By Nicole Ellis

Only in San Francisco can Vermeer, Allen Ginsberg, and ancient terracotta soldiers be displayed within five miles of one another. The city is a cosmopolis. A fusion of everything from cultures to taste, and it’s the perfect place for these five traveling exhibits to stop and display their distinct and diverse histories.

Asian Art Museum
China’s Terracotta Warriors
Now- May 27
Tickets: $20/adults and $16/student with I.D*
200 Larkin St., San Francisco

The terracotta warriors were built under the order of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang. The emperor wanted an army equipped and ready to protect him in death. He created a tomb decorated with over seven thousand life-size figures and more than 10,000 weapons. Shihuang protected himself in the afterlife when he buried himself with the army in 210-209 BC. The Asian Art Museum has ten different pieces on display.

de Young- Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Now- June 2
Tickets: $26/adults and $22/student with I.D.*
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco

This is the first stop in America for the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer. The famous portrait is a piece of a traveling exhibit of Dutch paintings from the Mauritshuis. The exhibit will feature thirty-five paintings from the 17th century. Vermeer’s famous oil painting is sometimes referred to as the Dutch Mona Lisa. Completed in 1665, the Girl with a Pearl Earring has lived on to be adapted into a book and movie.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
The Logan Collection
Now- June 2
Tickets: $18/adults and $11/students with I.D*
151 Third St., San Francisco

The Logan Collection exhibits nearly forty transformative pieces of art from the 1960s through the 1990s. The collection highlights artwork by renowned artists like Chuck Close, Philip Guston, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition celebrates the 15th anniversary of collectors Vicki and Kent Logan, who changed SFMOMA’s vision.

Cartoon Art Museum
Chuck Jones
Now- May 5
Tickets: $7/adults and $5/students with I.D.*
655 Mission St., San Francisco

The CAM is celebrating renowned animation director and creator, Chuck Jones. The Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination: 100 years of an Animated Artist exhibit will showcase 100 pieces of art from the 1930s through the 1990s. Jones is the recipient of three animation Oscars and an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar for creating classic cartoons and characters. Jones worked on classic films like How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Tom and Jerry, The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie.

Contemporary Jewish Museum
Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg
May 23- September 8
Tickets: $12/adults and $10/students with I.D.*
736 Mission St., San Francisco

The Beat Memories exhibit will display over 80 photos taken by legendary poet, Allen Ginsberg. As one of the leaders of the Beat Generation, Ginsberg captured photos of famous friends like William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady, and Jack Kerouac. The photos represent the simplicity of the everyday life. Looking back at the photos he captured decades before, Ginsberg wrote lyrical captions underneath the images, providing viewers with essential information about the photo.

*First Tuesday of every month is free, but special exhibit fees still apply

First Sunday of every month is free for the Asian Art Museum