From modern art to Monet and Japanese sculpture gardens, San Francisco boasts several opportunities for students to visit museums at free or reduced prices.

“Having access to free museums is important because they are a great auxiliary tool to enhance learning,” sophomore Brooke Wilson, who recently visited the Cult of the Machine exhibit at the de Young Museum, said.

Out of the over 50 museums in San Francisco, more than half offer discounted or free opportunities outside of school-organized events for children and students.

“It’s vital for students to have access to [museums] because they… allow for a deeper, richer understanding of the world, and put kids in touch with various cultures, perspectives and traditions,” Zac Rose, Manager of Communications of the Asian Art Museum, said.

San Francisco museums also offer events and programs tailored specifically for students.

“Having opportunities for youth to enjoy and hold a position of leadership in museums for a discounted price is so crucial,” freshman Harriet Ritchie, who recently visited the Expedition Reef exhibit at the California Academy of Science, said. “Museums provide cultural enrichment while also allowing the opportunity to engage with material hands-on.”

While students may visit museums on their own time, school trips offer a free opportunity for students to explore museums in San Francisco.

Juniors in International Baccalaureate Visual Arts took a class trip to the SFMOMA in October, and Latin III students visited the Legion of Honor in November.

“The [Latin] trip helped give context to polychromy we had talked about in class,” Wilson said. “We saw actual Roman polychromatic statues, which is not something you can take away from a textbook.”