San Diego Museums to Visit
Posted on 11-01-2023 02:09 AM
San Diego Museums to Visit
There is no shortage of art options in America's Finest City, from the expansive Balboa Park to the new Comic-Con Museum.
Balboa Park
As if our perfect weather, miles of gorgeous beaches, world-famous craft beer scene, and ever-evolving culinary landscape wasnt enough, San Diego County boasts nearly 100 museums, encompassing musical endeavors and artistic creations, as well as preserving the culture of indigenous communities and documenting our long maritime history. There is a museum to satisfy your interests and rejuvenate you. Our top eight San Diego museums are as follows:
We've already highlighted some of our favorite, must-visit museums in Balboa Park, but it's also worth checking out this cultural hub that's been called the Jewel of San Diego. In its 1200 acres of gardens, museums, attractions, and restaurants, you can easily lose yourself for a day (if not a weekend).
Of particular note are the San Diego Natural History Museum that first opened in 1874 and is the oldest scientific institution in Southern California; civic leader George W. Marstons 1905 craftsman home thats listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the Fleet Science Center and planetarium thats home to the worlds first IMAX Dome Theater; Centro Cultural de la Raza, a nonprofit center that promotes, preserves, and educates around Chicano, Mexican, Indigenous, and Latinx art and culture; and the WorldBeat Center, which preserves African, African-American, and other Indigenous world cultures through art, music, dance, education, and technology. Take a walk through the stunning Inez Grant Parket Memorial Rose Garden and learn about California flora and fauna.
Travel costs vary, but San Diego residents can take advantage of free days. The Timken Museum of Art as well as the San Diego Mineral & Gem Society Museum are always free to the public.
Comic-Con Museum
In late 2018, the Comic-Con Museum opened in Balboa Park, allowing San Diegans to experience Comic-Con at any time. Its mission is to increase the awareness and understanding of comics and related genres as well as the museum currently exhibits: Dave Stevens and the Rocketeer: The Art of Raymond Briggs, Eight Decades of Archie, and Hemingway in the Comics. Also on display is Spider-Man: Beyond AmazingThe Exhibition, celebrating Spider-Man's 60th anniversary. We'll explore the evolution of Spider-Man in comics and film, as well as the individuals who contributed to its creation. You will find interactive photo stations, artifacts and props, and comic artwork from private collectors that has never been displayed before. Ticket sales are available online or at the door to the Comic-Con Museum (subject to capacity restrictions).
Those age 65 and older must pay $30, children must pay $18, and students, active military members, and seniors must pay $24.
Museum of Making Music
Founded in 1994, the Carlsbad Museum of Making Music celebrates the achievements and significance of those who craft, sell, and use musical goods and instruments, through unique rotating exhibitions, live music performances, and cutting edge educational programs. An array of instruments, artifacts, and immersive, multimedia displays, featuring a variety of themes, including Making the Instruments, Providing the Instruments, Using the Instruments, and Beyond the Instruments, as well as Sit & Play areas for solo or group experimentation. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. There is a requirement for online ticket reservations.
The cost for adults is $15, while students, seniors, military personnel, and children under 3 are free.
California Surf Museum
In his tween years, Benjamin Franklin invented the swim fin. The California Surf Museum, founded in 1986 and dedicated to surf culture worldwide, will appeal to people of all ages, not just surfers. The experience is optimal if you allow the museum's encyclopedic docents to guide you around the galleries, but you can also explore on your own. There are currently nine different exhibits that explore the history and culture of wave riding, including a tribute to the renowned surfboard shaper Donald Takayama as well as Wheres The Surf? Find Swell Direction With Wave Science a near real-time network of wave and beach monitoring stations spread across the US. Also available is a deep dive into the history of boogie boarding. Explore explore a timeline of surfboard development, and be amazed by the most popular exhibit, Courageous Inspiration: Bethany Hamilton, the story of the then-13-year-old surfer who lost his left arm after being attacked by a tiger shark off the coast of Kauai in 2003. There is a museum open daily from ten o'clock to four o'clock. There will be a door-to-door ticket sale.
Adults pay $7, seniors 62 or older $5, military and students free, and children 11 or younger pay nothing.
The Womens Museum of California
This summer, the Womens Museum of California opened its brand new Southeast San Diego Center. It currently hosts an exhibit entitled Crafting Feminism: Textiles of the Women's Movement. With outfits and sashes dating back to the 1850s to hot pink hats worn at the 2017 Women's March, textiles have played a significant role in social movements of the past century, the program features local artists like Michelle Montjoy.