It opened in 1935 under founding director
Dr. Grace Morley (Grace L. McCann Morley, Director from
1935–1958) as the San Francisco Museum of Art,
the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to
20th-century art. For its first sixty years, the museum
occupied upper floors of the War Memorial Veterans Building
in the Civic Center. Under director Henry T. Hopkins
(1974–1986) the museum added "Modern"
to its title in 1975, and established an international
reputation.
In a major transformation and expansion, in 1995
the museum moved to its current location, 151 Third
Street, adjacent to Yerba Buena Gardens in the SOMA
district and its iconic architectural showpiece facility
designed by Mario Botta. Inviting comparison to the
preeminent MOMA in New York City, the museum re-branded
itself "SFMOMA".
Address
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone: 415.357.4000
Fax: 415.357.4037
This exciting museum offers five floors of gallery space
that house more than 15,000 pieces of artwork, some
of which are part of the permanent collection. A free,
45-minute tour is recommended to help visitors get their
bearings. Exhibits change often, ensuring something
new and challenging throughout the year. A great collection
of modern and contemporary art.
