Imagine going to a museum and seeing just what you like. Science... art ... Comic Con... model railroads? That's the beauty of the museums in Balboa Park. So many to choose from. You get to choose what interests you. And you may even get to go for free.
Updated November 6, 2024 by San Diego Beaches and Adventures
If you are locals or active military, check out the calendar below for free museums for Balboa Park Museums Free Tuesdays. For other free or fun San Diego California activities, check out Upcoming San Diego Events.
February San Diego Museum Month
Which is the best San Diego museum in Balboa Park? It depends on what you enjoy. My favorite is the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, with its interesting interactive exhibits and IMAX movies.
Can't decide which one? Visit more than one. The park offers several special deals on tickets prices, and there are many coupons and discounts available.
Stay for the Day pass – visit your choice of 4 of 16 museums in one day for $56 ($35 for child ticket age 3 - 12). San Diego Zoo and Comic Con Museum are not included. Available for purchase at the Balboa Parks Visitors Center, or online.
Balboa Park Multi-Day Explorer Passport - offers one admission to each of the 16 museums or attractions, good for seven consecutive days. Pricing is $67 for adults, $43 for children.
Other Discount Tickets and Coupons - There are many Discount Tickets and Coupons for individual museums or attractions for San Diego museums in Balboa Park.
For more information about Balboa Park, including address and directions, see San Diego Balboa Park
Here is the free Tuesdays museum schedule for Balboa Park museums. Be sure to bring your ID to get in free. The schedule is subject to change, and not all museums participate. Some museums do not allow strollers inside on resident free Tuesday for safety reasons, so call to check before you go if you plan to bring a stroller. Note: if the Tuesday is a holiday, check first to see if the free Tuesday rules apply.
Free to San Diego City & County residents, Active Military & their families.
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
Model Railroad Museum
Natural History Museum (does not include special exhibits)
San Diego Air & Space Museum (not valid for special exhibits)
The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park
Comic-Con Museum – Excluding November and December
San Diego Museum of Art (not valid for special exhibits)
Mengei International Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
The Old Globe – Except in January and September, free one-hour Behind-the-Scenes Tours available.
San Diego Automotive Museum – Except in September and December
Japanese Friendship Garden (March only)
Normal museum prices in effect.
Note: The Timken Museum of Art is always free, making it one of the popular Balboa Park museums.
Centro Cultural de la Raza, Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 235-6135 centrodelaraza.com
Comic Con Museum, Balboa Park, 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 546-9073 www.comic-con.org
Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 238-1233 www.fleetscience.org.
Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego (formerly San Diego Art Institute), 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park (619 236-0011 icasandiego.org.
Japanese Friendship Gardens, Balboa Park, 2215 Pan American Road. E, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 232-2721 niwa.org
Marston House, 3525 Seventh Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 297-9327 sohosandiego.org/marston
Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 239-0003 www.mingei.org
Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 238-7559 https://mopa.org
Museum of Us (formerly San Diego Museum of Man), 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 239-2001 museumofus.org
San Diego Air And Space Museum, 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park (619) 234-8291 www.sandiegoairandspace.org
San Diego Automotive Museum , 2080 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park (619) 231-AUTO (2886) www.sdautomuseum.org
San Diego History Center 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park San Diego, CA 619-232-6203 sandiegohistory.org
San Diego Mineral and Gem Society 1770 Village Place, San Diego, CA www.sdmg.org/
San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 696-0199 www.sdmrm.org
San Diego Natural History Museum (the NAT), 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park (877) 946-7797 www.sdnhm.org
The San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 232-7931 sdmart.org
Timken Museum Of Art - A free Balboa Park museum! 1500 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 239-5548. www.timkenmuseum.org
The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, Balboa Park, 2115 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 239-2300 www.veteranmuseum.org
Women's Museum of California (619) 939-5234 www.womensmuseumca.org
World Beat Center, Balboa Park, 2110 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 230-1190 www.worldbeatcenter.org
February is San Diego Museum Month, and it should be back again for 2025 in San Diego. What a great time to visit some San Diego museums. Approximately 60 local museums, monuments, historical sites and gardens offer half-price admission. Pick up a FREE Museum Month Discount Pass at a local library starting February 1 2025, or download online. The pass is good for half-price admissions for up to four people to participating local museums, including some of my favorites: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, USS Midway, and San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Botanical Gardens).
Just pick up your free museum pass from February 1 - Feb 28 2025, and get half off admission to the best museums in San Diego. Participating museums typically include (list subject to change):
Adobe Chapel
Barona Cultural Center & Museum
Birch Aquarium at Scripps - one of our favorites!
Bonita Museum & Cultural Center
California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum
California Surf Museum - a must-see for surfing bums (Oceanside)
Coronado Museum of History & Art
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Gaslamp Museum and William H. Davis House
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
Junipero Serra Museum
La Jolla Historical Society
Living Coast Discovery Museum
LUX Art Institute
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House and Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Downtown
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - La Jolla
Museum of Making Music - Carlsbad
Museum of Photographic Arts
Oceanside Museum of Art
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center - We love it! It's the best!
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Botanic Gardens - Beautiful garden in Encinitas.
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum
Santa Ysabel Store
The New Children’s Museum
The San Diego Museum of Art
Tijuana Estuary Visitors Center
Timken Museum of Art
USS Midway Museum - a San Diego tradition.
Veteran’s Museum & Memorial Center
Visions Art Museum
Warner-Carillo Ranch House & Museum
Water Conservation Garden
Whaley House Museum
Women’s Museum of California
For more information on the San Diego Museum Month see www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org
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