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SAN FRANCISCO

Contemporary Jewish Museum

(415) 655-7800  •  thecjm.org
A favorite destination for J. readers, CJM continually provides the community with Jewish history, music, film, literature and science as it focuses on the full expression of Judaism. “Tikkun: For the Cosmos, the Community, and Ourselves,” at the museum through Jan. 8, features works by 30 Bay Area–based contemporary artists reflecting on how tikkun helps individuals look critically “both inward and outward, guides us through change and builds resilience for the ongoing work of repair.” 

The de Young Museum

(415) 750-3600  •  deyoung.famsf.org
The de Young collections include American paintings, sculptures and decorative arts; modern and contemporary art; art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas; and textile arts. “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” a glittering tribute to ancient Egypt’s treasures, is on display through Feb. 12 at the museum in Golden Gate Park. Lectures, programs for all ages and a summer art camp for kids 6-12 also are available. 

EAST BAY

Magnes Museum

BERKELEY
(510) 643-2526  •  magnes.berkeley.edu
Downtown Berkeley is home to the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, which invites visitors to discover the rich mosaic of Jewish cultures from around the world. The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday with collections that focus on Jewish art and life, including painting, works on paper and digital media plus objects representing ritual, social interactions and community. Here too are historic materials from the global Jewish diaspora and the American West. 

Oakland Museum of California

OAKLAND
(510) 318-8400  •  museumca.org
A museum, a peaceful outdoor garden, an event space and a gathering place — that’s OMCA, where an exhibit on the life of Angela Davis is in the Great Hall through June 11, 2023. Nearby is the thought-provoking exhibit “Hella Feminist,” on display through Jan. 8. After you enjoy the galleries and relax on the lawn, dine in the museum’s Town Fare Café, with terrific food brought to you by chef and manager Michele McQueen, formerly of Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles.

SOUTH BAY/PENINSULA

Cantor Arts Center 

stanford
(650) 723-4177  •  museum.stanford.edu
Located on the Stanford campus, the Cantor Arts Center is home to 38,000 works of art from around the globe. With Inside, 24 galleries display more than 15 special exhibitions each year. “The Faces of Ruth Asawa,” 233 of the artist’s clay masks that once hung on the exterior of Asawa’s family home in Noe Valley, is just one of the current exhibits. A renowned collection of Rodin’s bronze sculptures are outside, in the Rodin Sculpture Garden. 

NORTH BAY

Bay Area Discovery Museum 

sausalito
(415) 339-3900 •  bayareadiscoverymuseum.org
A new favorite in this year’s Readers’ Choice, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a children’s museum located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, near the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. The museum offers creative outdoor and indoor family activities, with exhibition spaces and daily programs for children from 6 months to 8 years. The museum also offers camps and classes and a museum-based preschool inspired by the Reggio-Emilia approach.

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