Every visitor guide will suggest a trip to Balboa Park museums. There’s a reason for that! Not only is the scenery amazing without ever stepping foot into a museum but the exhibits throughout the park are terrific for visitors of any age!
Explore Balboa Park if you want to spend a day outside. Why? It’s full of parks, gardens, and architecture. There are often free events with music and a variety of performers. If that weren’t enough, just enjoy a sunny San Diego strolling and get that tan without ever braving the beaches. There is no BalboaPark entrance fee but individual museums and exhibits throughout the park will charge admission fees.
In our earlier post, Cool Things To Do in Balboa Park, San Diego, we did just that! During 2020 when nearly everything was closed, we ventured out to enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon. It was actually a wonderful afternoon spent chatting with my daughter and a friend. We escaped the confines of home and were out of the house nearly all day.
Balboa Park is also a great option if you have limited funds as cruising through the park is absolutely free, including the parking. There is no entrance fee unless you go inside the Balboa Park museums and you can bring your own picnic with you. This is one reason it was always a destination for our family over the years living here in San Diego.
It is nearly impossible to stay on top of openings and restrictions, promotions so please use this link provided via culturalpartnership.org by Balboa Park.
The San Diego Museum of Us, Formerly the Museum of Man
While the San Diego Museum of Us, formerly the SD Museum of Man, has changed its name, it still has amazing exhibits all about history and culture.
Balboa Park Museums Have Ancient Egypt, Legends of Monsters and Kumeyaay Cosmology
Beyond an amazing presentation of ancient Egyptian artifacts, there are interactive things to do like the Adventure Kids exhibit. Kids learn the skills to feel like an archaeologist working in Egypt and be a scientist! There are mummies on display and a lot more!
If you love fantastical stories about legendary monsters, the Monsters! exhibit will be a treat! Make a monster of your own or put on a play with strange creatures. Find out how to defend yourself from monsters’ wily ways or learn the truth about the legends. You can even explore where monsters live like caves, the sea, under the bed, and elsewhere!
The Kumeyaay are the native Americans indigenous to the San Diego area. If you are visiting learn all about their history here in San Diego. But also check out a specialized exhibit on their cosmological beliefs, including their own names for the constellations in the night sky.
Explore Ancient Maya Artifacts
My personal favorite is “Maya, Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” which is the first thing you see when entering the museum. Why my favorite? The giant stone stelae are front and center as you enter. As a young girl, our family visited the actual sites in Mexico which left an impression on my young mind. I was fascinated with their hieroglyphic alphabet and calendar.
What many may not realize is that the Maya exist today in villages throughout Mexico, Belize and Guatemala and continue to speak their own language. I loved to go to this museum as a young mom and tell the stories of meeting the village children when I was their age.
The California Tower, An Iconic San Diego Landmark
You can clearly see the California Tower as you fly into the airport from overhead, from almost anywhere within Balboa Park and it is often featured on any media about San Diego. It is the absolutely most readily identifiable building in San Diego.
Did you know you can climb the tower and get a 360 degree view of San Diego? Yes, there are guided tours explaining the communities of San Diego and how Balboa Park itself came about culminating eight stories above the park. Go on a sunny day or at sunset and you’ll be amazed by the images you can capture!
Tickets are required but can be purchased in advance through this link.
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Probably the Cutest of All The Balboa Park Museums
It is the world’s largest accredited model railroad museum and feature six permanent exhibitions. They include real , working model railroads of the Cabrillo & Southwestern, the San Diego and Arizona Eastern, Southern Pacific on the Tehachapi Pass, Pacific Desert Lines, the Toy Train Gallery, the Centennial Railway Garden. Image is a snapshot of the website.
There are also a number of online resources if you want to learn more in advance of a visit or if the museums are closed at Balboa Park.
Admission is free to San Diego County Residents with ID on the first Tuesday of each month.
Balboa Park Museums Are Full of Science and Engineering Adventures
The Fleet Science Center
At the science center, it is all about experiences, hands-on and immersive. Explore 100 interactive exhibits designed to teach science and at the same children are “wow’d” with fun hands-on experiments from sound waves, visualization exhibits and more! Even the adults will learn and have fun right alongside the kids!
If you are a teacher or home school educator, the Fleet hosts school field trips, science workshops and educational camps. If you want to inspire young minds, this is a phenomenal space that does just that!
Everything is constantly changing and updating with new exhibits and movies so make sure to check out the website for the latest information. There are plenty of discounts available to students, educators, the military and San Diego County residents. Get the latest updates via this direct link to the Fleet Science Center.
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Flying high is the dream of just about all kids I would imagine. Why not inspire them with a visit to where it all began
There are real planes to see, up close and personal, at the San Diego Air and Space Museum It begins before you even go through the front door!
Inside, there is a flight-worthy replica of Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis” as well as the actual Apollo 9 Command Module. Get the latest updates via this direct link to the Fleet Science Center.
San Diego Automotive Museum
The San Diego Automotive Museum is a new edition to Balboa Park and is located next to the Air and Space Museum. You’ll find cars from every era but also motorcycles! If you have an engine enthusiast in your house, this is your happy place. You can show off the real vehicles of other eras and the kids will love stories of shiny speedsters!
Get the latest updates via this direct link to the San Diego Automotive Museum.
The San Diego Zoo Next Door to Balboa Park Museums
What a lot of visitors to San Diego may not realize is the close proximity of Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. They are right next to each other and many locals even use the same parking lot for their visit. You can get passes for the zoo that are as economical as single day tickets which allow to you to visit the Safari Park to the north of San Diego as well.
You can find all the details via their website linked here for you. Note that we will do an in-depth post on the San Diego Zoo once health restrictions are lifted due to COVID-19.
