In keeping with the City's tradition of citizen involvement, City resources are used in partnership with organizations to create opportunities for otherwise unfeasible projects or programs. The City encourages the formation of such community partnerships whenever possible and has active partnerships with the following organizations:

The San Luis Obispo Performing Arts Center seats 1,300 in its main hall, which is shaped like a multiple-balconied opera house from the past, and presents a modern acoustical environment for everything from Bach to the blues. Located on the campus of California Polytechnic University, it was built by a joint partnership of the City, the University and the Foundation for the Performing Arts at a cost of approximately $34.9 million. The facility opened September 27, 1996. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 805-756-7222.

San Luis Obispo Little Theatre has been performing for over six decades, making them one of the longest continually running community theatres in the nation. They have staged over 350 productions in more than 20 locations around the country, beginning with the production of Blythe Spirit in 1947. SLOLT is also home to the Academy of Creative Theatre, a program aimed at helping young people develop lifelong skills, self-esteem, and confidence through theatrical education and performance.
  

San Luis Obispo Historical Society is an organization dedicated to the study and preservation of San Luis Obispo County history. The Historical Society was formed in 1953 by a small group of individuals dedicated to helping preserve and protect local history. Members of the Society wanted to create a historical museum where local artifacts could be properly placed and archived. The City of San Luis Obispo granted a renewable 50 year lease to the Historical Society in 1955 for the former Carnegie Library Building to use as a museum. The Society spent the next fifty years building the largest archive of historical artifacts of any museum in San Luis Obispo County.

San Luis Obispo County Arts Center is located at 1010 Broad St. at  the corner of Broad and Monterey. Docent-led tours of the Art Center are available for groups of all ages. Admission is free.

The San Luis Obispo Children's Museum mission is to inspire learning through play within a rich environment of interactive exhibits and programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Curiosity and imagination are evoked as children and families actively explore, investigate, and create through a variety of discovery experiences. The Museum closed in September 2004 in order to begin construction on a new building.