8 Art Galleries to Explore in California

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco houses one of the most comprehensive Asian art collections in the world, with more than 18,000 works of art in its permanent collection, some as much as 6,000 years old.

Oldest art museum west of the Mississippi River. The Museum holds one of the state's premier collections of Californian art. The museum contains American works dating from the Gold Rush to the present, European paintings and master drawings, one of the largest international ceramics collections in the U.S., and collections of Asian, African, and Oceanic art.

The Exploratorium is a museum of science, technology, and arts in San Francisco. A huge number of diverse exhibits, and many with hand-on learning experiences. This is the only place in San Francisco where visitors can touch, tinker and play with more than 650 hands-on exhibits.

A modern art museum located in the heart of San Francisco. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art, and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art. The museum's current collection includes over 33,000 works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts and more.

The Sweeney Art Gallery is located in the Culver Center and its shows frequently spill over into the Culver Atrium. It serves as an artistic laboratory that engages diverse audiences with exhibitions and programs committed to experimentation, innovation, and the exploration of art in our time.

Collections-based educational and research institution. In addition to the library, the institution houses an extensive art collection with a focus on 18th- and 19th-century European art and 17th- to mid-20th-century American art. The property also includes approximately 120 acres (49 ha) of specialized botanical landscaped gardens, most notably the "Japanese Garden", the "Desert Garden", and the "Chinese Garden".

This is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in order to exhibit works of art presented there. Situated in the Marina District of San Francisco, California. In addition to hosting art exhibitions, it remains a popular attraction for tourists and locals.

The Timken Museum of Art is a fine art museum, established in 1965. It preserves the Putnam Collection of European old masters, American art, and Russian icons for the education and benefit of present and future generations of San Diego residents and visitors