(Both of these activities are currently closed.) So, go and have fun! Status: Open. A tour guide relays the history of the tower and other fun facts. The majority are located in Balboa Park, the nation’s largest urban cultural park, though there are other fantastic museums sprinkled around the county.I … Subscribe now for my best San Diego, theme park, and luxury hotel tips in addition to thoughts on our recent travels — delivered straight to your inbox, for absolutely free. You’ll also need to check opening hours before you go. Immerse yourself into world-class art, exciting history, and mind-bending science. San Diego Air & Space Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. This San Diego attraction has exhibitions of Japanese ceramics, international hats and headdresses, and jewelry made from turquoise, lapis lazuli and cobalt, among many others. These are the best places for groups seeking museums in San Diego: Which places provide the best museums in San Diego for travelers on a budget? The museum showcases the history of photography through its collection of over 9000 historical images. Status: Closed. The MCRD Museum Foundation depends upon membership fees, grants, and donations to conduct its business of supporting the MCRD Command Museum, the Marines and Sailors of MCRD, San Diego, and the Western Recruiting Region. Currently, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla is closed for renovation. All exhibition text is in both English and Spanish. The Museum is widely accessible to our visitors with disabilities. The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. Museum of Us. The BEST way to buy attraction and theme park tickets is my discounted site. As they get older, they go back to the same exhibits they love over and over again. Sign up to receive our Museletter and get updates on special offers, events & more! Kid City allows kids under 5 to explore texture, movement, and shapes in a fun play space with a ball wall, fire station, and more. Our most prestigious fine art museum is the San Diego Museum of Art. If there’s one San Diego museum to visit, make this your top choice as there aren’t many in the world like it. The Official Air & Space Museum and Education Center of California has many attractions for the entire family. Special Promotion: Two kids ages 6-12 GO FREE with each paid adult between now and December 15, 2020. Start here and walk past several other fantastic museums like Mingei International Museum, San Diego History Center, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, and others. One thing this list of museums has in common, however, is the uniqueness of their collections. First established by the City of San Diego in 1868, it is also one of the oldest city parks in the nation and is the most visited single destination in San Diego. Get discounted tickets. Email * San Diego Natural History Museum 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park San Diego, CA 92101. The San Diego Air & Space Museum is one of the participating institutions. Copyright 2020 La Jolla Living, LLC All Rights Reserved. (These exhibits are fun no matter what your age is.). Tip: This top San Diego Museum is just across from theNAT and one end of the pedestrianized El Prado street. The Museum is open seven days a week Monday through Sunday and we are closed on Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day. The Timken Museum of Art is always free. The majority are located in Balboa Park, the nation’s largest urban cultural park, though there are other fantastic museums sprinkled around the county. The first place I send them is to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and I encourage residents to also take advantage of their programming. Status: Open. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Go San Diego card holders can make reservations by contacting Visitor Services at 858-534-FISH. Highlights include the Sketch Aquarium where kids draw fish on paper that come to life on a giant screen; the mattress room which encourages kids to jump on the bed; and the wonder sound labyrinth or rooms, nooks, and ropes to explore. Here, We may be an anthropology museum, but we’ve had . Check out their online photo club. Highlights include “Al” the allosaurus cast in the lobby, the second-floor scavenger hunts in Fossil Mysteries, the Foucault Pendulum, drawing skulls on the gigantic chalkboard, movies in the Giant-Screen Theater and more. Do find one and ask away! Additional beers and soft drinks available for purchase during the movie The San Diego Natural History Museum (also known as theNAT), is a favorite of local kids. Pieces date from 5000 BC to 2012 AD. Another must-see is the Edmunds L. & Nancy K. Dubois Library, a unique collection of over 20,000 books and resources for visitors to browse through and use. Located in The San Diego Museum of Art’s May S. Marcy Sculpture Court, Panama 66 features lunch and dinner, late hours, live music, and weekend brunch. Take advantage of the free docent tours. Read my advice on how to buy San Diego Zoo discount tickets. Status: Open daily. Located here in Balboa Park, on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Kumeyaay people, our mission is “inspiring human connections by exploring the human experience.” Speaking of the outdoor tide pools, there is a new animal touch experience where guests can gently touch juvenile Swell Sharks, Horn Sharks and Round Rays, endangered Pink Abalone, sea stars and more. As one of only a handful of air and space museums in the country to be an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is home to a collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft exploring the history of flight. In the process, they manage to see, do, and learn something new every time. I’ve had a chance to go behind the scenes at theNAT to take a peek at some of the over 8 million specimens in their collection used to monitor change in our region. Cashless payments and reliance on museum apps for navigation will mean that you’ll be using it more than usual. Fleet Night of Science is just for the 21 and older crowd to geek out at this fun this San Diego museum with a cocktail in-hand. Be sure to also check their schedule of naturalist-led offsite programming including tide pool tours, whale watching, snorkeling with La Jolla leopard sharks, and more. Visit restored and recreated historic buildings where you can view exhibits featuring a wide range of artifacts. Formerly known as the San Diego Museum of Man, the Museum of Us is a new identity for a 100-plus-year-old institution, beloved by generations of San Diegans and tourists alike. You can also step into a simulator to see what it was like to fly one. In place of hands-on exhibits, there are new ways to explore exhibits that you’ll discover after reading the associated QR code. Nov 30, 2020 - Looking to get inspired on your trip to San Diego? High touch exhibits are closed EXCEPT for a new touch experience in Tide Pool Plaza (details below). Status: Closed. In the interest of protecting the public health of our staff and visitors, the Museum is temporarily closing to the public starting Saturday November 14th. Discover 6 San Diego Craft Beer Tastes - curated by the Museum of Beer. See also: Local Kids’ Guide to the San Diego Natural History Museum. See also: Tips for Visiting the USS Midway Museum. The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is not just for enthusiasts. A showing of the Halloween classic - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 2 free tickets to another movie at the Theatre Box for a later date. They are working on their reopening plan and do not have a date yet. Your email address will not be published. These are the best places for kid-friendly museums in San Diego: Which places provide the best museums in San Diego for couples? San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 231-2886 Hours As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We Museums San Diego Museum Council PO Box 371322 San Diego CA, 92137 (619) 957-4660 Email Us. You’ll tour on a one-way path that covers certain vessels (the submarines are temporarily excluded) beginning at the Berkeley and ending at the Star of India. Which experiences are best for museums in San Diego? In the meantime, you can still take advantage of their at-home learning. Status: Open. Also, they are working on a fun Halloween outdoor experience. Most have reopened but those that haven’t remain on this list for those who are planning future vacations. Stop into the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA), one of the only independent institutions in the country dedicated to photography, film, and video. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both). Open Wednesday – Sunday. Bring your own wired earbuds for the audio tour. If you are not a member, you will usually need a timed ticket. After operating as the San Diego Museum of Man for. Check out the best museums in San Diego to visit in 2020. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. You can visit both on the same day but it would be a long day. Complete List Of Free Museums & Attractions In San Diego. San Diego Mingei Museum puts folk art, craft and design on display for the public to enjoy. The most unique San Diego museum is no doubt the USS Midway Museum. Make sure to know how to use the QR code reader on your phone. Learn more. Many of these museums are on my list of best children’s museums in San Diego (but there are others your kids may be interested in on that list). If you have any questions feel free to call us at 619.234.8291. The Museum of Man is also one of the best places to learn about the Kumeyaay, the Native American people of San Diego and surrounding areas. View all posts by Katie Dillon, Your email address will not be published. The San Diego Zoo is also located in Balboa Park. Book effortlessly online with Tripadvisor! This is a list of museums in San Diego County, California, defined for this … This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. San Diego museums cater to artists, archeologists, surfers, kids, photographers, and a variety of interests. These are the best places for budget-friendly museums in San Diego: "The tours of this historic battleship are amazing and the volunteers are the best part hearing how the ship works and, "Stopped in here, free admission but donations accepted, amazing detail in a huge two room train set up, moving parts, lights etc. These are the best places for couples seeking museums in San Diego: Which places provide the best museums in San Diego for groups? 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Museum of Us. Visitors can travel back in time, explore new worlds and view rare artifacts at more than 90 museums in San Diego County. Get help navigating which museums in San Diego County are currently open to the public. Those who live in San Diego County can also take advantage of Residents Free Tuesdays, where residents receive free admission to a rotating set of museums upon presentation of a valid ID. Located adjacent to Downtown San Diego along the Big Bay, San Diego's Embarcadero is a testament to the region's colorful maritime history complete with historic ships, museums and harbor tours, as well as a working fishing harbor, cruise ship terminal and plenty of hotels, restaurants and shops. #WhereIsItWednesday – Guess that exhibit! CST# 2011220-40 Below deck tours, flight simulators, and climb aboard cockpits are closed, but there is still plenty to see. The ten best San Diego museums on this list are among the most visited by residents and tourists. Local Kids’ Guide to the San Diego Natural History Museum, take a ride on board some of the museum’s ships, how to buy San Diego Zoo discount tickets, exclusive discounts on theme park tickets, 15 San Diego Discounts (Attractions Tickets, Restaurants, Tours), The Ultimate Guide to San Diego Christmas Events & Holiday Activities in 2020, 10 Best Tide Pools in San Diego and Tips for Visiting Now, 20 Fun Things to Do in San Diego with Teens (and Tweens), San Diego in November: Weather, Events, Things to Do, & Insider Tips. Some museums in San Diego participate in Kids Free San Diego, an October promotion where kids receive free entry with paid adults. San Diego museums cater to artists, archeologists, surfers, kids, photographers, and a variety of interests. San Diego is a craft beer mecca, after all. 6 Taste portion food pairings from Sugar Factory. Here, research discoveries by Scripps Oceanography scientists are showcased across 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates, (usually) hands-on exhibits, outdoor tide pools with panoramic views over La Jolla Shores Beach, and more fun.