San Francisco - Art & Entertainment

Our apologies: your internet browser is not yet fully supported by Schmap online guides. Pages in this guide may display incorrectly.

Schmap.com supports the following browsers:

PC

MAC San Francisco San Francisco - Art & Entertainment Map
Download the Schmap San Francisco Guide
San Francisco Home
Schmap San Francisco guide and map


Since the days of the Barbary Coast, San Franciscans have packed blues and comedy clubs, plays, movies and the opera; San Francisco also has a long tradition, by American standards, of a vital visual art scene.

Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MOMA) and its excellent temporary exhibitions have drawn tens of thousands of San Franciscans who might otherwise not have bothered to come to an art show. Across Third Street, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts has interesting exhibitions, often of larger multimedia installations and kinetic sculpture, in its two-floor gallery. The M.H. de Young Memorial Museum (closed while its new building is erected) in Golden Gate Park and the newly renovated California Palace of the Legion of Honor (a handsome classical pavilion with Rodin's "The Thinker" at its entrance) are San Francisco's fine art museums. The world-famous Asian Art Museum, in the Civic Center, is a must-see.

Most of San Francisco's private art galleries are clustered downtown, to the east of Union Square on Geary and Sutter Streets. The more experimental galleries operate in SoMa lofts and Potrero Hill.

San Francisco's other museums include, to mention but a few, the Museo Italoamericano, the African-American Historical & Cultural Society Museum all at Fort Mason Center, the Jewish Museum, California Academy of Sciences (for natural history) and, designed for kids but great for grown-ups, too, Zeum and the Exploratorium. Kids will also love the Musee Mechanique, a fabulously low-tech collection of arcade games from the turn of the 20th century. Formerly found at the Cliff House, the Musee is now in new quarters at Pier 45 (Shed A at the end of Taylor Street).

Cinema

San Franciscans seem to enjoy movies more than most and popular features can be sold out for weeks. New screens open all the time to meet the demand, with the AMC 1000 on Van Ness offering 14 screens, and the Sony Theaters Metreon housing 16, including one IMAX. San Franciscans love independent cinema, too. In spite of the multiplex phenomenon, San Franciscans support quirky rep houses like the Castro, with its mighty Wurlitzer organ, and the Roxie, with its funky and eclectic programming.

The San Francisco International Film Festival, the oldest film festival in the Americas, draws filmmakers, critics and movie buffs from all over the world. There are also more specialized film festivals operating throughout the year, including the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, the oldest of its kind anywhere. The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts also presents a frequently changing program of experimental and documentary films.

Comedy

San Francisco's Standup Comedy Competition winners have been virtually guaranteed television contracts. Cobb's and the Punch Line are two of the oldest and most popular comedy clubs.

Dance

San Francisco Ballet has long been one of the world's premier companies with a variety of other companies, such as the globe trotting and award-winning ODC, making San Francisco their home base. More experimental modern dance has found a friendly venue at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater.

Theater

The American Conservatory Theater (ACT) presents innovative productions of excellent plays, old and new, at the Geary Theater. The Curran puts on both commendable touring plays and musicals. Aside from the big touring productions at the Orpheum and the cavernous Golden Gate, and a handful of small houses like the Theater on the Square, there is only a fringe theater scene in San Francisco. The Magic Theatre, a leading interpreter of Sam Shephard Plays, at Fort Mason Center and a few independent, theater-less companies do mount entertaining productions here and there. Performance spaces, such as Theatre Artaud in the Potrero Hill area or The Marsh in the Mission, host occasional experimental plays.

The Music Scene

The award-winning San Francisco Symphony Orchestra plays at ultra-modern Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. Its music director and principal conductor is the charismatic Michael Tilson Thomas, who recently won a slew of Grammies for his work with the SFSO. Touring soloists and symphonies play at Davies, Masonic Auditorium, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and other venues throughout town. In the summertime, the natural amphitheater at Stern Grove (on Sloat Boulevard in the Sunset District) features outdoor concerts by the Symphony, the Opera, and other performers.

While in recent years the failure of Keystone Korner and Kimball's West have left the city without a regular venue for jazz (the best jazz club in the Bay Area, Yoshi's, across the bay in Oakland, books top national jazz acts), jazz fans delight in the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. It features legends like Elvin Jones and Sonny Rollins, as well as lesser-known, more experimental performers. Jazz at Pearls remains in North Beach, featuring absurdly talented local talent in a swanky dinner club setting.

San Francisco is inextricably linked with the history of rock n' roll. The return of the Fillmore Auditorium (of Hendrix fame) has been a boon for rock fans. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is another venue for big shows. The Maritime Hall has become popular for mid-sized shows. Slim's and the Great American Music Hall are good settings for performances on a smaller--but no less intense--scale.

There are nightclubs all over the city, but locals favor North Beach, and especially SoMa. Most clubs have disc-jockeyed music, but live bands are common. Bimbo's 365 Club (a sexy, must-see retro fantasy spot that puts on more blues and jazz than it does rock n' roll), the Justice League, and the Transmission Theater have all hosted well-known acts that have packed the hall.

Next door to Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, at the beaux-arts Opera House, the San Francisco Opera has an even more devoted following than the Symphony. They mix classic operas with modern ones, including the recent premiere of "A Streetcar Named Desire" scored by Andre Previn.







Copyright 1999-2009 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wcities

California Academy of Sciences


Fun & Educational
 875 Howard Street
(between 4th & 5th Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103-3009
+1 415 321 8000
http://www.calacademy.org/
California Academy of Sciences
Fort Mason


Meeting ground of culture
 Between Fisherman's Wharf & Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, CA 94123-1382
+1 415 441 3405
http://www.fortmason.org/
Fort Mason
Golden Gate Park


Over a Thousand Acres
 Stanyan & Haight Streets
San Francisco, CA 94118
+1 415 831 2700
http://www.sfgov.org/
Golden Gate Park
Stern Grove Festival


Free Summer Concert Series
 Sigmund Stern Grove
Sloat Boulevard at 19th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
+1 415 252 6252
http://www.sterngrove.org/
Stern Grove Festival
Masonic Auditorium


Modern marble temple
 1111 California Street
(at the corner of Taylor Street)
San Francisco, CA 94108
+1 415 776 4702 (Events)
http://www.sfmasoniccenter.com/
Masonic Auditorium
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)


Celebrating Comedy & Tragedy
 415 Geary Street
(between Mason & Taylor Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94108
+1 415 749 2228
http://www.act-sfbay.org
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)
San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival


Seriously Fun Film Festival
 346 Ninth Street
(between Bryant and Harrison streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 703 8650
http://www.frameline.org/festival/
San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
Civic Center & Hayes Valley
San Francisco
Civic Center & Hayes Valley
The Mission
San Francisco
The Mission
North Beach
San Francisco
North Beach
SOMA
San Francisco
SOMA
Union Square
San Francisco
Union Square
San Francisco International Film Festival


America's oldest film festival
 39 Mesa Street
(The Presidio, Suite 110)
San Francisco, CA 94129
+1 415 561 5000
http://www.sfiff.org
San Francisco International Film Festival
Magic Theatre


Contemporary Plays with an Edge
 Fort Mason Center, Building D
San Francisco, CA 94123
+1 415 441 8822
http://www.magictheater.org
Magic Theatre
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall


Louise's gift to The City
 201 Van Ness Ave
(at Grove St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
+1 415 864 6000
http://sfwmpac.org/symphonyhall/sh_index.html
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall
San Francisco Ballet


San Francisco Ballet
 301 Van Ness Avenue
455 Franklin Street (Postal Address)
San Francisco, CA 94102
+1 415 861 5600 / +1 415 865 2000
http://www.sfballet.org
San Francisco Ballet
Marsh


Live Performances, Funky Atmosphere
 1062 Valencia Street
(at 22nd Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110-2427
+1 415 826 5750 / +1 800 838 3006 (Box office)
http://www.themarsh.org
Marsh
ODC/Dance


World-class modern dance troupe
 351 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
+1 415 863 6606 / +1 415 863 9834 (Box Office)
http://www.odcdance.org
ODC/Dance
Zeum


Art with an edge
 221 4th Street
(at Howard Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 820 3320
http://www.zeum.org/
Zeum
Slim's


Great Bands!
 333 11th Street
(between Folsom & Harrison Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103-4313
+1 415 255 0333
http://www.slims-sf.com
Slim's
The Fillmore


Music in a Palace!
 1895 Geary Boulevard
(at Fillmore Street)
San Francisco, CA 94115
+1 415 346 6000
http://www.thefillmore.com
The Fillmore
Cobb's Comedy Club


Really, REALLY funny
 915 Columbus Avenue
(At Lombard)
San Francisco, CA 94133
+1 415 928 4320
http://www.cobbscomedyclub.com
Cobb's Comedy Club
Great American Music Hall


Booking the hottest bands
 859 O'Farrell Street
(between Polk and Larkin streets)
San Francisco, CA 94109
+1 415 885 0750
http://www.musichallsf.com/
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)


Pablo Picasso & Matthew Barney
 151 3rd Street
(between Howard & Mission Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 357 4000
http://www.sfmoma.org
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Maritime Hall


Live shows for all ages
 520 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
+1 415 974 0634
Maritime Hall
The Independent


Freedom to Hear Great Music
 628 Divisadero St
San Francisco, CA 94117
+1 415 771 1421
http://www.theindependentsf.com/
The Independent
Punch Line


Laughter guaranteed!
 444 Battery Street
(Between Washington and Clay)
San Francisco, CA 94111
+1 415 397 7573 (PLSF)
http://www.punchlinecomedyclub.com
Punch Line
Asian Art Museum


Western Hemisphere's Largest Collection
 Civic Center Plaza
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
+1 415 581 3500
http://www.asianart.org
Asian Art Museum
California Palace of the Legion of Honor


Beautiful museum, grand location
 Lincoln Park
34th Avenue & Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
+1 415 863 3330
http://www.thinker.org/legion/index.asp
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Exploratorium


Exploratorium
 3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
+1 415 561 0360 / +1 415 397 5673
http://www.exploratorium.edu
Exploratorium
Contemporary Jewish Museum


Contemporary Jewish Museum
 736 Mission St.
Between 3rd and 4th Streets
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 344 8800
http://www.thecjm.org
Contemporary Jewish Museum
African-American Historical & Cultural Society Museum


History, art and culture
 Corner of Laguna and Beach Streets
Fort Mason Center, Bldg C
San Francisco, CA 94123
+1 415 441 0640
http://www.fortmason.org/directions/index.shtml
African-American Historical & Cultural Society Museum
Museo Italoamericano


Italian-American history & culture
 At the corner of Laguna and Beach streets
Fort Mason Center, Building C
San Francisco, CA 94123
+1 415 673 2200
http://www.museoitaloamericano.org/
Museo Italoamericano
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)


Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
 701 Mission St.
(between 3rd & 4th Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 415 978 2787
www.ybca.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)
Bimbo's 365 Club


Retro-Framed Concert Spot
 1025 Columbus Avenue
(at Chestnut Street)
San Francisco, CA 94133
+1 415 474 0365
http://www.bimbos365club.com/
Bimbo's 365 Club
Studio Z


Bay Area's Most Rave-ishing Venue!
 314 11th Street
(at the corner of Folsom Street)
San Francisco, CA 94132
+1 415 252 7666
http://www.studioz.tv/
Studio Z
San Francisco
San Francisco - Historical Background
San Francisco - Where to Stay
San Francisco - Neighborhood Guide
San Francisco - Dining & Drinking
Schmap.com
About
News & Reviews
Travel Store
Privacy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
© 2008 Schmap, Inc. All rights reserved.