The Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area

boy in play
The Bay Area is blessed with world class visual arts, music, and theatre. Fortunately, many art institutions see the value of appealing to families and engaging children in the arts.

Exhibits, performances, and activities appear below. Click on the links to reach the organization's web page where you'll find a summary of exhibits, activities, prices, hours, and directions.

Visit our Art, Dance and Music Lesson pages for additional resources.

Art Museums
Many art museums offer displays that appeal to children and families. On a visit to the San Jose Museum of Art my son and I enjoyed a Chihuly glass exhibit, modern art furniture, and cartoon art exhibits.

Modern art museums are often a particulary good fit for children given the interesting shapes and colors. More traditional art museums provide a great opportunity to discuss history and culture with your children.

A word of caution... not all art is G rated (or even PG rated). Be prepared to steer clear of exhibits that aren't appropriate for your children.

Art is not the focus of most Children's Museums, but most have a hands-on art center or project area.

Academy of Art University Galleries - San Francisco
Asian Art Museum - San Francisco
Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive - Berkeley
Cartoon Art Museum - San Francisco
Cantor Center for Visiual Arts - Stanford
Center for African & African American Art and Culture - Oakland
De Saisset Museum - Santa Clara
de Young Museum - San Francisco
Euphrat Museum of Art - Cupertino
Lesher Center for the Arts- Walnut Creek
Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) - Oakland
Oakland Museum of California - Oakland
Palace of the Legion of Honor - San Francisco
Peninsula Museum of Art - Belmont
Quilt Museum - San Jose
San Francisco Center for the Book - San Francisco
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - San Francisco
San Jose Museum of Art - San Jose
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History - Santa Cruz
Triton Museum of Art - Santa Clara
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - San Francsico

Art Centers
Junior Center of Art and Science - Oakland
Montalvo Arts Center - Saratoga
Palo Alto Art Center - Palo Alto
Richmond Art Center - Richmond
Rhythmix Cultural Works - Alameda
San Francisco Children's Art Center - San Francisco

Art Studios/Classes (see Art Lessons)
Also, check with your local Parks & Recreation Department. Many offer fun classes for children, such as ceramics, cartoon drawing, computer art, and more.

Art Festivals
Many art festivals have children's art activity areas.
Union Street Art Festival (June) - San Francisco
Walnut Creek Art & Wine Festival (June) - Walnut Creek, June 2&3
Live Oak Park Fair (June) - Berkeley
Art in the Park (June) - Burlingame
Marin Art Festival (June) - San Rafael
Danville Fine Arts Fair (June) - Danville
Connoisseurs Marketplace (July) - Menlo Park
Los Altos Art & Wine Festival (July)
San Anselmo Art Festival (July) - San Anselmo
Connoisseurs Marketplace (July) - Menlo Park
Fremont Festival of the Arts (July) - Fremont
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts (August) - Palo Alto
Mountain View Art & Wine Festival (September) - Mountain View
Pacific Fine Arts Festival - (September) - Walnut Creek

Dance Performances
Ballet San Jose - San Jose
Berkeley Ballet Theatre - Berkeley
Cal Perfomances - Berkeley
Contra Costa Ballet - Walnut Creek
Marin Dance Theatre - San Rafael
Peninsula Ballet Theatre - San Mateo
Peninsula Youth Ballet - San Mateo
Presidio Dance Theatre - San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet - San Francisco
Stanford Lively Arts - Stanford
Valley Dance Theatre - Livermore
Young Artists Ballet Theatre - Belmont

Dances Classes/Schools (see Dance Lessons)

Music Performances
Cal Perfomances - Berkeley
Crowden Center for Music in the Community - Berkeley
La Pena - Berkeley
Montalvo Arts Center - Saratoga
Music at Menlo - Menlo Park
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra - performs throughout the Bay Area
San Francisco Symphony Music for Families - San Francisco
Stanford Lively Arts - Stanford

Music Classes/Schools (see Music Lessons)

Youth Symphonies/Orchestras
California Youth Symphony - Cupertino, Los Altos, Palo Alto, San Mateo
Community School of Music and Arts - Mountain View
Community Music Center - San Francisco
El Camino Youth Symphony - Palo Alto
Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra - Palo Alto
Peninsula Youth Orchestra - Redwood City
Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony - Santa Cruz

Theatre
Active Arts: Theatre for Young Audiences - Oakland
Bay Area Shakespeare Camp - San Francisco
Beach Blanket Babylon - San Francisco (children allowed only on Sunday)
Berkeley Playhouse - Berkeley
Berkeley Repertory Theatre - Berkeley
Cal Perfomances - Berkeley
California Theatre Center - Sunnyvale
Cinnabar Theatre - Petaluma
Circus Center - San Francisco
Cirque du Soleil - San Francisco & San Jose
Comedysportz Zone - San Jose
Danville Children's Musical Theater - Danville
Firehouse Rocks at DLOC - Pleasant Hill
Gaslight Theater - San Jose
Hillbarn Theatre Conservatory - Foster City
Kids on Broadway - Santa Cruz
Kids 'N Dance Musical Theater - Lafayette
Kids Take the Stage - Walnut Creek
Milpitas Rainbow Theater - Milpitas
Montalvo Arts Center - Saratoga
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts - Mountain View
Musical Theatre Works - San Francisco
New Conservatory Theatre Center - San Francisco
Palo Alto Children's Theatre - Palo Alto
Peninsula Youth Theater - Palo Alto, Mountain View
Pied Piper Players - San Mateo
Presidio Dance Theatre - San Francisco
San Jose Children's Musical Theatre - San Jose
Free Shakespeare in the Park - Cupertino, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Francisco
Saratoga Drama Group - Saratoga
Stanford Savoyards - Stanford
West Valley Light Opera - Saratoga
The Willows - Concord
Willow Glen Children's Theatre - San Jose
Young Performer's Theatre - San Francisco

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