Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco: all you need to know

A museum dedicated to the life of Walt Disney and launched in tribute to the artist, by his daughter Diane Disney. I show you everything you can see inside it!

Andressa García

Andressa García

12 min read

Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco: all you need to know

Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco | ©HarshLight

The museum consists of an open space where you can see an impressive gallery with artifacts, images and everything related to the life and work of Walt Disney. Inside you can enjoy temporary and permanent exhibits.

I definitely recommend a visit to the museum as part of the things to see and do in San Francisco. That is why I also recommend you purchase your tickets in advance of your trip, so you do not miss the opportunity to know it.

The most economical option

San Francisco Walt Disney Museum Tickets

A journey through the life of Walt Disney's creative mind

You will be able to visit the museum and see the different galleries where unique objects and scale models of Walt Disney's creations throughout the years are exhibited.

Enjoy the Walt Disney Museum and all the elements that have been preserved to provide information about his life and work. With this ticket you have access to the main facilities of the museum, but not to the special activities.

You will be able to enter and discover several galleries where characters created by Walt Disney are exhibited. It is a ticket that can be used for both adults and children and is suitable to enter the museum at any time of the day.

Recommended if... you are traveling as a family with small children and you want to live a very rewarding experience with your family.

How much do tickets to the Walt Disney Museum cost?

Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade
Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade

The price of tickets to the Walt Disney Family Museum depends on how you buy them. If you want to avoid the lines when you go to this attraction, and of course, if you want to secure your ticket before you go, the best thing to do is to buy your tickets online in advance.

On the internet you can find tickets between 22 and 25 euros per person, regardless of whether it is for children, seniors or general admission. The guarantee that this form of purchase gives you is that you will be able to secure your ticket before heading to the site.

The museum also classifies ticket prices according to the type of person, i.e. there is a general admission ticket, senior tickets, children's tickets, student tickets, tickets for active military personnel and veterans, membership tickets, etc.

Ticket prices according to type of person

About the cost of the tickets provided by the museum, the general admission you can get it from 25 euros, while the entrance to other special exhibitions have an additional cost.

You can buy the tickets together, that is, the pass to see the whole museum and additionally see the special exhibitions, or you can only choose one of the two options. This will depend on whether you have visited the museum before and only want to see the new exhibits, or if you want to see the whole place.

Adults and students can enter the museum for an approximate cost of 20 euros. If they also want to visit special exhibitions they also have to pay a surcharge, which usually costs about 5 euros to include both visits. If they only want to visit new exhibitions, they pay around 15 euros.

Children from 6 years old and young people up to 17 pay around 15 euros admission. Additionally they must pay to see other special exhibitions. For active, retired or veteran military personnel , admission is free but does not include admission to special exhibits.

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How to get tickets for the Walt Disney Museum at the box office?

Wall Disney Museum entrance| ©Elizabeth K. Joseph
Wall Disney Museum entrance| ©Elizabeth K. Joseph

If after knowing how convenient it is to buy online, you still think it is worth going to buy the ticket at the box office, then you have to be prepared to wait in line. You can go to the ticket office moments before the time you have planned to visit the museum, in order to buy your tickets.

You have to know that the opening hours of the museum are from 10:00 to 17:30, with the last entrance at 16:30. So you have all day to buy your tickets. Try not to leave the visit for the last hour of the day, because there is a possibility that you will not be able to enter.

If you are staying for more than two days in San Francisco, I recommend you to buy your tickets one day before visiting the museum, so you do not miss the visit.

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Are tickets to the Walt Disney Museum included in any of the city's tourist passes?

San Francisco CityPass| ©CityPass
San Francisco CityPass| ©CityPass

Of course the San Francisco Pass and other city passes are a great option when you are going for a few days in the city and want to see as much as you can in the shortest amount of time.

The great thing about these passes is that they generally adapt to the type of visit you make to the city, whether it is your first time and you want to see as many places as possible, or you are going for a specific situation and want to see specific places you have not visited before. Whatever the case, the Walt Disney Family Museum is included in two of the city's most popular passes, the San Francisco CityPASS and the Go Card San Francisco.

San Francisco CityPASS

This is one of the most comprehensive passes you can get to visit different places in the City. The Walt Disney Museum is included in the pass for four attractions to visit in up to 9 days. With the purchase of this pass you can save up to 45% of the entrance fees to the included attractions.

You have to take into account that, although you do not need an advance reservation to enter the museum if you have the CityPASS, you will not have access to all the places in the museum. That is, the CityPASS gives you access to general admission to the museum, but not to special exhibits, film screenings or similar events.

Go Card San Francisco

The Go Card offers you the possibility to combine admission to the museums and attractions of your choice into a single pass. The best thing about the Go Card is that you have the opportunity to choose from over 25 different attractions and museums. In addition, you save up to 60% on the entrance fee of each attraction you choose.

The Walt Disney Museum is one of the options included in the list of 25, so you can choose other options and include the museum in your pass. Just present this card at the entrance and you will have access to the inside. However, you cannot use your pass for special exhibits, film screenings or other events inside the museum.

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Special children's tickets

At the Museum| ©HarshLight
At the Museum| ©HarshLight

Children under the age of five get free admission to the museum. But those over six years of age will have to pay a low entrance fee, as well as having to pay extra for additional functions and special events taking place inside the venue.

In the case of film screenings, children under 5 also get in free, while those over 6 and up to 17 get in for a price that can range from €8 and up.

Children can be included in the CityPASS or Go Card for free admission to each of the attractions, including the Walt Disney Museum. This is incredible to know, considering it's a great place to include among the things to see and do in San Francisco with kids.

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Guided tours of the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco

Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade
Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade

Most probably you will not get guided tours to the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco, but what you can get for sure, is to buy tickets online to ensure your visit to the museum.

Once inside you can do the tour according to the layout in which the gallery is located, even before going you could get some advice on their website about the order of the gallery, the works that you will find in there and the exhibitions that are active.

How to get to the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco?

San Francisco Bus| ©Jeff Muceus
San Francisco Bus| ©Jeff Muceus

How to get there depends on the type of transportation you choose, either by public transportation or by private car. If you take the bus to the museum, there are other stops nearby that may work for you to access the museum. From each of them you can walk a few meters.

The three nearest bus stations are: Officer's Club 3 minutes from the museum entrance. There is also the Presidio Community YMCA about a six minute walk and then Mason St. & Halleck St. about 10 minutes to the museum door. Meanwhile, the bus lines that stop near the museum are the 30, DT and PH.

On the other hand, if you decide to go by streetcar to the museum, the closest station is Hyde St. & Bay St., although it is not a great idea if you are walking, since from this station to the museum it would take you approximately 45 minutes walking.

I also recommend you to research the best tour buses in San Francisco, to find out which one can help you get to the Walt Disney Family Museum. The advantage of this type of bus is that you can also visit other attractions if you want to.

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Main attractions not to be missed at the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco

Works of the Museum| ©Kent Slade
Works of the Museum| ©Kent Slade

The exhibitions are variable and the museum is always presenting different types of exhibits that always have to do with Walt Disney's life and work, his way of seeing life during his golden age, or how he saw the things that happened around him and took them to make movies and blockbusters out of it.

On the other hand, there are the galleries, which are the exhibits that never stop being shown in the museum. You cannot miss them during your visit, because in them you will be able to see scale representations of different movies thought and made by Walt Disney.

Also in this type of galleries you will be able to see characters that participated in the history of the company since its beginnings. Imagine seeing the first models of Mickey Mouse and the like. The best thing about these galleries is that they are arranged in the chronological order of Walt Disney's life, from his early beginnings to the world's perception of the creative mind of so many characters.

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How much time do you need to visit the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco?

Wall Disney Museum| ©HarshLight
Wall Disney Museum| ©HarshLight

This will depend a lot on how much you want to see inside. Whenever there are special events or temporary exhibits, I recommend staying a little longer to see and appreciate them. If there are movie screenings, the time may be even longer, depending on the length of these screenings.

Generally a quick visit to the museum can take between an hour and a half and two hours, but if you want to stay a little longer to admire each of the works inside, or if you want to stop by the gift store or the museum cafe, this visit can be extended a little longer.

In any case, what I recommend is that if you expect to make an itinerary of things to see and do in San Francisco in two days, take all the time you need to know every space and every corner of the exhibition. It is really worth visiting this one, which is among the best museums in San Francisco.

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Walt Disney Museum San Francisco Hours

Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade
Wall Disney Museum| ©Kent Slade

During Thursday through Sunday, the museum is open from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm. It is closed Monday through Wednesday, during which time the maintenance team makes sure all areas are cleaned and ready to reopen the following day.

It is also closed on December 25 and January 1, as well as Thanksgiving Day. Every December 24 and 31, the museum opens its doors until 4:00 pm, with the last entrance at 3:00 pm.

Tips for visiting the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco

Wall Disney Museum entrance| ©Blake Handley
Wall Disney Museum entrance| ©Blake Handley

One of the most useful tips I can give you when visiting this museum is that if you go with children, do not let them out of your sight at any time. It is important that before going to the museum you visit the website so that you can find out what new information the museum has to tell you before you go to the museum.

Most of the exhibitions are temporary, so every time you go to the museum you will find something different to see. This is a great advantage, but it also forces you to visit the information about the exhibitions beforehand to know which ones are active and which ones you will like to see.

It is important that before going to the museum, you reserve your ticket. The influx of people in the place is so high that tickets usually run out soon, that is why one of the recommendations I give you is to book well in advance.

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This is the Walt Disney Museum store in San Francisco

Wall Disney Museum| ©HarshLight
Wall Disney Museum| ©HarshLight

The Walt Disney Museum Souvenir Shop is everything a fan of the production house could hope for. It is a place where you can get anything related to the museum, from printables to clothing to wear in and out of the museum.

Every object or detail you can purchase inside the store is closely related to the exhibits they have available at the time. You can also find souvenirs from past exhibitions that you are sure to enjoy.

You can enter the gift store right when you leave the exhibition, or you can also purchase your museum store products through their website. Of course the product options may vary depending on how you shop, whether you do it online, or you do it physically.

Where to eat near the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco?

Wall Disney Restaurant at the museum| ©Kent Slade
Wall Disney Restaurant at the museum| ©Kent Slade

After finishing the tour around the Walt Disney Museum you will most likely get a little hungry, that's why I want to show you some restaurant options that you have very close to the museum. The gastronomic offer is varied and designed to satisfy all tastes.

The Walt Disney Family Museum Coffee

In this museum café you can have some refreshing drinks, or if you prefer, you can drink coffee or hot chocolate. Inside the café you can try tasty desserts and snacks for after your visit to the museum.

One of the best things is that they offer you different snacks to take away. Juices and other refreshing drinks, as well as bottled water are some of the things you will of course see in the museum. This cafe is open between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm every day the museum is open.

Boulevard Restaurant

About 20 minutes from the museum you can find a great option to taste an exquisite food menu. This is Boulevard Restaurant, a place that offers a lot of entries, including a beef tartare, or you can also opt for tuna carpaccio.

It is a good place for lunch, offering everything from artichoke ravioli to soft shell crab. If you want a stronger dish for lunch you can opt for pork chop, lamb ribs or veal steak.

After a good lunch, you will want a dessert for sure and there are also very good options to try here, I especially recommend the turquoise afogato.

The Commissary

This restaurant is very close to the museum, in fact it is almost at the exit, and it is a good place to eat after a long look at the life of Walt Disney. Their menu is based on food for all tastes. You can find vegan and vegetarian food at The Commissary.

Also, if you want to eat a dish that includes meat, you can order it. You can choose between fish, meat or lamb dishes. After lunch I recommend you to try some of their delicious desserts, because you will surely love them.

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