Legion of Honor Museum

49-Mile Drive San Francisco

• Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday. Closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 25
• Cost: Admission charged, but first Tuesday of each month is free (tickets can be used at the De Young Museum on the same day)
• Reservations: May be needed for special exhibits
• Location: Lincoln Park, directions below
• How Long: Allow at least a few hours, longer depending on your level of interest
• Best Time to Visit: Any time, but less busy during the week.

One of San Francisco's two premier art museums (the other is the De Young in Golden Gate Park), the Legion of Honor occupies an elegant, Beaux-Arts building and houses a collection spanning 4,000 years of ancient and European art. Permanent displays focus on European painting and decorative arts and ancient works. A copy of Rodin's The Thinker sits in the outer courtyard and they hold one of the nicest collections of his work outside France.

The on-premises cafe is in a pretty setting, offering a special Sunday brunch. The gift shop is also worth a look.

Film buffs may recognize the Legion of Honor from the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo as the place where the character Carlotta viewed the painting. It's on our Vertigo Tour of San Francisco.

Getting to the Legion of Honor

Legion of Honor
Lincoln Park 34th Avenue & El Camino Del Mar
415-750-3600
Legion of Honor Website

By car, follow Geary Blvd. west, turn right on 34th Avenue and follow the road through the golf course to the museum.

By public transport, there are several options, which are outlined at the Legion of Honor website