San Diego Air And Space Museum
Location: Balboa Park
Go to the San Diego Air & Space Museum to view various original and replica historic aircraft and spacecraft, including a Spirit of St. Louis replica and the original Apollo 9 Command Module. Step into a Max Flight® simulator for a full-motion multi-role aircraft ride or watch a movie in the 3D/4D Zable Theater.
The artifact collection walks visitors through the history of flight and includes artifacts from Charles Lindberg, the Wright Brothers, and other flight pioneers. San Diego Air & Space Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
When museums were given the green light to reopen, they were among the first. The museum is already uniquely set up for properly distancing due to its layout. So, go and have fun!
What Are The Best Art Museums In San Diego
The San Diego Museum of Art is San Diegos go-to spot for art. The prestigious museum is famed for its Spanish art and hosts some of the best Asian art collections in the country.
Other top art museums include the Museum of Photographic Arts and the Mingei International Museum. For local art, make sure to check out La Bodega Gallery
The San Diego Museum Of Art
The San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. SDMA houses a wide collection of curated exhibitions that shouldnt be missed! Current exhibits range from the beautiful Art of the Open Air to the Modern and Contemporary Art gala. When visiting the museum pay special attention to the large collection of Spanish art they are known for housing.
This museum is one of the oldest in the region. Its also one of the most visited. Rich in culture, visitors never forget their trip there.
The museum has been known to be a nationally renowned permanent collection of Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings, and 19th- and 20th-century American paintings and sculptures. It is located in the heart of beautiful Balboa Park. Occasionally, the museum likes to exhibit pieces of art from around the world. With the money that is donated, the museum is able to support cultural and educational programs for children and adults. Because the museum has Latin heritage, youll always see description text in English and in Spanish.
Looking for a beautiful, one-of-a-kind place to host an event? Sparks Gallery is the perfect place.
The gift shop offers some superb replicas as wella sure-flyer win for anyone with an aviation interest.
Read Also: Hotels Near Natural History Museum Nyc
San Diego Fire Department Museum
In case you will visit the San Diego Police Museum, you ought to likewise visit the San Diego Fire Department, isnt that so? Set up in 1962, the Firehouse Museum is currently situated in the City Operations Building on First Avenue and B Street, San Diego Fire Station No. It involves the old place of 6. The gallerys physical structure in Little Italy contains each possible kind of firefighting gear and flames on the marchers, bosses, VP, caution officials, and contingents who react to the obligation at hand. Inside, youll see firefighting memorabilia going back 100 years. Everything from fire pails to an early fire quencher is in plain view.
Reuben H Armada Science Center
With more than 100 intelligent science shows in eight displays and significant voyaging shows, the Reuben H. Armada Science Center is the best spot to project beautiful shadows, contact a hurricane, study the vibration of guitar strings. Get your hands on captivating logical marvels. Home to the worlds first IMAX Dome Theater, the science community presents the greatest motion pictures on earth in its exceptional design that encompasses the crowd in view and offers the fantasy of being suspended in space. Since its opening in 1973, the Fleet has been one of San Diegos most visited historical centers. A display for kids five and six in particular, because of the Tinkering Studio and Kid City, which permits guests to try, develop and make with theater and intelligent shows.
Also Check: Museum Park Condos For Sale
Holocaust Memorial Museum Of San Antonio
Learn about one of the most tragic events in human history at the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio. The museum is divided by three distinct exhibits, which explain how the Holocaust began, the Nazis rise to power, and what the Jewish people endured in death camps and under Nazi rule. Some smaller exhibits showcase Americas involvement in the Holocaust or tell the stories of Holocaust survivors who settled in San Antonio. The museum is free and offers a unique opportunity for visitors to be led on a tour by a local survivor.
Birch Aquarium At Scripps
Location: La Jolla
I always get so excited when people choose San Diego as a vacation destinations because their kids have an interest in oceanography. The first place I send them is to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and I encourage residents to also take advantage of their programming.
Here, research discoveries by Scripps Oceanography scientists are showcased across 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates, hands-on exhibits, outdoor tide pools with panoramic views over La Jolla Shores Beach, and more fun.
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.
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.
Make sure to know how to use the QR code reader on your phone. In place of hands-on exhibits, there are new ways to explore exhibits that youll discover after reading the associated QR code. Also, they are working on a fun Halloween outdoor experience. Stay tuned for more details.
You May Like: 9 11 Memorial Museum Discount Tickets
Museum Of Photographic Arts
Location: Balboa Park
Have an interest in photography? Stop into the Museum of Photographic Arts , one of the only independent institutions in the country dedicated to photography, film, and video.
The museum showcases the history of photography through its collection of over 9000 historical images. Youll also view images from some contemporary artists. The Joan & Irwin Jacobs Theater hosts film festivals, movie premieres, documentaries, and other fun events. 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.
The museum operates on a pay what you wish admissions philosophy. Check out their online photo club.
Balboa Park Explorer Passes
The Balboa Park Explorer Passes are San Diego’s best cultural value. The one-day, multi-day and annual explorer passes offer visitors the chance to experience up to 17 museums in the Park, with savings of more than 50% and the convenience of a one-time purchase. The Multi-Day Explorer/Zoo Combo includes the Balboa Park Multi-Day Explorer Pass plus a one-day admission ticket to the San Diego Zoo, all for one low price.
Also Check: Museum Association Of New York Jobs
San Diego Childrens Discovery Museum
Location: EscondidoAddress: 320 N Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025
This is one of the best museums in San Diego for families with young children for two reasons. First, its inexpensive so you can go a lot. And second, its hands-on in a way many museums are not.
Learning here is definitely rooted in play, and kids are encouraged to touch, imagine, explore, and experiment to learn more about the natural world, science, math, engineering, art, and history.
Children from the toddler years through grade school just love it.
At-home resources: This kids museum strives to provide families with something do to every day, whether its story time via Facebook live, how-to videos, or daily STREAM activities posted on their blog.
Tips For Visiting Our Best Museums
Be sure to arrive with a charged phone. Cashless payments and reliance on museum apps for navigation will mean that youll be using it more than usual.
The Balboa Park museums can easily be seen on the same day. Youll want to avoid paying admission each time with either a Go San Diego sightseeing pass or a Balboa Park Explorer Pass two of my favorite San Diego discounts.
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. The Timken Museum of Art is always free.
The San Diego Zoo is also located in Balboa Park. You can visit both on the same day but it would be a long day. I suggest, if time permits, that you break visits into two days. Read my advice on how to buy San Diego Zoo discount tickets.
Many of these museums are on my list of best childrens museums in San Diego .
Some museums in San Diego participate in Kids Free San Diego, an October promotion where kids receive free entry with paid adults. Alternatively, February is Museum Month where with a free pass, you can enter participating museums for half-price.
Read Also: African American Music Museum In Nashville Tn
The Top Museums In San Diego
For all people of every walk of life, theres a museum that appeals to them. And if theres any city that caters to everybody, its San Diego! Of course we have all the highlights such as art museums and science centers, but theres plenty more to discover if youre visiting. Whether you just love learning or you have a particular passion, youll be glad you visited these places below.
Best Museums In San Diego
BY Katie DillonSan Diego Local Expert
Museums in San Diego take great pride in educating the public about our past and how to preserve the future. Over 90 museums are spread across the county with 15 major ones centered in Balboa Park, the nation’s largest cultural urban park.
Narrowing the list down to 10 is, frankly, quite difficult. Kids love the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and The New Children’s Museum. However, photographers gravitate toward the Museum of Photographic Arts. We also have the longest-serving aircraft carrier, the USS Midway as a museum. The list of topics and interests addressed by each museum is incredibly diverse.
Keep in mind these tips for enjoying San Diego’s museums at a lower cost. During select Tuesdays, those with a valid ID containing a San Diego County address or active military can receive free admission at select Balboa Park museums. Free entry applies to ID holder dependents as well. The Timken Art Museum is always free. Balboa Park offers Explorer passes that allow multiple museum entries at a discounted price for one day, seven days and an entire year. February is museum month where a booklet can be picked up at Macy’s that provides half-off admission to museums throughout the county.
Wherever you are in San Diego, there is definitely a museum waiting for you.
Also Check: Museum Of Modern Art Catalog
Best Museum For Adventurer In Your Life San Diego Air And Space Museum
If you are of an adventurous inclination then there is only one museum in San Diego for you and one that you have to visit in order to make your visit to the city complete the Air and Space Museum.
The Air and Space Museum charts the history of flight from the very first days of the hot air balloon to exhibitions on the latest developments in space travel.
With exhibitions that bring alive mans eternal quest to explore the unknown, this is a museum that will stir your inner explorer and give you and even greater desire to travel.
The museums clear and easy to follow directions ensure that you can, at your own pace, follow the development of mans ability to travel across the world through the sky and understand the true heroes of the aeronautical world.
Visiting the San Diego Air and Space Museum is a must for anyone who wants to learn about Americas place in the development of air and space travel and it will surely give you a great appreciation of how far we have come as a species.
Why visiting museum in San Diego is an important part of visiting the cityThere is a reason that it is important to visit the museum of San Diego and it is simple it gives you a better appreciation of how much of an incredible city it is.
Many people will simply see San Diego as a city that is simply filled with sunshine and designed to have a good time in.
San Diego Museum Of Us
Housed in the historic California Building with its iconic California Tower, the Museum of Us has been educating and entertaining visitors from around the world for more than 100 years. The museum offers a variety of unique, interactive exhibits that cover a vast range of human history and culture from beer to cannibalism to monsters to secrets. In addition, the museum will soon be offering guided tours of the California Tower, where visitors can learn about the history of Balboa Park while taking in a 360-degree view of San Diego.
Don’t Miss: Glass Museum In St Petersburg
Briscoe Western Art Museum
The wild, wild west is brought to life at the Briscoe Western Art Museum where art exhibits highlight western history from pre-colonial days to the first settlers and the peak of Texas ranchers. Youll discover western paintings, as well as unconventional items of art such as covered wagons and Pancho Villas saddle. Dont forget to explore the culture garden which has bronze sculptures that depict life in the American West.
Japanese Friendship Garden Of San Diego
The Japanese Friendship Garden represents the connection between San Diego and its sister city Yokohama, Japan. It offers visitors a unique experience through its bonsai exhibit, a moon-viewing deck, beautiful black pine trees, azaleas and ornamental plants such as camellias, magnolia, wisteria and cherry blossom trees.
You May Like: Hotels Near The Lightner Museum
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego has a long history tied to aviation and space travel. Convair, home of such famous aircraft as the B-24 Liberator and the PBY Catalina, was founded here.
Ryan Aeronautical, home of Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, was located here, and North Island Naval Air Station is the home of naval aviation. Much of that knowledge is captured and conveyed through the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Established in 1961, the museum is a must for anyone fascinated by technology and exploration.
TripSavvy / Ana Alarcon
The New Children’s Museum in San Diego is a great museum for families with children to visit.
The museum’s state of the art center is focused on creating a space where children can think, play and create through hands-on exhibitions, art creation, and educational opportunities.
It has something for children of every age and parents will enjoy the learning nature of it as well.
The Best San Diego Museums
Whether youre planning a trip to San Diego or have been residing there for years, theres no shortage of museums to visit in the bustling city. The weather is always beautiful, but sometimes having a day indoors can make some great, lasting memories.
From historic to cultural, the San Diego museums culture has a little something for everyone. We present, in no particular order, some of the best museums that San Diego has to offer.
With over sixty exhibits, this historic aircraft carrier also houses twenty-seven restored aircraft. The USS Midway, named after the Battle of Midway in 1942, was constructed only for 17 months. While it didnt see World War IIs action, its armored flight decks give visitors an at-sea experience without having to leave port.
Admission to the Maritime Museum grants you access to one of the worlds finest collections of historic sea vessels. Once on board the ship, you will find that people of all ages can have fun and learn a lot. But that is not all! You will get to explore submarines too! Since the museum was founded, it has been displaying exhibits of art, exploration, commerce, and .
The USS Midway Museum also offers virtual tours so that you can learn about this military history from anywhere. They also offer self-guided audio tours.
Also Check: Boston Museum Of Science Tickets
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
In case youre a devotee of the yearly Miramar Air Show, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a decent spot to visit. What separates this exhibition hall from the others is that it is the solitary historical center on the planet committed to safeguarding the unbelievable commitments made by Marine Corps Airmen and the ground support workforce. Situated at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the historical center comprises no less than 25 vintage airplanes and an open space showing outside memorabilia and ancient rarities from the soonest long stretches of Marine Corps Aviation.
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museummuseum in san diego
San Diego Museum Of Art
Location: Balboa Park
Our most prestigious fine art museum is the San Diego Museum of Art. While the collection specializes in Spanish art featuring, Murillo, Zurbarán, Cotán, Ribera and El Greco.
Other highlights include works by Goya, Rubens, Matisse, Renoir, and van Dyck. Pieces date from 5000 BC to 2012 AD. All exhibition text is in both English and Spanish. The museum is currently closed on Wednesdays.
Take advantage of the free docent tours. Walking through the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden and grab a bite to eat at Panama 66, my favorite Balboa Park restaurant.
Read Also: Museum Studies Undergraduate Programs Online
