Feb. 1 kicked off the annual San Diego Museum Month which means half-off admission to tons of museums, historical sites, gardens, zoos and more. Getting a pass is easy; the hard part is choosing where to go.
To get a free pass, you can either pick one up at any San Diego public library or you can download it to your phone from the San Diego Museum Council’s website.
According to the museum council’s website, the passes are good for up to four people, wherever you go. There are some restrictions, namely that you can’t stack the pass with other discounts or coupons and that certain exhibits aren’t included.
This year’s Museum Month is bigger and more fun as some new locations have been added, according to Bob Lehman, the executive director of the San Diego Museum Council.
“We like people to get out and see the museums they love, but find some new ones,” said Lehman.
To help you (hopefully) find a new museum to love, here’s a quick and easy guide to all the different cities and attractions participating this year.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park has plenty of options to choose from–18, to be exact. While Balboa Park offers free admission to most of their museums at least once a month, Museum Month gives visitors the chance to visit the museums every day for a discounted price, with a few exceptions.
One good option is the Museum of Us, which, according to their website, encourages visitors to “challenge their assumptions, share their perspectives, and experience what it means to be human.” Current exhibits include PostSecret, BEERology and Cannibals: Myth & Reality, amongst others. Museum Month passes mean that admission is about $10 for adults and about $8.50 for seniors, military personnel, youths between 6-17, students with valid ID and educators with valid ID. The Museum of Us also hosts what it calls the California Tower Tour, but that is not included in Museum Month prices.
The San Diego Natural History Museum, or The Nat, is another great option. Its “we’re here for nature” slogan rings true as their current exhibits include Expedition Baja and Nature Trail at The Nat. Expedition Baja is all about exploring the mountains and desert flats throughout Baja California with interactive elements sprinkled in. The Nature Trail at The Nat allows visitors to walk and check out pocket gardens and is the center of a new outdoor education initiative, according to its website. With the Museum Month pass, prices come out to $12 for adults, $7 for youth and $10 for seniors, military personnel and students.
For a more detailed list, check out Balboa Parks’ website to see all they have to offer.
Downtown
This section encompasses a wide range of museums as it includes the likes of the USS Midway Museum, something more hyperlocal to San Diego and its proximity to a military base as well as places such as the Brain Observatory which, according to its website, is both a research lab and museum. Below are a few more great selections for the downtown area.
Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center is a great example of all that Museum Month has to offer as this location not only has a museum, but has outdoor murals scattered around the park. Chicanismo and the Art of Resistance is one of the exhibitions at Chicano Park that, according to its site, is all about the legacy of Ricardo Favela and the Royal Chicano Air Force. Regular admission prices are all under $10, so with the Museum Month pass, they’ll be half off.
If you want a more unconventional museum experience, the WNDR Museum is a great option. It has over 15 installations of immersive art, according to its website. Some of the standout installations include the Obliteration Room where visitors are given stickers to place on the walls, the Quantum Mirror where the room is fully mirrored and Speak Up! where visitors can pick up a phone to hear one-minute clips from various speeches of activists. With the pass, adult admission is $16, military and veteran admission is $13 and child (3-12) admission is $11. The Museum Month discount applies only on Mondays and Thursdays, though.
For more museum locations in downtown, visit the San Diego Museum Council’s website.
Arts District, Liberty Station
There are four museums in this part of San Diego that highlight different things. These locations have free admission, but if you’re already going to be in the area, might as well check these museums out.
The Nautical History Gallery & Museum focuses on all things U.S. Navy, chronicling its history and its evolution.
The New Americans Museum is dedicated to being a catalyst for the “celebration of America’s past and promise,” which it does by highlighting immigrant voices and artists, according to the mission statement posted on the museum’s website.
The Visions Museums of Textile Art centers–as per its name–textiles. Some current exhibitions include A Piece of the World – A Piece of You which features sculptures made with organic materials and Beaded Echoes: Reflecting the Fragility of Life which highlights hand-beaded garments. A bonus, according to Lehman, is that this museum has one of the best gift shops!
The MCDR Command Museum “provides an educational setting that portrays the legacy of the Marine Corps for the training of recruits,” according to its site. There are a lot of prerequisites involved if you want to visit this museum as it is on base. Additionally, according to the San Diego Museum Council’s website, there is limited access.
North County
North County boasts beautiful views and some really cool museums, gardens and attractions that make it an ideal place to visit during Museum Month. (Some of Lehman’s recommendations are in this area, including the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad as well as the Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum in Escondido which Lehman’s said was a hidden gem.)
The California Surf Museum chronicles the history of surfing and surf culture. One of the current exhibits is Stars, Cars & Guitars which focuses on the years of 1958 to 1965 to show how surfing became a mainstay in California pop culture, according to the website. Regular admission is already under $10, so with a pass, admission is practically free.
The San Diego Botanic Garden is the perfect example of just how inclusive the Museum Month pass can be. The San Diego Botanical Garden offers classes and activities tailored for all guests from children to adults. There are 29 uniquely themed gardens that show off the different types of plant environments that can be found in California. With the Museum Month pass adult admission would be $9, military, student and senior admission would be $7.50 and admission for children 3-17 years old would be $5.
East County
This area of San Diego is the home of a few different types of museums. Each one highlights a different aspect of California from its history with Native American tribes, to railroads and even its wildlife.
The California Wolf Center is a proven Museum Month favorite as its half-price tours are already sold out and seemingly do so on a yearly basis, but it’s good to keep in mind for next year. Its mission is to create a sustainable future where wolves and people can share an ecosystem, according to its website. Even though discounted tours are sold out, it’s still worth checking out.
Another garden that’s part of Museum Month is the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon. The garden has a butterfly pavilion, a succulent garden, sensory garden and more. The Water Conservation Garden’s goal is to demonstrate the beauty of drought-tolerant and water-smart plants, according to its website. This place also hosts various workshops and events throughout the year. Museum month prices come out to about $5.50 for adults, $4 for seniors, students & military and $3.50 for children aged 3-17.
La Jolla
In La Jolla there’s three great options to check out.
Museums and gardens aren’t the only things included in the Museum Month pass–so are aquariums. Enter the Birch Aquarium which currently has exhibits about the world’s smallest penguins, sea dragons and seahorses, as well as a tide pool plaza. The aquarium also hosts lecture series and other fun events throughout the year. Museum Month pricing comes out to about $15 for adults, about $14 for seniors and students and about $12.50 for children aged 3-17.
The La Jolla Historical Society “balances contemporary and historic perspectives to create understanding and connection,” according to its mission statement. Its current exhibit, La Jolla Surf: Culture, Art, Craft includes photography and interviews to recount the development and evolution of the surfing community in La Jolla. Admission is free for everyone.
The RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to remembering Holocaust survivors in San Diego County. Its current exhibit is at the La Jolla Library. RUTH also has the Butterfly Project which is allocated to commemorate the children who passed away during the Holocaust by using ceramic butterflies to represent those lost lives, according to the website.
There are plenty of other locations to check out in cities like Midtown or Tijuana. If you want the full list, visit the San Diego Museum Council’s website, or each museum’s or attraction’s respective websites to learn more about the various exhibits, events and costs.
While February may be about halfway through, there’s still time to go and check out all of these great museums, gardens, zoos and more. So get out there and take advantage of it while you can!
