Reviews of Asian Art Museum (Museum)

Charles Howard

Enjoyable viewing and learning of Asian culture through their art. Great place to have lunch while there especially the Bunh Mi sandwich. And you can't leave the museum shop without buying something.

Leslie Daniela Martínez Beltrán

I saw many kids, I think it's because it has many activities for them. One of the guide lady did very good her job. She was very enthusiastic. I really appreciate that! For the remodelations you cannot see the entire collection but I went one day that was free (first Sunday of the month)

Sangchia Saephan

It had a lot of cultural artifacts that were religious and traditional, only reason for four stars is because I only saw 1 floor.

Angela Woodlee

A gorgeous museum with really interesting exhibitions. I went to see Tattoos in Japanese Prints. This exhibition was organized by MFA-Boston but was perfect for the Asian Art Museum. Everything was put into historical context, and I learned a lot. They also included some contemporary context of how Japanese-style tattooing manifests in the San Francisco area, including particular tattooists and examples of their work. Admission pricing is a little on the high side, but with stellar exhibitions, it’s worth it. The admissions staff is kind and welcoming. Highly recommended.

Stephanie Underwood

This museum houses a lot of exhibits for history and culture. I love the ambiance and the overall theme inside it. The staffs are nice and they are very attentive to our needs.

Sanya Oluwadare

The time I spent touring this museum brought me so close to Oriental medium of expression and in touch with history. The main entrance to the museum is wheelchair accessible. Majority of the artworks are on the 2nd floor. Each artwork has notes written in order to explain history, inspiration, rationale, etc behind it. The museum itself is a piece of art considering its architectural outlook.

Sallu Jeff

I learned a lot historically!

Daniel Hernández Cargol

I'm sad about the fact the third floor was closed, but the galleries in the second floor were still impressive. Lots of detailed information almost every artwork. I loved that there were portable chairs to take and seat, great addition!

Ron T

Unfortunately the day we visited the entire third floor was closed off and consequently so were the exhibits we were most interested in but it was a great trip nonetheless! Its really something else standing before artwork that was done over two thousand years ago. The guided tours add a little extra background to some pieces that you might not otherwise consider.

Jason Estrada

Amazing collection of art from the Asian region. Not well organized but well displayed

Wizards in the Mist

This is, in my opinion, the best museum in SF. There is so many cool exhibits and artifacts that can be seen and explored. Worth checking out at least once, although it is always nice to go back.

Octavia Elton

I really enjoyed my time here very interesting art and culture. Definitely the place to take many pictures.

Ec Jo

I've come here as an art student, a tour guide for friends from out of town, and most potently an asian-american myself. The museum is an inspiring celebration of our historical and cultural presence!

Vivian Nguyen

So proud of all the art work displayed in this museum. I like to come here and just admire every piece of art.

Atchi Sur

A wonderful place to visit in San Francisco commemorating the history of different Asian cultures. We really enjoyed our time here.

Matthew McDermott

Fantastic collection of Asian history. Having already visited most of the countries where these artifacts came from, I had a very high appreciation for them and how great of condition they were in! Very friendly staff as well!

Nick R.

I really enjoyed the Asian Art Museum. I never been to a museum that had Asian Art only. There was a lot to see. It was one of my favorite museums while on vacation in San Francisco.

Qais Popal

The museum is awesome! I joined the architecture tour of the building. It was very informative and fun. The art pieces are great as well.

Sahar Heydarifard

Really good way of spending a couple of hours. Definitely worth the money!

Pauline Jue

Try Sunday a great Asian themed restaurant with fresh, fresh ingredients. This museum has a huge collection of Asian art. Great place to enjoy.

Bonnie Kuhr

Kimono Refashoned was amazing. Had lunch at their cafe. Four of us had the curry bowl, very good but lukewarm.

MJ Su

Expands your horizons bringing Asian culture and making it more accessible.

Tami Ring

Very well laid out museum with interesting exhibits and knowledgeable staff. The restaurant was delicious as well.

Caleb Hong

This is a beautiful (and not too pricey) museum in downtown San Francisco. There was a lot of construction but our family enjoyed the visit.

Jonathan K

Amazing museum and part of ROAM and NARM for reciprocal memberships. Some of the better exhibits for Chinese waterpainting, and Korean pottery (especially Goryeo era). Wish there was more times offered for tours and not an extra charge for rotating exhibitions.

Stephanie Ravet

Very nice and exotic pieces of art

Ritwik Sinha

A very nice museum. Budget about 3 hours.

安琰明

Well, the day I visited here, the whole third floor closed and the first floor was all special exhibition I had no interest. And the only second floor is not well organized. Since I study Chinese archeology, I can easily tell that the exhibits here are not representative and of high quality. Anyway, won’t recommend and won’t visit again.

Will Thompson

Some really beautiful art here, unfortunately two of the floors were closed when I was there but the floors I did see were amazing, the staff there were also helpful and offered their knowledge on any item of interest

Keith Goff

Loved it, although an entire floor was closed off...

P Herron

Always a pleasure but note that at the time of this review the 3rd floor was unavailable to tour.

Bay Walker

Outstanding architecture and an extensive permanent collection. Travelling shops are usually excellent!

Tomas Cvrcek

The permanent exhibition is a real gem. They mark their best masterpieces by giving each a special central display in the room - and these are really quite exquisite, from ancient Chinese bronzes to more recent jade work etc. Shame the second floor was closed for reconstruction (until Nov 2019), I guess I will have to come back. Overall, a very pleasant visit, it's definitely a museum that's worth seeing.

paran sether

Wonderful place to view. Asian art culture will impress you that much. Famous Chinese Artists works arranged nicely. Museum is well kept. Clean and tidy place. Guided tours are also available.

Allen Watson

San Francisco has so many museums it is easy to overlook this one. But don’t! Everything about it is inspiring! The building itself is gorgeous (now undergoing renovations) and the exhibits breath-takingly displayed. The serenity of rooms is stunning. We went specifically for special exhibit: “Japanese Tattoo/Woodblock Prints” and it was eye-opening and gorgeous. I often go to Asian just to have lunch in cafe. Sit outside and it is real treat. And gift shop is stunning. Great for gift buying. Can’t recommend enough

Phillip Wu

I enjoy museums and have been here a few times. I brought my son and he is still slightly too young to appreciate the art in a comprehensive way. The museum does have a children's play room and we spent significant time there and did enjoy the selection of hands on crafts available (my kid and I drew and made fans in both the Asian and Western tradition).

Alexthebest 823

You know i am not really a fan of art but I would say that this museum does a great job of capturing it. I would say if you like art just a little bit you should check it out. But there prices are a pit high for my tastes.

Alex Perkins

One of my favorite places in San Francisco, probably my favorite thing in the civic center area. This museum takes the broadest possible interpretation of Asian Art, so if you’re expecting a few thousand square feet of blue ceramics and calligraphy, you’ll be disappointed. It’s in a huge and gorgeous historic building, and there is interesting artwork from around the world and all across time.

Pierre Boyeau

Great experience there. Only the third floor, in which Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asia were displayed. I was a bit disappointed to miss Japan collection. If you take that out of the equation the place is worth 5 stars without a doubt. The new galleries successfully are very well structured. In my opinion, this is the best introduction, or complement you can find on Hinduism or Buddishm, as you basically discover those admiring masterpieces. Not bad! I strongly advice to download the Museum App, which basically is a super, free audio-guide with video support.

Midori Sugiyama

Very clean & relaxing. Very educational.

David Zink-Brody

One of the nation's preeminent collections from ancient to modern from all of Asia, with thoughtful seasonal exhibitions. Set in the rehabbed former main SF library, beautiful beaux arts structure facing civic center plaza. Parking across the street.

Smith Moore

The exhibition is rich in content and shows a lot of Asian culture. There are three floors and you need more time.

L

Friendly staff and an excellent collection, I think they could do with a little more background into the cultures connected to these art pieces. Some of them are fascinating in how they relate to things you might not expect them to, you just need the eye to see it.

Nathaniel Greensides

Artifacts mostly from one person's collection. Not muchin depth sociological analysis i.e. relevancy to today's world

Julio Ruiz

Interesting place to visit, you will never regret.

Blake Webster

A great collection of Asian art. We went during the Tibet Exhibit and encountered a woman from Tibet who filled us in on fascinating facts about Tibet. Worth a visit when visiting San Francisco.

Patrick Suhner

Very interesting museum, well organized with lot of space to see the exhibits and a very big collection of art crafts from all over Asia. The temporary exhibitions are also worth it. It is a very important tribute to Asia and all the people who brought their cultural heritage to the SF Bay. The prices may be a little high (25 USD for an adult) but it is mostly the case in the USA where cultural visits are expensive. The second floor was in complete renovation, so we missed a third of the museum. The museum management could have at least offer some reduction.

Miss Parker

Caught the Divine Bodies show and it was great! I brought three teenagers and they enjoyed it. We went on a Thursday night when admission is discounted and they stay open til 9pm. Staff was super friendly and helpful. They even let us know we could save an extra couple dollars with the student discount, and get the audio tour on our cell phones for free.

Tina T

Visit it the first Sunday of the month for free! Parking is just across the museum, very convenient, $12. Exhibits are nice and well displayed. There is a large hall on the 1 and 2 floors with craft tables and music instruments. Enjoy the atmosphere of Asian cultures and absorb new esthetic. I thought is was worth visiting. Afterwards, kids played in the park in front of the museum! Don't forget to take your parking ticket with you and pay BEFORE you return to the car.

Lily Yee

Nice museum. Museum website and other kid sites wrote that there was a family event the day we went but no museum worker knew about it. Saw several young children roaming the exhibits so I knew I wasn't the only one who thought there was an event. Second floor with the cool stuff is closed right now. Wait till it reopens.

Bigg.Daddy Sanchez

Amazing history

David Wong

Large impressive collection. But very limited display space.

Eran Williams

2/3 of the place was closed and they still charged full price. That is frustrating. Teenagers we're doing paintings of the exhibits and blocking them from being viewed.

Cody Smith

So much inspired creativity and history! Really a fantastic collection.

Donald Lobo

Actually rather than the museum, we visit the cafe for lunch and meetings. A really awesome spot for meetings in the center of the city and close to a Bart station. Having solid food is the best part, though I'm a bit sad at the removal of the amazing fried chicken sandwich. Their veggie options are also good and multiple, which makes it a solid destination

Ha Phuong

Free entrance every Sunday! It's good to have a place to look into the history and culture of where I'm from in the middle of San Francisco!

Brogan Stich

A great insight into some Asian culture, Lots of pottery and beautiful art. As of this review the third floor is still closed which can be a bit of a let down.

Justin W

Fantastic food and amazing exhibits.

Nick Rutowski

Fantastic collection, interesting special exhibits, looking forward to renovations of the second floor bring completed

Royce Everone

Really liked the Kimono Show and their normal collection.

Bobby Yan

Excellent museum with a spectacular collection of East and Southeast Asian art. Everything is well displayed with very informative signs and nice, spacious contemporary interior. Lots of tours are offered daily and some are available for free so make sure to check those out. If you're flexible with your visit, don't forget to go to their website to see if there's going to be any special exhibits! Overall, I would highly recommend this place!

Sanders Hootsell

WELL THE HOSPITALITY IS OIT OF THIS WORLD THE GREETERS WELCOME YOU AS IF YOU YOU ARE AT HOME, YOU SEE I WORK WITH HUNTERS POINT FAMILY SO I USE THE FACILITY DAILY SO I SEE FIRST HAND THEIR GENUINENESS.

Meena Vang

Very Interesting! It a good thing to learn something new.

Jerry Bokser

Great art, helpful and engaging guides

Naval Shah

The Asian Art Museum has an excellent selection of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian art. The interior is contemporary, pleasant, and has enough space to not feel cramped. Generally, the standing collections are great but before visiting check their website for any special exhibits going on. The special exhibits are a strong reason to visit and is a primary reason to visit. There are no other comparable museums in the area that focus on Asian Art so this is your only option. They have a Rhino Society for kids events and a Lunar Society for adult events like social events so those may be interesting to folks.

Wendy Leigh

I love going here on the free days. It's beautiful. Thank GOD they got security and got rid of all the drug dealers and homeless people.

Annette Abbott

When I moved to the the Bay Area after living in Asia for 15 years, the AAM became a second home to me. I loved wandering through the galleries - sometimes with a guide but mostly alone. It helped ease my homesickness. ... 20 years later it still remains one of my favourite places.

Beck Marquis

If you only have time for one art museum in San Francisco, choose this one! I'm not aware of anywhere else in the US that has the range and depth of Asian art on display in this institution. Even though one of the three floors is currently closed for remodeling, there is still plenty to see. I highly recommend taking a docent-led tour. Ours was one of the best that I had ever taken at a museum. The theme of the tour was representations of Buddha and how they had varied across time periods and regions. What made the tour excellent was that the tour was a mixed group of people from Western backgrounds, India, and China. The docent got the tour participants to share their perceptions on the different images of Buddha. This tour went deeply into the cultural perspectives on the works that we viewed--very impressive!

JAY DUFFY

I would like to give 5 stars as this museum is so amasing. One of my favs in The City. Sadly the 3rd floor is closed and there were no signs saying so nor was it mentioned when I purchased my ticket at full price. Not cool. On the flip side they did give me a free pass for next time. That was thoughtful.

Arthur Crowther

I am a Member now. I wish there were more exhibits. But, they are expanding

Richard S

Exceptional exhibits, spend about two hours unless you have special interests.

Gary Brazel

This is a top notch museum with a spectacular collection well displayed with very informative signs. They offer several free docent led tours of the collection each day that are worth going on. The cafe has very good food, too.

Randall Holmes

Easy walk through. Very interesting collections.

Charles Green

Great Asian Art in a wonderful setting. All that and in the heart of Frisco. What's not to like about that? This is a must see for anyone in the slightest bit Arty farty inclined. The art is absolutely stunning! Too top that off, there are dozens of Japanese restaurant nearby. A person could spend several days here and never be boored. Don't miss this!

Olivia Nordquist

This review is for the docent tour of the special exhibit. I would say, don't bother. It took 75 minutes to get through the 2 rooms and she didn't add anything to contextualize the pieces beyond what I could have read on my own. I've included a contraband photo of the kimono reconstructed exhibit which had a grand total of ONE kimono on display. Also! I think this museum is expensive for what you get. The third floor is under construction and it's one of the few museums that aren't available on the SF library discount deal. Definitely recommend checking that out if you're a local for a lot of other museums in the bay!

Kimberly. Elgin

I Axually just take pictures of places I see

Shawn Silverman

I come here for the cafe during lunch and always love the food. It can get quite busy at times do make sure to visit a little earlier for lunch. At the front desk, make them aware your eating at the cafe and they'll give you a cool sticker!

Ryan Paredez

Lovely museum tucked away in the civic center area. Unfortunately the surrounding area isn't very nice. Looking past that, this museum was a cool place to visit. They have a Japanese tattoo exhibition coming soon and I'll be returning for that.

Ahmad Shah Idil

It was just "okay". I'd skip it if I was time poor. $20 for a museum is steep, and the selection felt really poor, or poorly curated at least. I tried to put my anti-Orientalist bias to the side for a moment and just enjoy from a historic or aesthetic point of view, but the Museum failed in that sense too. It seemed incoherent and thread-bare. The giftshop itself consisted mostly of things imported from Japan, those standard things one might find at the final shop in Tokyo Airport, overpriced bento boxes and that sort of thing. Unique it was not.

A

What an absolutely gorgeous building with amazing art and history in it! I get to work in this place a couple of times a year and the staff and facilities are wonderful. They're also massive supporters of arts education throughout the bay area. Please support the arts.!

Olivier Manhattan

The permanent collection is not extensive but well-curated. I particularly enjoyed the balanced mix of traditional/ historical artefacts and modern creations. The temporary exhibition I went to - on the kimono and its influence on Western fashion - was excellent: the pieces selected, the general layout and logical presentation of the art, the research behind it, and the information provided.

Gina Tse-Louie

Came here for a school field trip. The kids were able to hold the Samurai Sword and take photos. There is a tranquility room where the water miraculously doesn't spill. The stories told by the docents are always captivating.

Reggie Andaya

Came here for a wedding and it was a good setting. Will have to come back for the exhibits.

Helen Leong-Luke

Beautiful artifacts..spacious and well lit areas!

Ian Larry

Best Asian museum in the City and be nice if they host more indoor events and outdoor events and be cool if they had this in Chinatown with a event concert hall and entertainment complex center and more Asian Cultrual events and celebrations for the community.

David Starkey

Currently 2nd floor is closed. Many of the interactive screens did not work which my five year old really likes.

Catherine Win

This museum has the most comprehensive art pieces from all of Asia, might it be China or Turkey. Besides its permanent collection, it always hosts special exhibit that would be hard to see in the West Coast.

Richard Chisholm Jr

Great collection, knowledge docents. Unfortunately, ongoing construction made certain parts of the collection inaccessible, and the construction work was loud in some open areas.c

Sherman Fan

The Au Ho-Nien (歐豪年) special exhibition (ending 8/18/2019) is very enticing. It included works covering almost fifty years time span and many genres. The artist showed his skill in calligraphy and poetry besides brush painting.

Reagan Franklin

I enjoy Asian art very much

Alan Xu

I arrived here but found out the second floor is closed - basically half the entire museum. I've been here before and it's a good museum but the closure is disappointing.

Adam Longwell

A generally nice museum but I feel like thier collection could use an update. An extra star for such generous admission days.

Jacquie O

...and Sunday's (cafeteria Asian) rice bowls are good too!

Elena Itchel

The building is one of the first in the city, so it's big and very beautiful. The museum has permanent and temporal expositions and the subject is Asia and all the big civilizations like China, Japan, Korea and India. It's a beautiful museum

Hailey Norris

It was calm, relaxing and had really cool stuff. The tattoos were the best.

minibin01

Honestly the most interesting museum I've been to in quite a while, and I have been to a few. there is a lovely balance between old and new art and plenty of information to appreciate it on a profound level. The ambience was really nice as well and through the strategic placement of chairs and benches there was the possibility to take in some of the highlights from a comfortable position.

phillip martin

One of the best place for a date in the city ☺️

David Maddison

I’ll have to come back once the museum’s renovations are complete because the limited exhibits on display are absolutely amazing! Such a great collection! Personally, I prefer the old masterpieces compared to the contemporary exhibits but still nice to have the contrast. The building itself is stunning and the Samsung Hall is just breathtaking

Bratati Karmakar

Best Asian art museum in west coast. Must visit.

Michael Moore

The exhibits that were available to see looks amazing but half the exhibit was close so disappointed i couldn't see more.

H H

More Buddhas than you'd ever want to see. why don't we just keep one and turn this building into a shrine where people can worship if they wish so? Send the other 999 back to where they were taken from.

Adrian Patting

Loved the place for the it's meamorizing collection of art that is cease to amaze. A lot of the displayed items where over 2500 years old! I didn't know such items could even survive that long. This museum is surely a hidden paradise for any history buff's out there. Inside anyone, could learn of the Asian sculptures that would be equivalent to the classical Greek and Roman creation of the same time.

Edward Minarsch

This place is over the top beautiful. Sheer magnificence!!! Just wandering around is a treat for the eyes and brings out the kid in all tourists.

Jean Pak

The museum is a great place to stroll and relax, especially on a Sunday when there are free days. I went for a special exhibit that was interactive where you could draw your story about San Francisco and make music using the equipment provided that would be part of a larger song.

Alan Bui

I would've given this place four stars, but we came when the entire 3rd floor was out for some temporary remodeling. It was disappointing to know we still had to pay full price for an exhibit that was only partially there. While the portion that was open was nice, it felt like it could be more interactive with either footages explaining the history of these regions.

Joseph Coco

We got in free because Target sponsored the public to go in for the main exhibit. It was nice, but everything was very sterile. Probably not the best place for kids, but it had an interesting selection and the text face some context. There was a lot of pottery and stoneware.

Ian

Great exhibits and helpful staff. Free admission the first Sunday of each month (excluding the first floor exhibits) but definitely recommend!

Claudia Stevens

I visit the gift shop for a foot mask, made in Korea! The best secret that you can get for 12$.

Bre BogLyon

Disappointed, collection not well curated, in general needs a renovation. For a city with such an important Asian influence, this is quite a shame.

carmen mendes

Great experience with family for summer vacations.

April Van Buskirk-Rader

My mother and I had a fantastic time here. Easy garage parking across the street. The 2nd floor is under upgrade construction. We wandered through the 3 rd floor for about an hr and a half. Really well laid out.

Trevor Croft

Although the 3rd floor was closed when I went there is still more than enough in the collections to fill up an entire day at the museum. I particularly loved the early Japanese gallery. The pre 1000 CE period is rarely covered in historical texts or exhibits, but they have a very incredible collection of artifacts from that time. The kimono exhibit was fantastic as well.

Sean Noble

A great experience and always have interesting exhibits. Worth your time, interest in history and art, and check out the gift shop.

William Garnsey

This is one of my happy places, we have been members for years I love the exhibits and the architecture and the overall feel for this Museum. Sometimes the special exhibits are hit or miss, but I applaud the staff of Taking Chances and trying to explore different ways to present there art work. we always trying to bring out of town guests to this museum for a couple hours. My favorite time to visit is during raining days

Veronica Bolognesi

Cool things to see; currently second floor is under renovation

Eric Weimar

Really nice place to spend an afternoon. Some of the exhibits were closed so only able to see about half the collection. Really friendly staff made for a welcome visit. I look forward to coming back when everything is opened up again.

Jeremiah Benton

Nice. The tattoo exhibit that going is pretty cool.

Tammy Wik

Currently remodeling the entire second floor, so it is unavailable for viewing. Even so, there is plenty to see with the special exhibits on the first floor and the fascinating sculptures, jade exhibits, and more on the third floor. I was easily entertained for 2 hours. The first floor has a casual dining area and a wonderfully-curated museum shop that always keeps me occupied for a long while. Be sure to see if there are any special educational events happening -- the day I was there, for an additional $20 you could participate in a 3-hour event making a traditional Japanese craft. What an amazing day that would be! Do give yourself 30 minutes to find parking and walking to the museum from parking if you're unfamiliar with the area. There is parking in the area (street parking is actually reasonable), but there are lots of signs you need to read carefully to see if you can park there and not get towed. Another option is to visit the Asian Art Museum's website and they recommend a company to park with. You can buy parking in advance (usually $10-$20) to park in a local lot. This option isn't necessarily much (or any) cheaper than driving up and parking in an open lot, but it does guarantee you will have a space and it may bring peace of mind to some travelers. Lastly, if you're local-ish, be sure to see if your local public library has tickets available. The Sonoma County Library system has free tickets to this museum for 2 adults for each library member (you can only access this once a year). Happy visiting!

Jim L.

I want to give this museum five stars so badly, but I can't. As luck would have it, during my visit, only the second floor was open for general admission. The first floor had a special kimono exhibit going on that I wasn't interested in paying an extra $10 to see. The third floor was closed for renovations. I paid full price to only see half a museum, which is not acceptable in my opinion. What a bummer.

Deming

Probably one of the better museum in SF. Third floor is under renovation so better check before you come. 2nd floor showcase artifacts from Japan, Korea and China. The exhibits are not very extensive especially for Korea, but the narration is quite good.

Jerome Solberg

I think that the DeYoung has a better selection of Asian Art. The building seems smaller on the inside than the outside. They are in the middle if a renovation project so maybe that will be fixed. Good location accessible by BART. But if you can get there the DeYoung is probably a better value.

Rodger Moody

To many drug addicts needless everywhere

Stephen Stone

Being able to view these pristine prints from The Edo period was so very special.

Jeffrey Vaillant

Excellent exhibits that take more than a day to see!

conde j. peoples

One of My Favorite Museums!

Veronica Kimes

Great assortment of artwork. Second floor gallery is closed until end of 2019. Still a good 2-3 hour trip. The tattoo exhibit (special exhibit) was interesting and a large space.

James Liu

A fun place to enjoy the history and arts of Asia. Unfortunately many exhibits were in rennovation while I was there so I only saw a limited selection of their collection.

GreenWitchesKitchen

The art and architecture was magnificent. The staff is friendly and helpful. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Tao Wang

A personal big Chinese porcelain fun and I’ve liked this place much. Broad collections spanning long historical periods. It’s good for not education for general Asian arts and cultures, as well as if you plan to get deeper understanding a certain kind of art, like porcelain or Asian paintings.

Juan Antonio Diaz Hernandez

Wonderful place ful of a unique charm with a beautiful layout just the building is a masterpiece by itself with a gorgeous grand staircase that has beautiful carved ceilings and venetian stucco pillars

alex huang

Visited with families for their first time during the monthly FREE Sundays, thanks to Target's sponsorship. A jewel as one of San Francisco's best museums. Looking forward to the completion of their new expansion project! A must visit for both visitors and Bay Area residents.

Yvonne Sullivan

Loved loved loved! I was expecting much but boy was I wrong. There were so many beautiful pieces to enjoy, even my kids enjoyed the artwork. We joined part of a kid tour which made it even grander. I wish I had remembered the tour guides name because she was so great with the kids

Arctic fox Viking

A bit pricey, but worth every penny! Also, military and their family always gets free admission! When I went the second floor featuring Korean, Chinese, and Japanese art was closed, although they did have two special exhibits, one of which was on Japanese tattoos. The top floor was astonishing. It had old old art. Breathtaking pieces. I am no art efficiency, but I do love art, and I could not rush this because it was astonishing. It had religious art from Tibet all the way to Persia. Calligraphy, Pottery, Sculptures, Weapons, you name it.

Lee Abe

Collections are scattered and not well organized. Lots of potential but on the whole, does not make good use of the space to teach, not merely showcase works with little labels. I wish there was more indepth explanations against the western historical timeline to give perspective on how advance the Asian dynasties were in their development of the arts, and how those arts got funded, preserved, and collected by certain classes. 1st flr is mainly entry, with a dining area, and shop. Renovations were taking place in large halls so our experience felt minimized.

Sif the Shapeless

Amazing collection, beautifully displayed with informative panels. Especially love the kimono exhibit.

Neal Crosson-Hill

I was disappointed on my visit that I wasn't able to visit the third floor Assyrian antiquities, due to maintenance and construction on that level, but I still enjoyed the rest of the museum. The museum is spacious and well lit, probably because the building was once the SF library.

Rebecca LeDoux

Superb museum in the civic center neighborhood of San Francisco! Even under construction this was one of the best museums with incredible art work and lovely rooms. If you have a chance to check this museum out when you're in SF, it is worth a pit stop!

Adele Clark

Brilliantly curated. It was an interesting, mind opening experience. You need to give it two days. There are so many exhibits. We ended up on brain overload. Don't miss it!

Fred Jang

Very interesting Asian artwork from Southeast Asia. Enjoy the various traveling exhibits. The first Sunday each month is a free day sponsored by Target.

Jeff Tsang

Came here for the Kimono exhibit, layout was kinda choppy and unfocused, but enjoyable nonetheless

R. Lee Donaldson

This was a slightly disappointing museum for me. Found the way the layout of the displays were and set up not very appealing and collections somewhat dull. Been to the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii, they have a far more interesting assortment of Asian art collections in a much smaller space. It was rather suppressing to see such differences. An irritating part of their displays was how the glass break was frequently in the middle of the view point of the items. This ruined the effect of enjoyment without obstacle. Found the lighting to be challenging at time as well along with the drab display cases. If you are unfamiliar with Asian art, then I would say it is an okay place to visit, but if you have any knowledge, I would give this a big pass on places to see.

Christine Merlin

Loved it. Only thing a bit expensive 25$ for museum and exhibits.

Amanda Rush

Good museum, went for the "Heavenly Bodies" exhibit. Wished there was just a tad more variety... Most of the exhibits were Hinduism. Persian section was all Islam, no mention of Zoroastrianism etc. Just would have liked to see more variety/deeper education personally thus only 4 stars.

Thomas Goodman

Great exhibits.

Frank Reveira

Love working Weddings at the Asian Art Museum beautiful place and a lot of beautiful history there to see. A must see Museum if you are ever in the area

Janet Snider

While the exhibit was interesting, the one thing that had me at hello was the Ganesh statue. When we took the escalator to the third floor I took a good 10 minutes admiring the sculpture and wishing they had a smaller version of it at the museum shop. When you get a chance, check out the gift shop. They have cute little kitschy things. I of course had to get myself a ganesh statue, not quite like the museum sculpture but significant enough for me to bond with it. Tip-Taking the bart and getting off Civic is the best way to go as it's such a short walking distance to the museum.

Chantel Ridley

I loved all of the pieces they acquired. Very cool

chris brown

Amazing collection of Buddhist art and a wonderful collection of tatoo inspired and inspiring prints.