Sutro Egyptian Collection
The Verdict
"Free and far from the tourist circuit at San Francisco State University. Small gallery with genuine ancient Egyptian artifacts. Check the university website for hours before making the trip. Take the M-Oceanview Muni line."
What you need to know
Ancient Egyptian Artifacts at SF State
The Sutro Egyptian Collection at San Francisco State University holds ancient Egyptian artifacts collected by Adolph Sutro, the eccentric 24th mayor of San Francisco, in the late 1800s. The collection includes funeral masks, mummy cases, cartonnage (decorated linen wrappings), pottery, jewelry, combs, and other everyday objects spanning thousands of years of Egyptian civilization. It’s housed in the Global Museum on the SFSU campus.
What Makes It Worth It
The collection is small but genuine: real Egyptian antiquities sitting in a university gallery far from the tourist trail. The mummy cases and decorated cartonnage are the highlights, covered in hieroglyphics and painted scenes depicting the afterlife. The everyday objects (a bone comb, a clay pot, a string of beads) are just as interesting for what they reveal about ordinary life along the Nile.
Sutro was a compulsive collector who amassed books, artifacts, and curiosities before donating much of his collection to public institutions. This is one of the lesser-known pieces of his legacy.
The Global Museum is a teaching museum, so exhibitions change and the full collection isn’t always on display. Check ahead to confirm what’s showing. A visit takes 20-30 minutes.
Skip this if you’re not near the SFSU campus. It’s far from downtown and the typical tourist zones, but worth it for Egyptology enthusiasts.
Visiting
Address: Global Museum, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, Parkmerced
Hours: Vary by semester. Typically Tuesday-Saturday during the school year. Check the SFSU website.
Cost: Free
Best time to go: During the academic year when exhibitions are active.
What to know: The museum is inside the university campus. Finding the building requires some navigation. Look for the Fine Arts building or ask at the information desk.
Getting There
Transit: Muni M-Oceanview to Stonestown or SFSU station. The 28-19th Avenue bus also stops at the campus.
Parking: SFSU parking garages (paid). Street parking on surrounding residential blocks.
Walking: Near Stonestown Galleria and Lake Merced. Not walkable from other tourist areas.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Sunset. Explore the neighborhood →
