Bay Area Museums

A list of museums in the area:

• Asphalt Museum - Rohnert Park
• Bay Area Discovery Museum - San Francisco
• Blackhawk Automotive Museum - Danville - resources, projects and exhibits related to the automobile and automotive art through time. Features highlights from the museum collections.
• Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia - Burlingame - featuring an online exhibit of hundreds of dispensers from the '50s to the present. Also a source for European and hard-to-find dispensers and accessories.
• C.E. Smith Museum of Anthropology
• California Academy of Sciences - San Francisco - museum exhibits, research, lectures, courses, books, symposia, and expeditions about the wonders and value of the natural world.
• California Indian Museum and Cultural Center - San Francisco - offers history, culture, and contemporary life of California Indians, as well as information about the staff and events.
• Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House - Campbell - historic home and museum showcasing life in Silicon Valley in the 1920s and 1930s.
• Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose - San Jose
• Essig Museum of Entomology - a 4.5 million specimen entomological research collection with specimens primarily from western North America and the northern neotropics.
• Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site - Danville - details about Tao House, where O'Neill lived from 1937 to 1944.
• Golden Gate Railroad Museum - San Francisco - dedicated to the preservation and operation of historic railroad equipment.
• Habitot Children's Museum - Berkeley - special place for young children, from infants through age seven, to experience hands-on discovery play and learning.
• Hall of Health - Berkeley - a community health-education museum and science center, dedicated to promoting wellness and personal responsibility for health.
• Hiller Aviation Museum - San Carlos - online "walking" tour.
• History Museums of San Jose - San Jose
• Intel Museum - Santa Clara
• Lawrence Hall of Science - Berkeley - the public science center of the University of California, Berkeley and a leader in teacher education and curriculum development.
• Lindsay Wildlife Museum - Walnut Creek - wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on native California wildlife and natural history. Offers a charitable vehicle donation program.
• Museum of the City of San Francisco - San Francisco - preserving the history of the City; on-line exhibits include the 1906 earthquake and a 1965-69 chronology of local rock and roll.
• Museum of Vintage Fashion - Walnut Creek - nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to the research and preservation of vintage fashions.
• Napa Valley Museum - Yountville - featuring the people, environment, wine and agricultural industries of Napa.
• National Maritime Museum Association - San Francisco - operates the USS Pampanito, a WWII submarine and assists with the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
• Oakland Museum of California - Oakland - One of the largest regional museums in the country, featuring California's environment, history and art.
• Pacific Coast Air Museum - Santa Rosa - dedicated to promote the acquisition, restoration, safe operation, and display of historical aircraft.
• Pacific Film Archive - center for the exhibition and study of cinema.
• Petaluma Historical Museum/Library - Petaluma - dedicated to the history of Petaluma and its environs.
• Petaluma Wildlife and Natural Science Museum - Petaluma - student-run non-profit museum with a saltwater tidepool along with taxidermied and live animal displays.
• Point Arena Lighthouse and Museum - Point Arena
• Portuguese Historical Museum - San Jose - preserves the culture and heritage of Portuguese immigrants to the US from the time of the discoveries to the present day.
• Randall Museum, The - San Francisco
• Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum - San Francisco - explore a world of improbabilities located at Fisherman's Wharf.
• Rosicrucian Park and Egyptian Museum - San Jose - houses several Egyptian-style buildings in a park-like setting featuring exotic plants and the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western US.
• San Francisco Computer Museum - San Francisco
• San Francisco Exploratorium - San Francisco - experience exhibits from this museum of science, art and human perception.
• San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles - San Jose - with an extensive collection of historical and artistic quilts and textiles.
• Sharpsteen Museum - Calistoga - dioramas and displays about Calistoga and northern Napa County.
• Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens - San Francisco - located within Golden Gate Park.
• Tech Museum of Innovation, The - San Jose
• Vacaville Muesum - Vacaville - center for Solano County history. Features hours, exhibit info, guild and membership information.
• Western Aerospace Museum - Oakland
• Western Railway Museum - Suisun City
• Zeum - San Francisco - new art and technology center for young people lets you explore firsthand a range of visual, performing and media arts.