Plan Your Visit

The Downtown Berkeley BART station is located just around the block from The Magnes, on Shattuck Avenue between Allston Way and Addison Street.

The following bus lines stop in Downtown Berkeley:

AC Transit Bus lines including 6, 7, 18, 51B, 52, 65, 67, 79, 88, 800, 851, and F

Bear Transit: C, P, RFS

Two- and four-hour metered street parking is available in downtown Berkeley and is payable by credit or debit card. Nearby paid parking garages include the Allston Way Parking Garage (between Shattuck and Milvia), the Oxford Parking Garage (on Kittredge west of Oxford), and the Center Street Garage (at 2025 Center Street, accessible from Center or Addison Streets).

Please note The Magnes cannot guarantee availability of parking and that many parking lots near campus are either unavailable or charge special event pricing during major campus events, including Cal athletic events. View the latest athletics schedule here.

The Magnes Collections’ front lobby, galleries, and auditorium are all accessible by wheelchair. When exiting the Magnes from the main lobby to the vestibule area individuals with wheelchairs may need to ask for assistance as this door is heavy and the button to open the door can be hard to access.

Appointments with the Florence Helzel Collection Study to view select holdings for research or other academic or educational purposes may be made two weeks in advance of intended use.

For further information regarding collection access and use of the Florence Helzel Collection Study, refer to the Collection Services Page.

Still photography for noncommercial, personal use is permitted, unless otherwise noted in the galleries. The use of tripods and camera extension poles is prohibited.

To get up-to-date information about our upcoming programs and exhibitions, please sign up for our mailing list and receive our monthly newsletter sent right to your inbox.

The Magnes cares deeply about the health and safety of its visitors and staff. We have taken measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure to you, other visitors, and our staff. Nonetheless, COVID-19 is very contagious and there is an inherent risk of exposure in any public environment where people are present. Those visiting the museum do so at their own risk of exposure.

In order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure, The Magnes policies are in alignment with the City of Berkeley and the University of California to ensure the health and safety of all visitors and staff. Please review UC Berkeley Coronavirus information and guidance before you visit.

For the safety of our visitors and staff, we reserve the right to request that anyone who does not follow these protocols leave the building.

Kindly reschedule your visit if, in the 10 days leading up to your visit, you or anyone in your household has tested positive, experienced COVID-19 symptoms, or if you are unvaccinated and have come into close contact with anyone confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19. Symptoms include cough, fever or chills, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, stomach upset, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue.