The Gregangelo Museum — Attraction in San Francisco

When searching for something unique to surprise my daughter with while we were in San Francisco to celebrate her graduation, I found The Gregangelo Museum and opted for the Mysteries and Meals tour. This includes the garden tour, which is the guided Riddle of the Sphynx experience, followed by a lunch and then a behind the scenes tour of the inside of the house and the Down the Rabbit Hole themed art/riddle experience therein.

That's the summary in a nutshell.

The experience itself...would be like the cracking of a million shells. It's awe-inspiring whimsical art that cracks open your heart from the very start, reminding you what it's like to not only look at the world, but to breathe it in, to ponder it, with childlike wonder. The riddles are entertaining, but also there are thought-provoking questions that your guide (Nick, in our case, and who was just incredible) will ask. There are games that you will play, some maybe you've played last week, maybe you haven't played in decades. It's whimsy. It's wonderful.

Lunch is a gathering where you are invited inside, where piano music fills the space and more guests arrive, just as if you've been welcomed to a potluck or to visit with friends, and perhaps, if you're like me, you'll start to fully recognize that this museum is also a home. The space has not only whimsy, but warmth and a heart.

Gregangelo and other artists welcome you and after enjoying an inspired presentation by a local artist (for us, it was an author presenting on her newest publication on Burning Man - fabulous), you are welcomed to fill your plate and gather around in the garden and enjoy the company and join in conversations with the artists who work in the museum and also the others who are visiting. It's beautiful community. (And if you're lucky enough to be there when Gregangelo has made chocolate chip cornbread, take seconds and thirds...and maybe one more, if Marcello offers the plate again by the door when you are leaving.)

Marcello, the creative director, was our charming and wonderful host for the behind the scenes tour after lunch. This tour included more moments of introspection and quiet thought, along with times to laugh together and look at the world with a little more curiosity. In the basement, while we marveled at the incredible organization of ribbons and baubles and posters and collections of years and years of organic art and life shimmering and patching itself together, over and over again in this space, we talked a bit about the struggles of the world now (of which, we know there are just so many), and how they impact everyone, even houses of magical whimsy with sphynx's and mosaic pathways that lead to secret gardens.

All this to say - GO.

It's the furthest thing from what you expect when you hand over money for an experience these days - and I have never been more pleasantly surprised and grateful to be reminded that these people and places and...

My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting the Gregangelo Museum on our trip to San Francisco. This truly captivating experience was hands-down my favorite part of the trip.

The museum itself is astounding; one could visit 100 times and still make new discoveries. The entirety of the space is covered in art - from the front porch to the bathroom - and absolutely all of it is a spectacle.

The tour is unlike any museum tour I've ever taken. My husband and I opted to take the Labyrinth Tour, and I believe this is the best way to experience the museum. Having the second half of the tour really rounds out and completes the experience, and it brings the lessons of the Gregangelo full circle. This tour helped me to reset and to remind myself of my place among humanity. At the heart and soul of the museum is connection, and it is the perfect way to reconnect back to one's goals, dreams, and spirit.

Chris, our guide, provided a phenomenal tour of the museum, and he was incredibly talented and effective in his way of weaving our values and personalities into the art and then mirroring those things back to us. He provided some excellent existential questions to us, and we left learning as much about ourselves as we learned about the museum.

We had the pleasure of meeting Gregangelo himself while taking our tour. He is absolutely brilliant, and he wears his passion for art on his sleeve. His hospitality was amazing, and he was eager to help us find the artist within all of ourselves.

This experience is definitely a must-see for anyone visiting San Francisco. Come in with an open mind and a thirst for self-discovery, and leave your social inhibitions...

For someone who has loved the landscape and beauty that is San Francisco ever since my first visit over two decades ago, someone who continued to return time and time again, so much so that she made the move just this year, witnessing Gregangelo's was an unbelievable treat.

This review may be difficult to piece together, because truly there are no words to describe the experiences meant for your senses, ones we are aware of and ones that perhaps take some digging to activate.

The installations are separated by rooms and various areas of the house. They capture the vision and translation of local artists, while painting pictures of not only San Francisco's rich history or interpretations, but guides us to ponder hidden thoughts about the walks of life. The passion for the history, the arts, and just this wonderous wild flare only San Francisco knows... radiates intensely from the Gregangelo team, and I hope Gregangelo's continues to see the support it deserves.

It is quite an impressive and sensational ride, and for those who desire more, a step in your spiritual journey.

I am so very grateful for the opportunity to visit with an awesome group (what a lucky stroke!), and intend to come back, seeing more of their creations, continuing my adventure with this resilient city, and celebrating its history and future.

I am hopeful that many more will get to...