Legion of Honor

The Legion of Honor is an art museum in San Francisco that displays paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects from Europe and the Mediterranean in a neoclassical building. The rooms spread around a central courtyard, and large windows open views to the Pacific.

The museum opened in 1924 as a memorial to California soldiers of World War I and was financed by Adolph and Alma Spreckels. The collection grew over the decades through donations and acquisitions, including the Achenbach Foundation with its collection of prints and drawings.

The building carries the name of a French honor and shows this through its architecture, reminding visitors of the original world's fair. Many guests come here to see works by Rembrandt and other European masters, while others prefer the collection of ancient sculptures.

Access is possible from Tuesday through Sunday between 9:30 AM and 5:15 PM, and advance reservation secures entry. The grounds sit in Lincoln Park, and visitors should bring a jacket for strong winds, as the ocean location is often cool.

The building reproduces the French pavilion from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 and marks the western end of the Lincoln Highway. A cast of Rodin's Thinker stands before the entrance, and visitors often photograph it before entering the galleries.

Location: San Francisco

Inception: 1924

Founders: Alma de Bretteville

Architects: George Adrian Applegarth, Edward Larrabee Barnes

Official opening: 1924

Fee: Yes

Part of: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Address: Lincoln Park

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:30-17:15

Phone: +1(415)7503600

Website: https://legionofhonor.famsf.org

GPS coordinates: 37.78447,-122.50084

Latest update: December 17, 2025 09:44