A beautiful museum in a town filled with beauty, The Legion of Honor (near 34th Ave. and Clement St., 415/750-3600, www.famsf.org/legion [1], Tues.–Sun. 9:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m., adults $10, seniors $7, youth $6) sits on its lonely promontory in Lincoln Park, overlooking the Golden Gate.
A gift to the City from philanthropist Alma Spreckels in 1924, this French beaux arts–style building was built to honor the memory of California soldiers who died in World War I. From the first, the Legion of Honor was a museum dedicated to bringing European art to the population of San Francisco [2].
Today, visitors can view gorgeous collections of European paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts, ancient artifacts from around the Mediterranean, thousands of paper drawings by great artists, and much more. Special exhibitions come from the Legion’s own collections and museums of the world.
If you love the living arts and music, visit the Florence Gould Theater or come to the museum on a Sunday for a free organ concert on the immense Skinner Organ, which is integral to the Legion structure.
Links:
[1] http://www.famsf.org/legion
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/california/san-francisco-and-the-bay-area