Facility Rental Policies

General Information and Guidelines

Guests arrivc at a special event at the museum
Photo: Peter Honig

Availability

Due to the upcoming expansion of our building, we are accepting reservations through May 15, 2013 only at this time. The Haas Atrium is available for setup after 6:00 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when the museum is closed to the public and event setup may commence at 9:00 a.m. The Atrium is not available on Thursdays. Events in the Atrium may be staged in The Schwab Room at no additional charge. The Schwab Room may be used for setup beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event (subject to availability). Caffè Museo may be rented only in conjunction with the Haas Atrium or The Schwab Room. The Caffè is available for setup after 4:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesdays, it is available at 9:00 a.m. The Caffè is not available for rentals on Thursday. Access to the Wattis Theater is subject to availability.

Decor

SFMOMA has strict guidelines on decor, including plant and floral arrangements. Please review your plans with our Event Manager prior to selecting decor.

Food and Drink

Food and drink are limited to the Haas Atrium, The Schwab Room, and Caffè Museo and are not permitted in the galleries or in the Wattis Theater.

Insurance Requirements and Indemnification Policy

User shall, at their own expense, procure and maintain, for so long as they use, occupy, or furnish products or services on the premises of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, liability and property damage insurance for protection against all liabilities related to the use or occupancy of the space, and operations incidental thereto, with a minimum combined single limit of liability of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. User agrees to indemnify and hold the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and all its officers, board members, and employees free and harmless from any loss, damage, liability, cost, or expense that may arise during or be caused in any way by such use or occupancy of the premises by the User, to any employee, agent, invitee, contractor, or associate of the User or any other person and/or for injury to any person and/or for injury to any person whatsoever happening on, in, about, or in connection with the space while the space is occupied or being used by the User except to the extent such injury, loss, damage, liability, cost, or expense results from the willful acts, gross negligence, or conduct of SFMOMA, its officers, board members, and employees.

User assumes all risk of damage to property or injury to persons in or about the space from any cause and hereby releases the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and waives all claims against the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for damages to the User’s personal property, for injury to the User, and User's agent, employees, invitees, associates, and contractors, in or about the property from any cause arising at any time, except to the extent such damage or injury results from the willful acts or gross negligence of SFMOMA.

Prohibited Events

The following types of events are not permitted at SFMOMA: fundraisers, political events, auctions, art displays or performances not belonging to or approved by SFMOMA, events for minors or events where minors will be in attendance and there will be alcohol served, promotional events, and events where entrance requires the advance or on-site purchase of a ticket, i.e. ticketed performances or events advertised to the general public.

The above items are only a partial list of SFMOMA's policies and procedures for events. Please contact the Meetings and Events Department at 415.357.4076 or yourevent@sfmoma.org for more information.

Reservations + Booking

Call the Meetings and Events Department at 415.357.4076 to place a reservation. SFMOMA accepts up to three reservations on any event day. A non-refundable deposit of 50 percent of the rental fee is required to book a date.

Storage, Deliveries, and Cleanup

SFMOMA has limited storage areas. All deliveries must take place on the day of the event. All materials must be removed from the museum at the event's conclusion. SFMOMA will not store any materials overnight and assumes no liability for such items.

SFMOMA's facilities must be returned to their original condition to avoid additional fees. The caterer is responsible for cleaning the catering kitchen and removal of trash, debris, and other miscellaneous items. All other vendors are expected to remove their equipment from the premises upon event completion.

Rental Fees

The rental fees listed below reflect the base price for rental of SFMOMA facilities (excluding the Wattis Theater) for a maximum event period of four hours. If an event exceeds four hours, or if any guest, vendor, or equipment remain on the premises one and a half hours after the scheduled end of the event or until midnight (whichever comes first), an overtime charge of $500 per half hour will apply. Rental fees include coat check, janitorial, engineering, security, and operations services as well as use of SFMOMA's staging area. SFMOMA does not provide catering services, tables, chairs, decor, or linens.

Corporate partners and individual donors are eligible for discounts. Please contact the Development Department at 415.357.4080 for more information.

Rental Fees for the Phyllis Wattis Theater

A rental fee of $7,500 secures use of the theater for a maximum period of seven hours (including setup and breakdown). Any additional time spent in the theater will result in an overtime charge of $500 per half hour.

Gallery Rental Fees

Access to the galleries is not included in the rental fees. Below are the rates for access to a single gallery floor.

1 hour $1,500
2 hours $2,000
3 hours $3,000
4 hours $4,000

Additional gallery floors are available at the rate of $1,000 each for a maximum of four hours.

A $2,000 refundable security deposit is also required. This deposit is not included in the rental fees detailed below. A permit extension fee applies for events that extend beyond midnight.

Event Space Square Feet Standing Capacity* Seated Capacity* Base Rental Fee
Atrium, The Schwab Room, and Caffè Museo 11,400 1,200 650 $16,500
Atrium and The Schwab Room 10,000 1,000 550 $15,000
Atrium 6,500 650 350 $11,500
The Schwab Room and Caffè Museo 4,800 400 300 $10,500
The Schwab Room 3,400 250 200 $9,000
Wattis Theater n/a n/a 278 $7,500
Pavilion & Sculpture Garden (Available for rental on Wednesdays only) n/a 120 n/a $15,000

Note: These are recommended capacities only. Capacity may increase or decrease depending on setup (food and drink stations, stages, etc.). Standing capacity is based on 8 square feet per person and seated capacity on 15 square feet per person. If all galleries are included, standing capacity may be increased up to 1,200 persons.

Additional fees: Refundable security deposit: $2,000; Gallery guides: $115 each for three hours; Overtime: $500 per half hour