Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Statue of Avalokiteshvara, Japan. Photo by Kalyan Neelamraju.
Carving of the Hindu epic Ramayana from Angkor. Photo by David Pham.
Shiva from India; Buddhist arhat from China. Photos by Mary Harrsch.
Japanese tea ceremony demonstration. Photo by Frederic Poirot.
Tibetan ritual objects. Photo by Marshall Astor.
Reopened in March 2003, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is one of the largest museums devoted to Asian art in the western world. Its collection boasts more than 15,000 art objects.
History
Previously located in Golden Gate Park, the museum's new home in the city's Beaux Arts-style central library was renovated under Italian architect Gae Aulenti.
What to See
The Asian Art Museum includes 40,000 square feet of gallery space showcasing 2,500 objects at any given time.
Exhibits include world-class sculptures, paintings, bronzes, ceramics, and jade items, the majority of which are religious in nature.
The artifacts span 6,000 years of history and incorporate south Asia, west Asia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, China, Korea, and Japan.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Asian Art Museum offers visitors temporary exhibitions, live demonstrations, learning activities, cafe Asia, and a museum store.
| Name: | Asian Art Museum |
| Type of site: | Museum with religious artifacts |
| Location: | 200 Larkin St., between Fulton and McAllister Sts., San Francisco, California, USA |
| Coordinates: | 37.780255° N, 122.416116° W |
| Phone: | 415/581-3500 |
| Website: | www.asianart.org |
| Streetcar: | Civic Center |
| Bus: | All Market St. buses |
| Hours: | Tues-Wed and Fri-Sun 10am-5pm; Thurs 10am-9pm |
| Cost: | $10 adults, $7 seniors 65 and over, $6 youths 12-17, free for children under 12, $5 flat rate for all after 5pm Thurs. Free 1st Tues of the month |
Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Asian Art Museum. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our San Francisco Map or get our free Google Earth download.
