SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- This April, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will roll out multiple new programs to provide free and reduced admission to their permanent collection galleries and special exhibitions. For San Francisco residents, general admission to the de Young and Legion of Honor will be free every Saturday starting April 6.

“The collections at the de Young museum were founded with the support of middle-and working-class San Francisco families,” says Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums. “We were tasked with providing artistic engagement and education for local audiences, which is still a core component of our mission today. In this time of rising costs, we are looking back to our roots and recommitting to our most loyal audience: the residents of San Francisco. We must serve the city that we represent. Step one is making sure that every resident can step foot in its museums. That starts with access. That starts with accessibility. Together we will remove as many barriers as possible to having art enrich the lives of the residents of San Francisco.”

In addition to free admission, on Saturdays the de Young will continue to feature engaging art experiences for the entire family, with family art making, gallery guides, and enhanced gallery tours with discussion groups and sketching in the permanent collection galleries. The ever-popular organ concerts on the Skinner organ will continue to take place at the Legion of Honor. All programming will also be free with museum admission.

“Every child, every family should have the opportunity to experience our amazing arts and cultural institutions. San Francisco is an increasingly expensive place to live, and that makes the cost of museums prohibitive for many. Exposure to the arts should not be limited by the price of admission,” adds San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “The Fine Arts Museums are an incredible part of our City’s arts community, and I am excited they will be opening their doors to all San Franciscans on Saturdays.”

The Fine Arts Museums will also introduce free admission to all visitors with disabilities and to join the national Museums for All program. Last week, the Museums also announced free general admission to all federal workers affected by the government shutdown. These programs join the beloved Free Tuesdays initiative, which gives free general admission to all visitors the first Tuesday of every month. Youth ages 17 and under are always free.