Balboa Park Museums

Explore the 17 Balboa Park museums in beautiful San Diego Balboa Park, the center of cultural attractions in San Diego, CA.

Imagine going to a museum and seeing just what you like. Science... art ... 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.

Note: Most museums are now open after being closed due to COVID-19, however some restrictions are in place. Check with each museum to confirm hours and ticket availability. Free Tuesdays is currently on hold.

Updated July 27, 2021 by San Diego Beaches and Adventures

Free Tuesdays Balboa Park Museums

San Diego Balboa Park Botanical Gardens
photo credit Colin Jaccino

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.

Free Museum Tuesday Schedule

List of Balboa Park Museums

February San Diego Museum Month

San Diego Balboa Park

Balboa Park Museums Ticket Discounts

Reuben Fleet Science Center Museum in Balboa Park

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 is 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. Or if you would also like to visit the San Diego Zoo, which is located in Balboa Park, and the museums, a Zoo-Passport combo ticket may also be purchased.

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

Balboa Park Free Tuesdays
Free Tuesday in Balboa Park Museums

Here is the free Tuesdays museum schedule for Balboa Park museums. Be sure to bring your ID to get in free. 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. Also, when COVID-19 restrictions are in effect, the free Tuesday may be cancelled. Call to confirm.

First Free Tuesday Balboa Park Museums

Free to San Diego City & County residents, Active Military & their families.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Model Railroad Museum

Natural History Museum (does not include special exhibits)

Second Free Tuesday Balboa Park Museums

Free to San Diego City & County residents, Active Military & their families

Museum of Photographic Arts

Museum of San Diego History

Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center

Third Free Tuesdays Balboa Park

Free to San Diego City & County residents, Active Military & their families

San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Museum of Man

Japanese Friendship Garden

Fourth Free Balboa Park Tuesdays

Free to San Diego City & County residents, Active Military & their families

San Diego Air & Space Museum (not valid for special exhibits)

San Diego Automotive Museum (last admission 3:45pm)

House of Pacific Relations International Cottages (Select cottages only)

San Diego Art Institute (free every 4th Tuesday and Saturday each month, excluding Dec 2019)

Fifth Tuesday

Normal museum prices in effect.

Note: The Timken Museum of Art is always free, making it one of the popular Balboa Park museums.

San Diego Balboa Park Museums

photo credit Chris Martin

Balboa Park Veterans Museum & Memorial Center, Balboa Park, 2115 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 239-2300 www.veteranmuseum.org

Centro Cultural de la Raza, Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 235-6135 http://www.centroculturaldelaraza.org/

Japanese Friendship Gardens, Balboa Park, 2215 Pan American Road. E, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 232-2721 http://niwa.org/

Marston House, 3525 Seventh Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 297-9327 http://sohosandiego.org/marston/index.htm

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 www.mopa.org

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 238-1233 www.rhfleet.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 Hall Of Champions, 2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park (619) 234-2544 www.sdhoc.com

Museum of San Diego History, Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, Suite #3 San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 232-6203 www.sandiegohistory.org

San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 696-0199 www.sdmrm.org

San Diego Museum Of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 232-7931 www.sdmrm.org

San Diego Museum Of Man, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 239-2001 www.museumofman.org

San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 232-3821 www.sdnhm.org

Timken Museum Of Art - A free Balboa Park museum! 1500 El Prado, Balboa Park (619) 239-5548 www.timkenmuseum.org

February is San Diego Museum Month

Tentative - February is San Diego Museum Month, and it is expected to be back again for 2022 in San Diego. What a great time to visit some San Diego museums. Approximately 40 local museums, monuments, historical sites and gardens offer half-price admission. Pick up a FREE Museum Month Discount Pass at a local Macy's store starting February 1 2022, a local library, or when you stay at a Hilton hotel in San Diego. 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 2022, and get half off admission to the best museums in San Diego. Participating museums typically include:

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