Museums Information in Balboa Park

Balboa Park is an unrivaled landscape of arts and culture. It is made up of 1,200 acres and is located just minutes away from the best offerings of downtown San Diego. Most visitors to the park are amazed at its brilliant displays of beautiful open spaces, seasonal flowers, shady groves of trees and meandering paths passing through rolling lawns. The urban park also houses various gardens, performing arts venues and attractions, as well as the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The magnificent park offers something recreational, educational and historical for everyone. More than 14 million visitors come to the park annually.

Of particular interest is the annual Balboa Park December Nights hosted to celebrate the holiday season. December Nights is the largest free community festival in the city of San Diego and attracts more than 3 million visitors over two days each year. The classic and elaborate celebration continues many long-standing traditions, including worldwide gourmet foods, charming & wonderful entertainment and unique holiday cheers. The grand carnival involves unbeatable fun for everyone.

Visitors can enjoy free admission to Balboa Park, including outdoor gardens, the park grounds, Botanical Building and some attractions. But some cultural attractions charge admission fees, like the San Diego Zoo and some other museums. Balboa Park features 15 major museums, making it a place with something for everyone.

- The San Diego Museum of Art

Being the largest and oldest art museum in the region, the San Diego Museum of Art is widely renowned for its fine collection of European old masters, growing collections of contemporary & Latin art and 19th & 20th century American art. Museum visitors can also view many great art exhibitions from around the world and take part in various cultural and educational programs.

The San Diego Museum of Art is located at 1450 EI Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. The mailing address is PO BOX 122107, San Diego, CA 92112-2107. Its regular hours of operation are from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday and from 12 pm to 5 pm on Sunday. The museum is closed on three major holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission tickets to the museum cost $12 for adults and seniors over 65 & military personnel enjoy discount tickets of $9. Children aged 7-17 only need $4.5 and college students with ID need $8. For more museum info, please call 619-232-7931.

San Diego Museum of Art

http://www.sdmart.org

- Mingei International Museum

Located at 1439 EI Prado in the heart of Balboa Park on the Plaza de Panama, Mingei International Museum owns six spacious galleries, which highlight dynamic and engaging exhibits of historical and contemporary folk art, craft and design. The museum is committed to art of mingle from all eras and cultures throughout the world. The museum is also home to a multi-media education center, a theater and other venues.

The Mingei International Museum is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. It's closed on Mondays and major national holidays. There's no need to worry about admission fees if you're planning to stop at the museum for a visit. General admission is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors. Discount tickets of $4 are offered for children between 6 and 17, students and active military personnel with ID. If you're visiting with groups of 10 or more, you only need to pay $3 per ticket. Please contact the museum at 619-239-0003 or fax to 619-239-0605 for more details on the museum. You can also send an email to mingei@mingei.org.

Mingei International Museum

http://www.mingei.org

- San Diego Automobile Museum

For automobile enthusiasts, San Diego Automobile Museum at 2080 Pan American Plaza is the right destination. The museum has more than 80 historic autos and motorcycles on display. Some featured exhibits include Louie Mattar's $75,000 car and Drank Sinatra's 1967 Austin Petrol Hire Car. The daily operation hour for the museum is from 10 am to 5 pm. For more museum info, please call 619-231-2886.

San Diego Automobile Museum

http://www.sdautomuseum.org

- San Diego Model Railroad Museum

Covering an area of 28,000 square feet, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is ranking as the largest operating and model railroad museum in the world. The museum consists of four large scale and model layout, depicting the Southwest railroads in O, HO and N scales. The San Diego Model Railroad Museum also has a Toy Train Gallery with an interactive Lionel layout, which is specially made for children.

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum can be found on the lower level of the Casa De Balboa on the Prado in Balboa Park. Its mailing address is 1649 EI Prado, San Diego, CA 92101. Admission is required to enter the museum. Ticket fares are $7 for adults and seniors only need $6. Students with ID can purchase tickets at $3 and active military with ID are admitted to the museum for $2.5. San Diego County residents can enjoy free admission to the museum on first Tuesday of the month. If you want to learn more info on school and community group tour admissions and schedules, please call the Educator, Olga Cortes at 619-696-0199, ext.9.

Before visiting the museum, you also need to figure out its operation hours. From Tuesday to Friday, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is open from 11 am to 4 pm and it's available for visitors from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. It remains open by 4 pm on some holidays, including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. For more tours info, please call 619-234-2544.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com

- Veterans Museum & Memorial Center

Situated in the historic Old Navy Chapel, the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center is dedicated to veterans of all conflicts. It was built to preserve and honor the precious memory of men and women of the Armed Forces, Wartime Merchant Marine and Coast Guard. An extensive collection is housed at the museum, including memorabilia, artwork, artifacts and documents from the Civil War to the present. Temporary exhibits at the museum showcase veterans' experiences and dedications throughout history. The physical address for the museum is 2115 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101.

The museum opens at 10 am and is closed at 4 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. It's closed on Mondays. General adult admission price is $5 and the admission fare is $4 for veterans and seniors over 65. Students with valid ID are admitted to the museum for $2. Children aged 12 and under, active duty military & their dependents and museum members can receive free admission. Please call 619-239-2300 for further museum info.

Veterans Museum & Memorial Center

http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/veterans-museum-memorial-center

- Timken Museum of Art

Timken Museum of Art is recognized as one of the greatest small museums in the world. It's home to world-famous Putnam Foundation Collection of European old master paintings, including Russian icons and American paintings. All these paintings and icons come from distinguished artists, like Rembrandt, Rubens, Eastman Johnson and John Singleton Copley. Special exhibitions are also hosted at the museum.

From Tuesday to Saturday, Timken Museum of Art is open from 10 am to 4:30 pm. On Sundays, you can visit the museum from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. It's closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission to the museum is always free. The museum is located at 1500 EI Prado and it's just adjacent to the San Diego Museum of Art and the Botanical Building Lily Pond. For more museum info, please call 619-239-5548.

Timken Museum of Art

http://www.timkenmuseum.org

- San Diego Museum of Man

The San Diego Museum of Man is the only museum that is dedicated to anthropology in the city of San Diego. It's located just beneath the grand 200-foot California Tower at 1350 EI Prado. The museum features Spanish colonial and mission style architecture, which was originally built for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition. Now, the landmark building in Balboa Park is committed to creating and showcasing diverse and instructive exhibits on anthropological people and places from every corner of the world.

The hours of operation for the museum are from 10 am to 4:30 pm daily. Remember the museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Admission is required. Adult tickets need $12.5. Youth aged 13 - 17 will be charged $7.5 and tickets for children between 3 and 12 cost $5. Seniors, students with ID and active military enjoy discounted admission to museum at $7.5 per person. Members and children less than 3 are admitted for free. For more exhibits info, please call 619-239-2001.

San Diego Museum of Man

http://www.museumofman.org

- San Diego Air & Space Museum

As California's official air & space museum, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. An extensive collection of historic aircrafts and spacecrafts from all over the world are housed at the museum. Featured displays include the actual Apollo 9 Command Module spacecraft, the only existing real GPS satellite and a working flying replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Various interactive exhibits are also offered for museum visitors, like MaxFlight and Space Shuttle simulators and hands-on rotating exhibitions. The museum also boasts the only 3D/4D Theater and Interactive Air & Space Technology Kid Zone in Balboa Park.

The museum is open from 10 am to 4:30 pm every day with the last entry at 4 pm. It's closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. You can find the museum at 2001 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park. Please note that you cannot enjoy free admission to the museum. Tickets for special exhibition are priced $24 for adults and $21 for seniors, students and retired military personnel. Youth between 3 and 11 years old are charged $12. For active duty military personnel, discounted admission of $7.5 is available. For both SDASM adult and youth members, the space admission is $7. All the listed admission includes general admission to the museum. For more info on museum tours and upcoming exhibitions, please call 619-234-8291.

San Diego Air & Space Museum

http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org

- San Diego Art Institute: Museum of the Living Artist

Located at 1439 EI Prado, the 1000-square-foot gallery displays a new exhibition of artists' works every four to six weeks. The art gallery aims to improve visual arts through various efforts, including education and exhibition. The gallery also features solo artist exhibitions. Youth art from local schools are displayed at the David Fleet Young Artists Gallery. You can find unique jewelry and gifts at the gallery store.

Please visit the great art gallery during its operation hours from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's open from noon to 4 pm. The museum is closed on Monday. The museum charges $3 for adults' admission and $2 for seniors, military and students with ID. Children under 13 are admitted for free. To find out more museum info, you can either call 619-236-0011 or fax to 619-236-1974.

SDAI: Museum of the Living Artist

http://www.sandiego-art.org

- San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum

Being the largest multi-sport museum in the nation, the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum boasts a memorial that reflects San Diego's sporting legacy. Sports fans can call play-by-play for Ted Williams and Tony Gwynn in the grand media center. Or you can just follow the historic evolution of the surfboard and soar with skateboard Tony Hawk. The three-floor 7,000-square-foot facility is also a wonderful center for visitors to be participants and observers.

The San Diego Hall of Champions Museum is located at 2131 Pan American Plaza and it's open from 10 am to 4:30 pm. To learn more museum info, you can visit their website or you can call 619-234-2544.

San Diego Hall of Champions Museum

http://www.sdhoc.com

- Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Home to the only IMAX Dome Theater in Southern California, the Reuben H. Science Center also prepares more than 100 hands-on fun science exhibitions for visitors of all ages. The Dome Theater invites you to watch terrific giant-screen films and striking planetarium shows. The science and technology museum also features seven galleries of instructive and educational exhibits. The North Star Science Store at the museum delivers a collection of unique educational games & toys, books and more items.

Located at 1875 EI Prado, the science center opens at 10 am every day and the closing times vary. General admission to the museum for gallery experience is $10 for adults and $8.75 for seniors over 65 and juniors between 3 and 12. The IMAX films and planetarium shows need extra admission. For detailed admission prices, please contact the museum and call 619-238-1233.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

http://www.rhfleet.org

- San Diego History Center

The museum displays unique, colorful and diverse history of the local areas and highlights artifacts, photographs, textiles, art and many other aspects of development of the area. The Library and Booth Historical Photograph Archives contains one of the largest photograph collections and it's also home to various documents, books, oral history and maps documenting local history.

The detailed address for the museum is 1649 EI Prado, Suite 3. The general museum hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The museum is not available for visitors on Monday. The Library and Booth Historical Photograph Archives is open from 9:30 am to 1 pm, Wednesday through Saturday. To learn more museum info, please feel free to contact the museum by calling 619-232-6203.

Other museums are listed as below:

- Centro Cultural de la Raza

Hours: 12 pm - 4 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. It's closed on Mondays.

Address: 2125 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101.

Phone Number: 619-235-6135.

- WorldBeat Center

Address: 2100 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101.

Phone Number: 619-230-1190.

- San Diego Natural History Museum

Daily Hours: 10 am - 5 pm. Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Address: 1788 EI Prado, San Diego, CA 92101.

Phone Number: 619-232-3821.