• The air quality forecast for the Bay Area as of Friday. Photo: EPA
    The air quality forecast for the Bay Area as of Friday.
    The air quality forecast for the Bay Area as of Friday.
    Photo: EPA
Photo: EPA
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The air quality forecast for the Bay Area as of Friday.
The air quality forecast for the Bay Area as of Friday.
Photo: EPA

With smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County blanketing the Bay Area, air quality officially at red or "unhealthy" levels as of Friday afternoon, and things expected to stay bad through the weekend, some museums and public agencies are offering people respite from the dangerous air.

SFMOMA is offering free admission to their permanent collection on the second floor all weekend (tickets normally cost $25). That's especially helpful this weekend, because the public library branches that would normally be go-to destinations for clean air will be closed Sunday for Veteran's Day.

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"No ticket will be required to enter these galleries; simply come as you are," SFMOMA wrote in a statement. "We hope that these galleries, in addition to the Public Knowledge Library can offer a place for reflection as we all continue to find ways  to cope with the ongoing impact of the fire and smoke."

Other museums have also stepped up to waive admission fees this weekend in the name of giving people access to clean air; their locations and hours are listed below, at the end of this story.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management maintains a map of locations with clean air, also listed below.

MORE: Will your mask protect you from wildfire smoke? Only if it's the right kind

"We're recommending that people seek out places that have A/C including movie theaters, malls and public libraries," said Linda Acosta, a digital services manager for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Everyone is encouraged to remain indoors as much as possible; people with respiratory illnesses, older people, and children should be especially careful about exposure to the air.

Masks labeled N95, N100 and P100 can offer some protection from the particulates in the air, but wearing a mask is not as effective as remaining indoors, according to the Department of Emergency Management. The city of South San Francisco is distributing limited quantities of masks for free at libraries.

Libraries:

San Francisco Main Public Library - 100 Larkin St. -
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday for Veteran's Day.

Chinatown Branch Library - 1135 Powell St. 
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday for Veteran's Day.

Glen Park Branch Library - 2825 Diamond St. 
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday for Veteran's Day.

Mission Bay Library - 960 Fourth St.
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday for Veteran's Day.

Museums:

SFMOMA - 151 Third St. **
Open Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery - 401 Van Ness, Suite 126
Open Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - 701 Mission St. **
Open Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Contemporary Jewish Museum - 736 Mission St. **
Open Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

de Young Museum - 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive **
Open Sat. and Sun., 9:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Legion of Honor - 100 34th Ave. **
Open Sat. and Sun., 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Museum of the African Diaspora - 685 Mission St.
First floor free
Open Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Malls:

Westfield San Francisco Centre - 865 Market St. 
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Stonestown Galleria - 3251 20th Ave.
Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

**Designations museums waiving admission fees to some or all areas because of the smoke. Other museums listed are always free.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter