other donations makers have private bottles of whiskey and Puer hanging overhead.
4.60 (57 reviews)
Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery image
15
Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery
Museum
👍👍 Open to the public and free! To teach it, walk past the exploratorium and start walking up the pier, you will pass the Embassy of Switzerland on your left side. Keep walking to the waterfront and the entrance will be on your right side, with signs posted. Enter the building and go up the the second...
4.60 (8 reviews)
Boudin Museum & Bakery Tour image
16
Boudin Museum & Bakery Tour
Museum
👍👍 This place smells absolutely divine! The bread is made fresh daily and they serve their soups in little bread bowls as well (optional). This place has a lot of history and the food is that much better. There are a lot sandwich and soup options to choose from. I got the tomato soup with a chicken pes...
4.50 (115 reviews)
McElroy Octagon House image
17
McElroy Octagon House
Museum
Unique octagonal house & garden from 1861, today a decorative arts museum open twice a month.
4.50 (62 reviews)
Martin Lawrence Galleries image
18
Martin Lawrence Galleries
Art museum
Original paintings & limited edition prints from many big-name artists, including Picasso & Warhol.
4.50 (37 reviews)
Museo Italo Americano image
19
Museo Italo Americano
Museum
Petite museum offering rotating exhibits of Italian-American art, classes & cultural programming.
4.50 (20 reviews)
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