The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is open again. Its installation closure ran from August 17 through September 29, 2026, with public access returning September 30. As of October 4, the museum’s visit page confirms that its fall exhibitions are on view.
For a compact outing, make MoAD the main stop, then add Yerba Buena Gardens rather than crossing town for another attraction. Thursday offers an evening option; the second Saturday of each month offers free exhibition admission.
Choose your visit around the exhibitions
The fall lineup has three exhibitions opening September 30, with different closing dates and gallery locations listed in MoAD’s exhibition calendar:
| Exhibition | Where | Runs through |
|---|---|---|
| Dewey Crumpler: Sonic Lineages | All three floors | May 30, 2027 |
| After the Island: Ornament and Ceramic Practice in the Jamaican Diaspora | Floor 3 | May 30, 2027 |
| Dorian Reid: Calling All Cats! | Floor 2, CommonSpirit Health Gallery | December 6, 2026 |
Choose Crumpler for painting and moving sculpture. Sonic Lineages brings together paintings from more than five decades and newly commissioned kinetic works, exploring Black consciousness, commerce, spirituality, memory and time. Because it extends across all three floors, don’t treat it as a single-gallery stop.
Choose ceramics as your focus with After the Island. Works by PJ Anderson, Jacqueline Bishop and Sharon Norwood explore Jamaican diasporic histories through porcelain, vessels, pattern and clay.
Visit by December 6 if Reid is your priority. Calling All Cats! uses black cats to explore prejudice, community, civil rights and animal welfare. It is the shortest-running of the three reopening shows.
MoAD says visitors generally spend 45–60 minutes in its galleries. Allowing 60–90 minutes is a useful planning buffer for this three-floor lineup, especially if you want to look closely rather than rush. The museum has an elevator, wheelchair-accessible galleries and one loan wheelchair, subject to availability. Visit and accessibility details
Hours, tickets and free admission
Current museum hours are:
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Thursday: noon–8 p.m.
- Monday: closed.
For a late-2026 trip, note the holiday exceptions: MoAD lists closures on November 26–27, December 24–25 and December 31. Those Thursday closures override the usual evening hours. Holiday schedule
Walk-in tickets are welcome. The official fall admission booking page lists $15 adults, $7 seniors age 55+, students with valid ID and educators, and free admission for children 12 and under.
MoAD also lists free admission for members and active-duty military, plus free entry for up to four people per EBT card through Museums for All. THRIVE @ MoAD Community Day provides free exhibition admission every second Saturday—the next is October 10, 2026. Check the visit page and linked events calendar for that day’s programming.
Keep the outing in Yerba Buena
MoAD is at 685 Mission Street, at Third. Its visit page directs BART passengers to Montgomery Street station. From Market Street, head toward Third Street, walk to Mission and use the museum entrance there. This keeps the approach on the downtown street grid rather than adding a hill detour. MoAD directions
After the museum, cross Mission at the signal and enter Yerba Buena Gardens. The gardens are free and open daily from 6 a.m.–10 p.m.; their walks and sidewalks are accessible. Add a short outdoor break and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, with its waterfall and inscribed glass panels. Gardens visitor information
Rain alternative: replace the garden break with nearby SFMOMA at 151 Third Street if you want a longer art day. It requires separate admission and is closed Wednesdays; both museums normally stay open until 8 p.m. Thursdays. Check SFMOMA’s hours and tickets, then use our first-visit gallery guide to choose a focused second stop rather than attempting the whole museum.