Attention Bay Area! The MOMA experience is now available to all those who step into the Golden Gate Bridged beyond of San Francisco…well, almost available.

Currently closed for renovations, the museum, which was originally designed by Swiss architect, Mario Botta, reopens May 14, 2016 with some brank spanking new additions to its original structure. Just a hop, skip and displaced vagrant away from downtown San Francisco and the adjoining Tenderloin district, this neighborhood is an eclectic mix of tourists, spiffy corporate types and the homeless guy who rides with all three of his dogs on MUNI. SFMOMA is solely dedicated to 20th century and onward works of art, and I had the distinct pleasure of viewing quite a few of these pieces up close and personal.

Francis Bacon, Paul Klee and Robert Raucshenberg were topping the charts for me, but there’s a host of works by other key 20th century artists in the museum’s permanent collection such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Clyfford Still, etc etc etc. It’s also marked a hallmark moment in the career of our favorite drippy dude aka Jackson Pollock, who had his first solo show here! 

On a real sunny San Francisco day, it’s not a bad idea to grab some art-enthused buds to roam the gallery halls with, and then you might wanna grab some artisan coffee from the museum café and soak up some sun on the rooftop garden. That’s right, folks. SFMOMA has its very own rooftop garden for your sunbathing pleasure! Well, once it reopens, anyway. Until these guys spruce up the old museum halls, you can check out the virtual tour on their website. Or book your tickets for 2016! 

Renowned architect Mario Botta designed the building, used too much granite, and managed to make a large building feel a bit cramped. The gift shop is very good, however.