What Is The Mexican Museum's Move to Yerba Buena Gardens?

Updated

The Mexican Museum is in the middle of a reconfiguration that will expand its galleries, reshape its museological concepts, and prepare its move to a permanent home in Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. The museum describes itself as currently located at the corner of Mission and 3rd Streets (706 Mission Street), with frontage onto Jesse Square, a public space that flows directly into the museum. The move is presented as a legacy project for communities and future generations, not just a change of address.

What the reconfiguration involves

According to the museum, the current phase has three connected parts:

  • Expanding its galleries — more exhibition space than the present configuration.
  • Transforming its museological concepts — a rethink of how the collection is presented and interpreted, not only a physical expansion.
  • Preparing the move to a permanent home in Yerba Buena Gardens.

These are described as one process of reconfiguration rather than separate projects, so the gallery expansion and the conceptual changes are meant to arrive together with the new site.

Where the new home sits

The permanent home is planned for Yerba Buena Gardens, which the museum calls the region's most exciting arts and cultural district. Two location details matter for visitors trying to place it:

Detail What the museum says
Current address 706 Mission Street, corner of Mission and 3rd Streets
Public space connection Frontage onto Jesse Square, which flows directly into the museum
Future home A permanent home in Yerba Buena Gardens

The Jesse Square frontage is worth noting because it means the museum is designed to open onto a public plaza rather than sit behind a single entrance — the public space and the building are meant to connect.

Why the museum frames it as a community project

The museum's own language is about shared ownership: it invites people to "take part in building a new chapter," calls the project a "historic monument in the heart of Yerba Buena Arts District," and says support will expand "community ownership and involvement in heritage." It also addresses supporters in Spanish — "¡Danos una mano! ¡Tu contribución ayudará a completar este hermoso sueño!" — which signals that the campaign is aimed at both English- and Spanish-speaking communities.

In practical terms, this means the move is being positioned as something the public helps fund and shape, not an internal institutional decision. If you want to follow or support the project, the museum lists multiple ways to support it on its site.

What you can do now, before the move is complete

While the reconfiguration and move are underway, the museum offers a featured virtual tour you can take online. The museum describes it as a way to explore its collections at your own pace — clicking through galleries, zooming in on details, and following the stories behind the objects. Its video library includes:

  • A virtual tour (02:43)
  • "Building The New Museum"
  • "The Façade"
  • An official documentary on the Pan American Unity mural by Diego Rivera (04:50)
  • "Museo Regional de Cholula Alebrijes from TMM's Valner Collection"

So if your question is "can I visit right now," the answer the museum gives is: the physical transformation is in progress, but the virtual tour and video library are available as the current way to engage with the collection.

Quick answers

Is the museum open at 706 Mission Street? The museum states it is located there and is undergoing reconfiguration, but the page does not give current visiting hours or admission details — check the site directly before planning an in-person visit.

When does the move to Yerba Buena Gardens happen? The page describes the move as being prepared but does not state a completion date.

Does it cost anything to take the virtual tour? The page does not mention pricing or a login requirement for the virtual tour, so treat cost and access conditions as unconfirmed rather than assuming it is free.