Central to the mission of The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) is our commitment to expand access to exhibitions, programs, and resources by removing financial, social and cultural barriers, and broadening our reach to communities and organizations who lack equitable access to arts and cultural opportunities.
In addition to offering a wide range of free or low-cost admission opportunities throughout the year for audiences of all ages and abilities, The CJM is dedicated to providing a forum for conversation on the important contributions that disabled artists and cultural producers bring to the arts and cultural sector.
For information, to register for a program, or to request an accommodation, contact access@thecjm.org.
Header image description: A group of families with young children are standing with arms stretched-out wide to their sides. They are mirroring the movements of two AXIS Dance Company dancers leading the class.
The CJM partners with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs and local veteran agencies to offer veterans, active military personnel, and their families free admission and access to high-quality arts programming.
CAPP is a low-cost annual membership for social service agencies and community-based non-profits that provides free access to The Museum. CAPP serves low-income seniors, veterans, mental health organizations, and transition-age young adults. Sign up for CAPP.
The CJM offers free, phone-based tours of our exhibitions designed to reach audiences who are unable to visit The Museum in person. Presented in partnership with Well Connected.
For information, registration, or to request an accommodation, contact access@thecjm.org.
The CJM offers several discounted and free admission opportunities in an effort to lower financial barriers and to expand accessibility for low-income and under-resourced communities.
Free admission for EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), CalFresh, and Medi-Cal cardholders and their families through the Museums for All program.
Year-round free admission for veterans, active military personnel, and their families.
The CJM is part of the Discover & Go program, which provides free admission for all California library cardholders. Free passes to The CJM can be found online from your library's website.
Free year-round admission and guided tours for Community Access Partnership Program members—an annual low-cost membership for social service agencies, transition-age youth programs, and community-based nonprofits that serve communities who experience significant barriers to the arts.
Prepare for your trip with this step-by-step guide to visiting The CJM.
Visitor drop-off/pick-up is located on Mission Street at the curb-cut in front of The CJM between Third and Fourth streets. The Jessie Square public parking garage at 223 Stevenson St. has seven accessible parking spots available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call 415.978.9634 for assistance.
Parking spaces are also available for vans with an eight-foot clearance in the accessible parking section of the Jessie Square garage (1st level, to the left of the entrance). Elevators from the parking garage exit directly in front of The Museum on Jessie Square Plaza. Accessible parking is also available at several other locations near The Museum.
The CJM is fully accessible for wheelchair users and other visitors who use mobility devices.
Manual wheelchairs may be checked out free-of-charge and on a first-come-first-serve basis at coat check, in the lobby on the ground floor. All levels of the building are accessible by elevator.
Reserved seating is offered for wheelchairs and any other visitors needing special seating for public programs.
Lightweight, portable gallery stools may be checked out free-of-charge and on a first-come-first-serve basis at coat check, in the lobby on the ground floor.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is provided at no fee for all public programs, lectures, and private tours. To request ASL interpretation, contact access@thecjm.org at least two weeks in advance.
FM Assistive Listening Devices for Museum tours and public programs are available free-of-charge at the Shenson Welcome Center admissions desk.
CART (Computer Aided Realtime Translation) captioning for lectures can be provided upon request. To request CART captioning, contact 415.655.7856 or email access@thecjm.org at least three weeks in advance.
Raised Braille text can be found on all room signage and elevator controls.
Contrasting vision strips are on the stairs to indicate the top and bottom treads of the stairs.
Large-print labels and exhibition text are available digitally via QR codes at all exhibition entrances.
Live Audio Description: To request live audio description for theater, dance, and music programs at The CJM, contact access@thecjm.org at least six weeks in advance.
The Museum offers a friendly environment for service animals and guide dogs. Service Animals and guide dogs may be brought into all areas of The Museum. The closest relief area for service animals and guide dogs is in the green space in front of The Museum.
Noise-cancelling headphones are available free-of-charge for visitors with auditory and sensory processing sensitivities. Headphones can be signed-out by leaving an ID at the Shenson Welcome Center admissions desk on a first-come first-serve basis.
Accessible public restrooms are located on the first and second floors.
Fully accessible family and single-stall gender-neutral restrooms are located on the ground floor, near Wise Sons Jewish Deli.
Baby changing tables and step-stools for children are available on the first- and second- floor public restrooms.
Breastfeeding is welcome in all areas of The Museum.
High chairs are available at Wise Sons.
The CJM maintains close collaborations with community partners across the Bay Area to co-create and deliver inclusive museum experiences that allow community members to engage with exhibitions and cultural programming. If you are interested in partnering with The CJM, contact access@thecjm.org.
A Night at the Museum for All, Hadassah
‘Artist as Maggid’ exhibit at Contemporary Jewish Museum considers art, stories, tradition, The Daily Californian
A Feel for Art: Haptic Encounter at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, California Magazine
How a Blind Professor Is Helping Other Sight-Impaired Museum Visitors Experience Art, Hyperallergic
Haptic Encounters with Georgina Kleege, Franosborne.com
Access Programs are made possible by major support from Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by The Morse Family Foundation.