This information is excerpted from http://www.nationalgeographic.com
Art/Music
San Francisco Modern Art Museum
The diverse offerings at the San Francisco Modern Art Museum—the first 20th century art museum on the West Coast—include paintings by Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse, and Willem de Kooning, as well as exhibits on photography, architecture, and design. Free the first Tuesday of each month.
Asian Art Museum
Collection of Asian art, including ceramics, textiles, and paintings, that traces more than 6,000 years of history. Free the first Tuesday of every month.
Golden Gate Park Band
The Golden Gate Park Band has lively programs featuring marches, Broadway tunes, swing, and ethnic music. Sundays at 1 p.m. in the park's Spreckels Temple of Music from April through October.
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
From Schubert to Stravinsky, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra offers free concerts at venues throughout the city.
de Young Museum
The recently redesigned de Young Museum with its large sculpture garden in Golden Gate Park uses natural materials (copper, stone, wood, and glass) to blend into the surrounding greenery. You can also contemplate nature alongside Rodin's "Thinker," at another local museum, the Legion of Honor. Modeled after an 18th-century Parisian palace, the Legion houses ancient and European art. Both public museums are free the first Tuesday of each month.
Stern Grove Festival
The Stern Grove Festival offers an array of free outdoor concerts each summer from mid June through mid August on Sundays at 2 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California
The Oakland Museum of California features a permanent gallery of California art and artifacts and a Natural Sciences Gallery that allows visitors to stroll through nine different ecosystems including the Pacific Coast, the White Mountains, and the desert. Free the second Sunday of each month.
Attractions
San Francisco City Guides
San Francisco City Guides offer a number of free 1.5- to two-hour tours year-round. These neighborhood tours have fun and informative themes ranging from "downtown deco" to urban Victorians. History buffs can learn about the city's rich past, including the Gold Rush and the 1906 earthquake.
Golden Gate Bridge
Stroll across the iconic 1.7-mile Golden Gate Bridge, open to pedestrians and cyclists during daylight hours. A visitors center and gift shop known as the Roundhouse is located on the southeast side behind the Strauss Statue. Also on the south side are several acres of gardens that offer unobstructed bridge views.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Travel to the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood to visit the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Historic ships are docked at Hyde Street Pier, set against views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Free year-round, the visitors center has exhibits on the history of maritime voyages in the bay (self-guided tours of the ships cost $5). Also free at the wharf: views of San Francisco's famous sea lions at Pier 39.
Ghirardelli Square
Ghirardelli Square is on the National Register of Historic Places. A visit to Ghirardelli's former factory and flagship store is not without its rewards. You can see the company's original chocolate-making equipment on display, and yes, they'll also receive free samples of chocolate.
Crooked Lombard Street
Just a few blocks from Ghirardelli Square, take a drive down the famously crooked Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets. With nine turns in just one block, this free photo op is definitely worth a detour.
Cable Car Museum
Admission is always free at the Cable Car Museum, where visitors can see antique cable cars as well a host of photographs, tools, and engines.
San Francisco Railway Museum
Stop by the free San Francisco Railway Museum, dedicated to the city's transit history, where your donations support the vintage F-Line streetcars. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Culture
Chinatown Night Market Fair
Travel to another world at the Chinatown Night Market Fair held every Saturday evening between late July and late October from 6 to 11 p.m. You'll find dozens of vendors, lion dancing, martial arts, Chinese opera, karaoke, and traditional instruments.
San Francisco Center for the Book
Learn the history and art of making books by hand at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Admission to the gallery is free weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the center offers numerous free readings, signings, and lectures.
Grabhorn Institute
Visit the free gallery at the Grabhorn Institute at the Presidio, where rare books, typefaces, and printing facilities are on display.
Museo ItaloAmericano
Check out the Museo ItaloAmericano, dedicated to Italian and Italian-American culture. A small gallery of paintings, sculptures, and photographs complements rotating exhibits such as paintings by an Italian artist inspired by Dante's Inferno. Free admission Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Free Summer Events
Enjoy free summer events such as the San Francisco Free Folk Festival and the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair.
Children
Mocha Museum of Children's Art
Keep tabs on the art world's youngest stars at the Mocha Museum of Children's Art, where all of the works are created by kids. Admission to the galleries is always free.
Chabot Space and Science Center Telescope
The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland offers free viewings through its state-of-the-art reflector telescope. Take in distant galaxies with a 180-degree view of the night sky. Friday and Saturday evenings, weather permitting. April through October from dusk to 10:30 p.m. and November through March from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Zoo and Aquarium
Meet local creatures at the San Francisco Zoo and the California Academy of the Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium, both free the first Wednesday of each month.
Randall Museum
Explore the art, science, and environment of the Bay Area at the Randall Museum. Here, you'll find a live animal exhibit, woodshop, ceramics studio, and a greenhouse. Free Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bay Area Discovery Museum's Lookout Cove
Investigate a shipwreck at the Bay Area Discovery Museum's Lookout Cove. This children's museum features a number of hands-on exhibits for kids of all ages including tidal pools, art studios, a theater, and more. Admission is free for families the second Saturday of each month from 1 to 5 p.m.
Outdoor
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Inundate your senses with more than 16,000 plants located in the 55 acres (22 hectares) of greenery at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Admission is free, and complimentary garden tours are offered weekdays at 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. on weekends.
San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club
On a sunny day, try out a new sport courtesy of the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club. This local organization has been around since 1901, when it was founded by a Scottish fraternal organization. It's said to possess the first municipal bowling green in the country. Free lessons are available every Wednesday at noon or by appointment in Golden Gate Park near Sharon Meadow.
Yerba Buena Gardens
Yerba Buena Gardens is open daily to the public from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for free. It has a 2.5-acre meadow, waterfall, public art, and a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Theater/Dance
Free Shakespeare in the Park
Indulge in A Midsummer Night's Dream courtesy of Free Shakespeare in the Park, an annual offering of professional-level theater under the stars. Performances take place Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. in parks city-wide from late June to late September.
Lindy in the Park
Join San Francisco's hepcats and jitterbuggers for Lindy in the Park, a free swing dancing party every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Golden Gate Park.
Let us know about your own experiences visiting these places and/or any other free things that you have found for this destination. Include a comment in the comments section below so that others may learn from your experience.
Let us know about your own experiences visiting these places and/or any other free things that you have found for this destination. Include a comment in the comments section below so that others may learn from your experience.
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