Yesterday, Mayor London Breed announced the second summer of San Francisco Museums For All. The program provides free or $3 admission to museums and cultural institutions for low-income San Franciscans who receive public benefits, including Medi-Cal and CalFresh. Last summer, more than 25,000 San Franciscans used the program to visit local museums and cultural institutions.
Due to COVID-19, many museums and cultural institutions will reopen later this summer or as soon as June 29th. This year’s program has been updated to include “Museums From Home,” to provide free online access to exhibits, activities, and interactive programs at over a dozen museums and cultural institutions.
“It made me feel included in the community. It was wonderful to be able to take my little ones to places I ordinarily could not afford to take us.”
– Participant in Last Summer’s SF Museums For All
San Francisco is home to some of the world’s greatest cultural institutions—from the SF MOMA 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.
When museums reopen later this summer, residents who currently receive Medi-Cal or CalFresh benefits from the San Francisco Human Services Agency (HSA) can receive free or $3 admission at participating museums for up to four individuals when they present their Electronic Benefits Transfer or Medi-Cal card and proof of San Francisco residency. Nearly one in four San Franciscans receives one of these means-tested benefits from HSA and will be eligible.
“As San Francisco works to safely reopen and help people get back to work, I am excited that many of our local museums will continue to open their doors to all San Franciscans, regardless of their income, so everyone has the opportunity to access our City’s world-class arts and cultural institutions,” said Mayor London Breed. “As families continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, expanding this initiative to include free online programming will help connect even more families and children to the arts.”
“No one should be excluded from the rich cultural life of our city because of the size of their wallet,” said Treasurer José Cisneros. “San Francisco Museums For All ensures our cultural institutions are open and accessible to everyone.”
We are grateful to partner on this program with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, San Francisco Human Services Agency, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, and San Francisco Arts Commission.
Enjoy Museums From Home until all our favorite museums and cultural centers reopen. The website will be updated to include reopening information for museums as it becomes available. For questions call 311 or email sfmuseumsforall@sfgov.org.