de Young MuseumStop on Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, a free self-guided tour.The de Young Museum is San Francisco's premier fine arts museum, housing a world-class collection spanning 5,000 years of art from across the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The current building, designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron and opened in 2005, is itself a striking work of art: its perforated copper exterior is designed to oxidize over decades to a green patina that will eventually blend with the surrounding park foliage. The observation tower offers breathtaking 360-degree views of San Francisco and the Bay Area and is free to enter. Collection highlights include American paintings from the 17th to 21st centuries, extraordinary pre-Columbian gold and ceramics, Pacific Island art, and decorative arts. An underground tunnel connects the de Young to the California Academy of Sciences across the concourse. Admission fees apply.Stops on this tourMcLaren Lodge and Sharon MeadowConservatory of FlowersRhododendron DellMusic Concourse and Spreckels Temple of Musicde Young MuseumCalifornia Academy of SciencesJapanese Tea GardenSan Francisco Botanical GardenStow Lake and Strawberry HillSpreckels Lake and Model Yacht ClubPolo Fields and Speedway MeadowBuffalo Paddock - American Bison HerdRainbow Falls and Chain of LakesDutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip GardenOcean Beach - Western Gateway