Cartoon Art Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Established in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco showcases original cartoon and animation art, offering exhibitions, workshops, and a research library.
Planning your visit
The Cartoon Art Museum has been in San Francisco since 1984, founded with support from Charles Schulz, and it treats comics, animation, illustration and graphic novels as art forms deserving original-artwork exhibition rather than reproduction.
Seeing original comic pages is the point: the pencil under-drawing, the correction fluid, the pasted-in lettering and the blue guide lines are all visible, and the physical craft behind printed pages becomes obvious in a way reproduction never conveys.
Exhibitions rotate frequently and cover newspaper strips, superhero comics, animation cels and production art, underground comix — a San Francisco specialism, given the city's role in the 1960s and 70s — and contemporary graphic novels.
A research library and regular workshops extend the offering.
The museum has moved several times and currently sits in Fisherman's Wharf. Allow an hour. Bookable options include entry with digital city tours. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Cartoon Art Museum?
Cartoon Art Museum is in San Francisco, United States. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Cartoon Art Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Cartoon Art Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
