What SFMOMA does

SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) is a nonprofit art museum founded in 1935 and headquartered at 151 Third Street in San Francisco's SOMA district. It is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States, operating from a LEED Gold-certified Snøhetta/Mario Botta-designed building with seven gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of free public space, plus a Collections Center in South San Francisco for archives and off-view artworks. The museum presents a permanent collection that includes the Fisher Collection (works by Calder, Kelly, Richter, Warhol, Serra, and others, established through a 2009 partnership with Gap Inc. founders Doris and Donald Fisher) and runs an active program of temporary exhibitions and curatorial commissions.

The core product is general admission ($30 adults, $25 seniors, $23 students, free for ages 18 and younger), underwritten by a 14-tier annual membership program priced from $130 (Individual) to $100,000+ (Chairman's Circle). SFMOMA generates revenue across six streams: ticket sales, recurring memberships, facility rentals (Atrium, Schwab Hall, Theater), museum store retail (physical and museumstore.sfmoma.org), tax-deductible donations and philanthropy, and on-site food and beverage (Jane on Third, Steps Coffee, Cafe 5). Customer segments span general visitors, families, members, educators and students, corporate event planners, and Samsung Art Store subscribers reached through a global digital distribution partnership.

The technology footprint is visitor-facing rather than AI- or platform-driven: a website, a mobile app for virtual tours and audio guides, digital membership cards, and a museumwide accessibility redesign delivered through the custom SFMOMA Sans typeface. Distribution channels include in-person ticketing, online ticketing, e-commerce, facility rentals, Samsung Art Store (first West Coast museum partner, with 34 works debuted in March 2026 and expanded for America's 250th in June 2026), and touring exhibition partnerships including an MoU with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Marketing is multi-channel, combining organic social, content marketing (SFMOMA Stories), email, earned media, educational outreach, membership marketing, and event-driven attendance.

Name

SFMOMA

Legal name

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Website

https://sfmoma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SFMOMA is a nonprofit modern and contemporary art museum in San Francisco, founded in 1935, operating seven gallery floors and a Fisher Collection, serving visitors through admissions, multi-tier memberships, education programs, facility rentals, and the Samsung Art Store digital channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Modern art museum
• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Museum membership programs
• Arts education programs
• Museum event rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: General admission and special exhibition tickets sold directly to visitors. Adult tickets $30, seniors $25, students $23, children 18 and under free.
2. Memberships: Annual membership subscriptions ranging from $130 (Individual) to $20,000+ (Director's Circle), offering free admission, guest benefits, discounts, and exclusive access to events and previews.
3. Facility Rentals: Event spaces rented for corporate events, weddings, galas, film premieres, and private functions. Spaces include Atrium (up to 450 reception), Schwab Hall (up to 600 reception), Theater (260 seats), and various terraces and galleries.
4. Museum Store: Retail merchandise including art-inspired gifts, books, exhibition catalogs, and specialty items sold through the physical museum store and online at museumstore.sfmoma.org.
5. Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations supporting exhibitions, education programs, and general operations. Includes planned giving, matching gifts, corporate engagement, and foundation support.
6. Food and Beverage: On-site dining through Jane on Third (café), Steps Coffee, and Cafe 5 (sculpture garden). Members receive 10% discount at Steps Coffee and Cafe 5.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SFMOMA operates a modern and contemporary art museum providing public access to a 7-floor LEED Gold-certified gallery complex in San Francisco, generating revenue through general admission tickets ($30 adult), tiered annual memberships ($130-$100,000+), a museum store (retail and online), on-site dining, facility rentals, educational programs, and philanthropic donations. The museum's collection features painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts, anchored by the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection presented through a 2009 long-term partnership.

Product overview

SFMOMA is a modern and contemporary art museum offering a unified visitor experience centered on its physical galleries and collections. The core product is general museum admission ($30 adults) supplemented by an annual membership program ($130-$20,000+) with escalating benefits. Supporting services include the SFMOMA App (mobile exploration), Audio Guide (interpretive content), Museum Store (retail), Dining (three venues: Jane on Third, Steps Coffee, Cafe 5), Educational Programs (school visits, teacher resources, family activities), Facility Rentals (event spaces), Library + Archives (research), and Digital Publications (videos, essays, interactives). The museum's digital presence is primarily visitor-facing content rather than a platform-based architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SFMOMA General Admission Museum entry tickets providing access to SFMOMA's seven gallery floors, special exhibitions, and free public spaces. Adults $30, Seniors $25, Students $23 with ID, visitors 18 and younger free. Includes discounts for CityPASS, Go City passholders, and Moscone Center conference attendees.
• SFMOMA Annual Membership Program Annual membership subscription with tiers from Individual ($130) and Dual ($200) through Supporter ($300), Contributor ($600), Benefactor ($1,250), Curators' Circle ($2,500-$19,999), Director's Circle ($20,000-$49,999), President's Circle ($50,000-$99,999), and Chairman's Circle ($100,000+). Benefits include free admission, guest passes, member previews, exclusive events, discounts at Museum Store and dining, reciprocal admission at 40+ North American art museums (Supporter+), and tax-deductible portions on higher tiers. Discounted rates available for seniors, young adults, and working artists.
• SFMOMA Museum Store Retail store offering art-inspired merchandise, books, exhibition catalogs, gifts, and kids' items, available both in-person at the San Francisco museum and online at museumstore.sfmoma.org. Members receive 10% off (20% on first purchase). Features curated collections tied to current exhibitions such as the Matisse Exhibition Collection.
• Dining at SFMOMA On-site food and beverage services including Jane on Third (café/bakery on Floor 1), Steps Coffee (Floor 2), and Cafe 5 (sculpture garden on Floor 5). Members receive 10% discount at Steps Coffee and Cafe 5.
• SFMOMA Mobile App Mobile application providing virtual tours, artwork exploration, location-based features, and visit timeline functionality with optional email record of visit.
• SFMOMA Audio Guide Complementary audio guide available via the SFMOMA app and website providing interpretive content about artworks, exhibitions, and the museum experience.
• SFMOMA Educational Programs Programs for K-12 schools, higher education, teachers, and families including guided tours, self-guided visits, classroom resources, teacher programs, and school partnerships.
• Facility Rentals and Event Venue Services Event venue rental of museum spaces including Atrium (capacity up to 450 reception), Schwab Hall (capacity up to 600 reception), Phyllis Wattis Theater (260 seats), White Box, Rooftop Terrace, and gallery spaces for weddings, corporate events, galas, film premieres, and private functions. Inquiries via 415.915.1777 or online inquiry form.
• SFMOMA Library and Archives Research collections including books, serials, ephemera, institutional records, exhibition documentation, and sound/video recordings. Collections Center in South San Francisco houses archives and off-view artworks.
• SFMOMA Digital Publications Digital content including videos, behind-the-scenes features, essays, Open Space publishing platform (2008-2021), and interactive features like Paint Your Own Femme au chapeau and sound memory matching games.
• Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal (Special Exhibition) Special exhibition showcasing Henri Matisse's iconic 'Femme au chapeau' (1905) and its impact on color revolution in art. SFMOMA is the exclusive venue for this exhibition opening May 16, 2026 on Floor 4.
• Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10 (Special Exhibition) Complete reinstallation of four floors featuring the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection, with nearly 250 works by 35 artists including Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, William Kentridge, Louise Bourgeois, and Andy Warhol. New storytelling approach emphasizing accessibility and personal connection.
• Feel the Beat: Dance in Photographs (Special Exhibition) Exhibition on Floor 3 exploring dance photography from early 20th century to present, featuring works by Anna Halprin, Eikoh Hosoe, Malick Sidibé, and others. Drawn from SFMOMA's permanent collection; closing February 28, 2027.
• RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me (Special Exhibition) Exhibition curated by BTS member RM (Kim Namjoon) presenting approximately 200 works from his personal collection, featuring Korean artists such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, and Kwon Ok-yon. Many works shown in the US for the first time. Runs October 2026 to February 2027.
• Graciela Iturbide: Between Two Worlds (Special Exhibition) Major retrospective of Mexico City-based photographer Graciela Iturbide featuring black-and-white photographs documenting uncanny scenes and dreamlike traditions, opening July 2026.
• Jacob Hashimoto: Giant Arc (Special Exhibition) Large-scale installation transforming the Roberts Family Gallery into a floating cloudscape using over 75,000 hand-crafted kites, opening August 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission for 18 and younger visitors
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Samsung Art StorecoreTechnology or Integration · 24 June 2026Expanded partnership for America's 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) celebration, with new art collections featuring works from major museum partners including SFMOMA showcasing artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat alongside historic American imagery.
• Future of Us CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026SFMOMA is one of 20+ partner organizations in the inaugural Future of Us Civic Imagination Festival (July 4-12, 2026) celebrating America's 250th anniversary. The festival features 50+ events across themes including Green Futures, Social Futures, Science & Tech Futures, and Media Futures, anchored by a showcase at The Pearl in Dogpatch.
• National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026SFMOMA will sign a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation across exhibitions, collections, research, and educational programs, fostering dialogue between East and West, Korea and America.
• RM (Kim Namjoon, BTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026BTS member RM will present his personal art collection at SFMOMA from October 2026 to February 2027, featuring approximately 200 works including pieces by Korean artists such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, and Kwon Ok-yon, many never shown in the US. The exhibition is titled 'RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me' and aims to foster cultural dialogue between East and West.
• Samsung Art StorecoreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2026SFMOMA became the first West Coast museum to join Samsung's Art Store platform, debuting 34 artworks on select Samsung TVs including The Frame and The Frame Pro. The partnership expands Samsung Art Store's institutional partnerships to over 80, introducing works by Robert Rauschenberg and Wayne Thiebaud to the platform for the first time, making museum-quality art accessible to Samsung TV owners worldwide.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tate Modern: London-based global leader in modern and contemporary art, part of the Tate network. Comparable as a flagship modern art museum with significant scale, blockbuster exhibitions, and broad international brand recognition. Operates in a different geography but competes for international attention and traveling shows.
• Centre Pompidou: Paris-based national museum of modern and contemporary art operated within a broader cultural institution (alongside Bibliothèque publique d'information). Comparable as a flagship global modern art museum, but operates at a larger national scale and in a different geography.

Direct peers

• The Broad: Los Angeles-based contemporary art museum with a deep collection of postwar and contemporary works. Directly comparable as a major West Coast modern/contemporary art museum competing for the same regional donor and visitor pool, with strong membership and free general admission programs.
• Whitney Museum of American Art: New York-based museum focused on 20th- and 21st-century American art, including painting, photography, sculpture, and media. Comparable in scale, mission, and programming, with similar membership-tier structure and significant real estate holdings.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): One of the largest art museums in the western US, with encyclopedic modern and contemporary collections. Directly comparable as a major West Coast museum competing for members, donors, and exhibitions, with similar admission pricing and membership-tier economics.
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum of modern and contemporary art. Comparable as a major US modern art museum with a signature architectural landmark, deep permanent collection, traveling exhibitions, and high-value membership programs.
• Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: Boston-based contemporary art museum with a focus on emerging and established contemporary artists. Comparable as a non-collecting-to-encyclopedic contemporary art museum with similar exhibition programming, membership structure, and waterfront/urban real estate footprint.
• Museum of Modern Art: New York-based MoMA is the preeminent global museum of modern and contemporary art and SFMOMA's closest peer. Both institutions curate 20th- and 21st-century painting, sculpture, photography, design, and media art, operate comparable membership programs, and compete for touring exhibitions and donor share.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago): Chicago-based museum focused on art since 1945. Comparable as a major US contemporary art museum with similar programming (painting, sculpture, photography, performance, media), membership-tier structure, and education/outreach focus.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA): Los Angeles-based museum dedicated exclusively to art since 1940. Directly comparable as a West Coast contemporary art museum with comparable collection focus (postwar to present), membership programs, and exhibition-driven revenue model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sfmoma
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfmoma

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SFMOMA