Best Museum

Around the corner from the ghastly Barcalounger of the SFMOMA building, this tiny museum offers a welcome antidote to the bloated self-importance of its neighbor. The CAM, established in large part because of a 1987 endowment from Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, features 6,000 pieces in its permanent collection, ranging from old editorial cartoons to Sunday comic strips to framed cels from Fritz the Cat. Half of the museum's space is given over to its special exhibitions; right now, there's a display of rare Dr. Seuss paintings and drawings, in celebration of the author's 100th birthday, a collection that offers as good a window on American pop culture as any painting of a soup can. The Cartoon Art Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Adults pay $6, students and seniors $4, children ages 6-12 $2. The first Tuesday of the month is "Pay What You Wish Day."