Visitor Guidelines

If you have a timed, special exhibition ticket, please arrive 30 minutes before your ticketed time to check your coat and pick up a visitor guide. You’re more than welcome to stay until the museum closes that day. Please note the museum opens at 10 a.m.

All visitors (including members and visitors 18 and under, who always receive free admission) require a ticket so we can ensure the museum does not exceed capacity. Order tickets in advance for all members of your party so everyone can enter the galleries at the same time. Tickets for visitors 18 and under can be booked online in conjunction with a paid or member ticket, or in person at SFMOMA for same-day use. Contact visit@sfmoma.org or 415.357.4000 with any questions.

The free public spaces on Floors 1 and 2 open at 10:00 a.m. daily and do not require a ticket. Enjoy Richard Serra’s Sequence, Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing 895: Loopy Doopy (white and blue), and Julie Mehretu’s HOWL, eon (I, II), or visit our two Museum Stores. To enter the galleries, a ticket is required.

Photography/videography is allowed for personal, noncommercial use (except where indicated). No flashes, tripods, or selfie sticks.

No eating, drinking, or smoking is permitted in the Museum. Eating and drinking are permitted in designated areas only (Cafe 5, Sightglass at SFMOMA, and In Situ). Sealed food and drink containers are allowed if they are packed away inside a bag.

We welcome breastfeeding and bottle-feeding in all spaces. The Museum does not provide any dedicated spaces for feeding.

Strollers are allowed unless otherwise noted for specific exhibitions.

Items not accepted at coat check include luggage, oversize backpacks, large musical instruments, animals, flowers, balloons, scooters, skateboards, and bikes. The museum allows visitors to check items the size of carry-on bags (maximum dimensions of 9 x 14 x 22 inches [22 x 35 x 56 cm], including handles and wheels). All articles must be claimed before the Museum closes. SFMOMA is not responsible for wallets, purses, computers, and other items deemed to be of high value, or articles left overnight. The Museum reserves the right to inspect any parcel brought into the premises. The Museum is not responsible for stolen or lost items. Coat check is intended for ticketed SFMOMA visitors. Items may be denied based on space availability.

For all things Lost and Found while you’re at SFMOMA, ask any staff member on the museum floor. If you need to contact us about lost items after your visit, please call 415.357.4000 or email visit@sfmoma.org.

Backpacks may not be worn on your back; they must be carried by hand (below the waist) or worn on the front of your body at all times.

Umbrellas may not be carried in the galleries. Please check umbrellas at coat check or place them in your purse or bag.

The use of all pens and any other writing/drawing/marking implement or implement that may be used to mark and/or deface SFMOMA property are strictly prohibited in the galleries (where art is on display). If making notes is necessary, please use a pencil. (Please see a Visitor Experience staff manager regarding working with art supplies such as charcoal, watercolors, etc.). Possession of spray cans is prohibited in any area of the Museum.

Find detailed information about our accessibility options here.

The Museum does not own, manage, or control the parking facilities near the Museum and is not responsible for any loss or damage taking place at such facilities.

Art safety barriers are not to be violated. Please honor all art safety barriers and maintain a distance of at least 18 inches from all artwork.

Animals are not permitted at SFMOMA. The only exception is for service animals on a leash and under their masters’ control as authorized by applicable law.

Disruptive noise is prohibited. Visitors with electronic/sound-producing devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, PDAs, Game Boys, et cetera, will be asked to turn the volume down.

The interior of the Museum is not a public forum and is not designated for use for protests, rallies, petition signature gathering, or other similar activities.

The use or possession of any type of weapon or explosives is strictly prohibited.

To help ensure the quality and safety of our visitor experience and to help protect our collections and museum facilities, only SFMOMA staff, volunteers, pre-arranged school groups, and contracted partners are authorized to give tours of the museum. Unauthorized tours, meaning tours operated by private tour operators that are not affiliated with the museum, are prohibited and may be asked to stop the tour and/or leave the museum. Tour operators may reach out to groups@sfmoma.org for details on becoming a contracted partner. Teachers and professors who wish to guide students through the museum may schedule self-guided visits on our website before the scheduled day of visit.

The following are prohibited and grounds for immediate ejection from SFMOMA:

• Blocking Museum areas, including any entrance areas, entrance steps, platforms, gallery spaces, or access ramps or otherwise interfering with the free flow of pedestrian traffic in and around the Museum
• Blocking or interfering with admission lines or special event-related activities, including valet parking services for special events
• Littering on Museum property including entrance areas, entrance steps, platforms, and access ramps and any surrounding areas
• Petition signature gathering or leafletting activities in any museum area, including any entrance area, entrance steps, platforms, or access ramps
• Smoking any tobacco or other product, including smokeless devices, inside the Museum or in an outdoor area within 20 feet of a main exit, entrance, or operable window of the Museum
• Excessive intoxication while on SFMOMA’s premises
• Possession, use, and/or being under the influence of controlled substances while on SFMOMA’s premises is strictly prohibited, except as authorized by physician prescription
• Use of profanity and/or engaging in rude, inconsiderate, or abusive behavior
• Creating a physically offensive condition, including disturbing odors or infested clothing or personal effects
• Lack of clothing covering the upper and lower body; lack of shoes or other footwear
• Refusal to follow directions from SFMOMA staff
• Consumption of food or beverages in prohibited areas
• Unauthorized entry into controlled or restricted areas
• Repeated violation of art safety barriers
• Failure to maintain control of minor children
• Actual or attempted misappropriation of and/or damage to SFMOMA property

In addition to the above, any behavior or activity that disrupts the safe or orderly use of the Museum, or that affects the staff’s ability to provide services, is prohibited.