Reviews of Beat Museum (Museum)

Nate Jackson

Was invited to attend a poetry reading by some incredibly talented vulnerable empowered artists! The museum was pretty cool but the bookshop was even better. Sorry no photos. One of those moments to be present. Super hip joint.

Jerry Gordinier

Looks a bit like an addendum to a normal shop, separated by fraying curtains and a beat-up old movie theatre. That said - definitely worth a visit, unique artifacts, the video in the back was pretty interesting, some beat poetry readings. Spirit of the place is very San Francisco, and the older guy working the counter was super excited to have us visit.

Pablo Rosario

This is the home of all beat movement related stuff. It is not only a museum but a book and memorabilia store. You can find all kind of beat stuff here. Definitely a place to go

Joseph Caron Dawe

A truly fascinating and informative place to stop and marvel at if you have an interest in the Beat scene/movement. Original artifacts and manuscripts and a friendly and knowledgable staff who run it.

James Knox

Worth the entry fee. I hope it stays open.

Adriana Moreno Blanco

Nice collection

Erdmann Rogge

Great historical perspective

Kewpie Forest

ビートムーブメントに関心ある方にオススメ。ケルアックとかギンズバーグなどに接したことが無ければ、ピンと来ないかも・・・。

Jennifer Mitchell

Great spot

Jason Teplitz

Great museum! I love beat literature. 10/10 would recommend

Phillip Bachman

Go learn a little history after a stop at the book store.

Elizabeth Burgess

Lots of cool memorabilia from major 50s movement in US. Inexpensive to visit. Friendly knowledgeable staff.

Radha Stern

Delicious food in a fun environment. Great service. Great cocktails.

Alex Rodríguez

Great place for fans

Jeffrey James

Good to have a spot that speaks of the Beat scene in SF. There are many photos & some artifacts, lent to the museum to display, however predominantly focus on both Ginsberg & Kerouac. Also has an interesting documentary that plays downstairs. Wish there was a bit more than photos that helped curate & linked together the writers of the scene a bit more. Staff are friendly & helpful. Don't forget to check out Citylights bookstore across the street.

Mhairi Walton

Interesting little museum

Charlie Mitchell

Very cool shop. I was walking by and was compelled by an intangible force to enter and explore.

nic spits

Absolutely fantastic, wonderful original pieces and displays! Whether a fan of Kerouac, Ginsberg, etc. A MUST VISIT!!!!

bryan marek

Awesome , thanks fellas

Toto Amicone

Mi ci sono imbattuto per puro caso nel mio vagare per la città. Imperdibile per gli amanti del genere! Peccato un po piccolo...

Carla Cohen

I didn't like the place because it is very crooked but they do have some interesting books about the Beat Generation.

j spain Greene

If you have any interest in the Beats and their place in culture, history & literature, the Beat Museum is for you. Filled with photos, information, art, artifacts and rare examples of books - the museum is small, but dense; you can spend quite a bit of time here. Start out on the 1st floor with general items and a cultural overview, then you go upstairs for more specific material on the core members. When you go back downstairs, there's a room showing a film about the Beats. The book store is excellent with tons of books by everyone represented in the museum, including some rare pieces in a case. But they also have a wonderful selection of general topic used books as well. If you're stopping at City Lights Book Store - this is just across the street and worth a stop.

Cai Glencross

Very small but not too expensive and pretty informative

Hyoseok Choi

It looks like a garage. Some vintage goods look interesting but that's all. Therefore, if you're international traveler who don't know beat movement, there is nothing to learn.

Jason Whitacre

Talk to any of the employees here for a fantastic conversation about the Beat generation, seriously.

Sam Konugres

There is more to the Beat Generation than I thought!

Crystal Hatcher Arthur

We found this place by accident. Lucky for us, there was a really nice guy working and he explained what The Beats were. An interesting part of History that I never knew I was missing out on. Cool books that you won't find anywhere else. Check it out for sure, ya dig?

Micah Coons

Great museum for the subject matter. It really captures the story of the Beats, and gives a strong educational background to an artistic history too often glossed over and overshadowed by the counterculture of the 60s. All that information for a very reasonable price, It's definitely someplace I'll visit again. The store is very interesting and reasonably priced itself and worth checking out alone if you done have time for the full museum.

Francis Salois

(Translated by Google) This is a small private museum quite interesting if only one is of the Beat generation of readers. They have a lot of artifacts and even sell unique pieces. For amateurs, they have old Playboys, but they did not have the July 1966 No, my birthday! (Original) C'est un petit musée privé assez intéressant pour peu qu'on soit des lecteurs de la Beat generation. Ils ont beaucoup d'artefacts et vendent même des pièces uniques. Pour les amateurs, ils ont des vieux Playboys, mais ils n'avaient pas le No de juillet 1966, ma date de naissance!

Kacper Jarecki

It's a cute place to visit maybe once, but I would come again. It's nice to see how a poetry movement could spark something greater. The museum is modest and contains reproductions of newspaper clippings and so on. But there is nothing mind blowing about this place.

Giovanni Da Fré

(Translated by Google) If in visiting a city you want to get an idea of how artists and writers could experience it / perceive it, this place is for you. It allows to understand what was the climate along the roads of North Beache and the inclinations of those who populated them. essential (Original) Se nel visitare una città desiderate farvi un'idea di come artisti e letterati potessero viverla/percepirla, questo posto fa per voi. Permette di comprendere quale fosse il clima lungo le strade di North Beache e le inclinazioni di chi le popolava. Imprescindibile

Rich Chin

Great place to come see the Beat happenings from the 50s and 60s

Michelle Ruiz

Interesting place to go, following your visit to the City Lights Bookstore. It's small but it has a lot of things you can relate if you are into the beatnick culture, many things belonging to the authors associated with the movement (a table, a car, etc)

Heidi Reid

This is a cool little museum with a lot of beat history. I am not a buff on it, and I enjoyed the exhibits. There is a lot to read in there. Also, it's in a book/record store which I thought was pretty cool. The guy behind the register that day was also really friendly and helpful, knowledgeable about the Bay Area, too.

grant schrader

It's a very interesting museum. It's very quaint, and there's a big focus on the history if the main authors of the beat movement; Kerouac, Ginsberg and friends. They have a lot of relics from them as well.

Rory Hertzfeld-Hearse

Discovered this from Google maps. We checked it out and liked it. Worth a visit!

Sean Guest

Cool collection of artifacts from one of literature's most influential eras. Staff were friendly and helpful, tickets reasonable too...

TG MG

Fun experience. Very educational. You can always ask the counter guy about what is Beat or watch the film in their theater room called the Source

Amitai Glicksman

Very cool, small museum for a couple hours often. Passionate and knowledgeable staff.

Federica Raggio

Lovin' it, it's a bite of heaven for everyone who loves the beat generation and freedom, cultural freedom I mean, you're gonna love it, especially I did really appreciate the owners, they are pretty nice

Elisa Leibowitz

This small museum will appeal to people who feel drawn to the ideas that the Beat Generation embodied, and want to get a look at artifacts that document their role in American culture. There is an hour long film shown in a small, eight seat movie theatre on the life of Jack Kerouac. It was pretty engrossing, and just across the street one can continue exploring by visiting the City Lights Bookstore. It has an entire floor of Beat poetry and other works, plus places to sit and read. Jack Kerouac Alley is next door and has engraved tiles set in the ground with literary quotations.

Mattia Viganò

Il museo non è eccezionale, ed è anche abbastanza piccolo (due stanze praticamente)...il prezzo è 9$ per adulti e 5$ per studenti. Consigliato solo per i grandi fan di Kerouac e simili.

Jim MacCloskey

It has everything you can imagine relating to any Beat personage you can think of. Plus a bookstore!

Trevor Prosser

Very knowledgeable staff, and what an exhibit! So much history!

Patrick Bonamy

Beat génération nostalgie.

Tom Butler

Visited from the UK, highly recommended!

Noa Raasch

amazing and well priced little museum- already being obsessed with san francisco for the counter culture movement i was intrigued and excited to learn about the beatniks, arguably the parents of the hippies. four stars only because i struggled to find information on the female beatniks- while they weren’t featured in the museum i had a really hard time believing there were not any female poets in the movement...

Alejandro Grimson

(Translated by Google) Memory, history. A print (Original) Memoria, historia. Una huella

Neslihan Ercan

Friendly staff.

Stevie Ozier Morrison

Great exhibits, 8$ per person plus a fun (& free) shop.

Laurie Carty

Great little museum and lively area

Willie Johnson

It's nicely done with beat

Ad Spiers

Fascinating for anyone with an interest in the beats. Low key, but that only serves to make the experience more authentic.

Jennifer Webster

Cool books

The Sidsters

Awesome place to visit if your in town.

Lisa Moon

Really cool place. There was an event there the day my friend and I went, 1000 poets. Unfortunately we couldn't go back to see it, but everyone was very inviting and cool about it. Highly recommended people check this place out. Also, entry is so affordable.

R Matthew Simmons

It's small, but fun. If you're looking to kill an hour this is a great place to browse and when you're finished hit the book store across the street. The history is decent here and the staff is really knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions.

Steve Ritter

Our 60's politics, art, music, and social change were brought to life. Well worth the trip.

wolf zinke

Interesting exhibition about the Beat generation. Very informative, great place to drop by if you are interested in literature. Nice conversation with the guy running it.

Beto Miyamoto

Small and charming museum that really sinks you in the Beat movement. From the reception and the small talk with the vendors to the long and interesting movie were pleasant and really transported me to a different place and time. If you are into literature and Beat Generation this is a MUST!

Simon Houghton

Fascinating period of San Francisco and the worlds transformative history

William Zhao

For fans, it's great, for others, it's very nice to visit. Staff are super nice. Administration is $8 and if you are studend or teacher, you get a discount.

judith sokoloff

Very cool!

Élise Marion

Nothing mind blowing about this space. Don't bring your kids there. The owner doesn't give a 'damn' about them (his words) and will ask you to leave.

Spark Twain

An absolute Treasure of a museum. You will be surprised at what you didn't know!

Susan Connolly

Cool little museum. The staff was so friendly. This is a great place to take teenagers who are interested in learning about the Beat Poets. Go to City Lights bookstore and check out Jack Kerouac Alley to round out the trip.

Erick Porchika

Learned more than I thought I would, and was thoroughly impressed!!

Morten Blomkvist

Interested in Beat history, best place to visit.. Very interesting..

Monica Linabury

Cool little spot in North Beach for books, vinyl, and so much more! I frequent here just to dig for vinyl. Overpriced but still great because there's nothing else around there anything like it!

Teresa Chang

Very nice place

rozenn bouttes

(Translated by Google) We must really be stuck on the issue of the Beat generation to enjoy the visit. It's a good thing this place exists, to collect the memories of that time. But the price is still a little high considering the time spent there. (Original) Il faut vraiment être calé sur la question de la Beat generation pour bien profiter de la visite. C'est une bonne chose que cet endroit existe, pour rassembler les souvenirs de cette époque. Mais le prix est quand même un peu élevé vu le temps qu'on y passe.

Tobias Ehrmann

It is not a museum about beat music (60s)....

Camille Artur

If you want to learn all about Kerouac, this little museum is for you. Great bookstore

Cathy Sylvia

The Beat Museum is a must see when in S.F. It's the COOLEST place ever. The owner and tour guide to all things Beat, Jerry Cimino, is eager to share his vast knowledge with everyone and anyone. Make sure you find him when visiting this unique museum and get the low down on the behind-the-scenes action of not only his comprehensive Beat collection, but also about filming the movie "On The Road", and others. LOVE that the 1949 Hudson used in the movie was donated by the director to the Beat Museum. Awesome place!!! I recommend it highly...

Shreshth Gupta

Interesting place. Fairly small with most of the space used for the shop rather than the museum. Even though this place is included on the GO Card, they gave me grief initially refusing to accept it. It honestly seemed like a way to get more money from those who would blindly accept what they were being told. Once inside, the place was a bit disappointing. The actual museum upstairs was pretty small with a decent amount of pieces but no real curation. I can see how a place like this might be interesting for those knowledgeable about the Beatnik generation but for the average person looking to learn a bit about it, it was a bit underwhelming with nothing really drawing my attention. Felt like a waste of 30 mins.

Judith Barnett

Urban Intellectual wildlife refuge.

Doug McCauley

Great book selection with an alright museum. I felt like I read an entire novel after going through the museum. Come here to buy a book, but only go to the museum if you're really interested in the Beats. Not for your average tourist.

Marco Pancini

Great / small museum! Very inspiring stories about the beat generation and very friendly staff.

Corrie Davidson

Fight the tourists and hurry past the strip clubs to the tiny Beat Museum in North Beach. If you love Kerouac or old copies of Playboy, then you're in the right place. In addition to the museum, weekend walking tours, and events - like book signings - this place plays host to a used book selection (from beach-worthy novels to famous first editions), used vinyl records, touristy knick-knacks, and yes, vintage Playboy magazines. Admission to the museum is eight dollars each, but the storefront is worth a look itself and is open seven days a week.

Kylee Hale

Movie Theater, multi floor museum and safe area

Di Murray

It probably would have been great but we never got to go inside (said they opened at 10, we waited till 10:40, I guess they didn't want our money).

Ben Dyson

What a delightful warren to lose yourself in for an hour – if you’ve at one point been enamoured by the Beat

Carlos Fraterno Afonso de Morais

Não fui ao museu mas a loja tem produtos variados da cultura beat, incluindo discos, livros e acessórios.

Arianna Johns

This museum is awesome! Go and check out the art, history, and memories left by one of the most progressive movements in the 20th century. Visit it!!!

William Jimenez

Perfect Beat Museum in the perfect location! Loads of information with great exhibits and an awesome gift shop/bookstore. You can easily see everything in under an hour and at 7$ you really can't beat it. Close to City Lights book store and Vesuvio, I highly recommend stopping by all three. Grab a coffee or something a little stronger at Vesuvio and enjoy!

Leonie Mathis

I love everything you have and how you do it!!!!!! Very passionate guy and it is so important to hold the beats alive

Ruben Holen

A small, intimate museum about an unknown but interesting subject. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Loved it!

Mario Sánchez, Ph.D.

Where it all began. Awesome birthplace of the most powerful movement that profoundly changed a major aspect of Americana and rock-n-roll. The owner was at the genesis is willing to share history with you. Books and memorabilia you won't elsewhere. Super friendly and into it staff. A must go to place in SF. Viva Led Zeppelin!