San Francisco is home to some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions—from The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to the de Young Museum to the California Academy of Sciences. Many families in San Francisco, however, cannot afford the admission fees to visit these and other cultural institutions, which can range from $20 to $150 for a family of four to visit. This summer, fifteen San Francisco museums and cultural institutions will participate in San Francisco Museums for All and will offer free admission to low-income people receiving public benefits.
Through the program, low-income San Francisco families who currently receive means-tested public benefits, such as Medi-Cal and CalFresh, can receive up to four free tickets to each museum when they present their benefits card and proof of San Francisco residency. More than 210,000 people – nearly one in four San Franciscans- receive one of these means-tested benefits and is eligible. “No San Franciscan should be excluded from our amazing museums and cultural institutions because of the size of their wallet,” Treasurer José Cisneros told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We all benefit when all San Franciscans, regardless of income, can participate in the cultural life of our city.” The announcement was covered by the San Francisco Examiner, KQED and other outlets. The program builds on a national initiative called Museums for All and will run June 1st through Labor Day. To find out more information and for a list of participating locations, click HERE.