Famous Museums in San Diego

Let's explore the finest collection of museums in San Diego:

1. Balboa Park

   

   Museum, Park, Botanical Garden, Walking Area

   As the single biggest urban social stop in the whole of the United States, Balboa Park has much to offer to its guests. With amazing historical centres, wonderful enclosures, performance venues, a mixed bag of places to see and even a zoo, guests to this Historic Landmark are sure to enjoy it. At its heart Balboa Park is the garden where weary travellers will love to unwind. Guests will see a n...Read more

2. USS Midway Museum

   4.8 (5342 Votes)
   

   History Museum, Specialty Museum

   The USS Midway Museum is a maritime museum and one of the top attractions of San Diego. Located in downtown San Diego at the Navy Pier, this midway museum is set aboard the aircraft carrier Midway - an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. USS Midway Museum San Diego opened to public on 7 June 2004 and is today the most popular ...Read more

3. San Diego Air And Space Museum

   4.6 (224 Votes)
   

   War Memorial, Specialty Museum

   Located inside the historic Ford building, this is one of the largest Aviation museums in the country. The Collection includes historic and reproductions versions of aircraft and spacecraft. If you are a history buff, space buff, or just even mildy be interested in the history of exploration this museum is going to blow your mind. Most of the collection is divided into galleries. These include:...Read more

4. San Diego Model Railroad Museum

   4.6 (138 Votes)
   

   Museum

   This is one of the largest indoor model railroad exhibits in the world. Manage by four local railroad clubs, there are five main exhibits. Cabrillo & Southwestern - Route from San Diego to Sacramento. Pacific Desert Lines - Represents 33 miles worth of track that was never built, scaled down to 331 metres. San Diego & Arizona Eastern RR - Prototype San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway...Read more

5. San Diego Natural History Museum

   4.6 (50 Votes)
   

   Natural History Museum

   Founded in 1874, this museum is the oldest scientific institution in California. The museum focuses on the natural heritage of southern California. Most of the excitement surrounding it is generated by travelling special exhibitions, but the permanent exhibitions aren't bad. For example, see the Allosaurus skeleton. The catch the Fossil Mysteries interactive exhibition that explores evolution, ...Read more

6. San Diego Museum Of Man

   4.3 (46 Votes)
   

   Museum

   The California Quadrangle, California Building, and California Tower were built as the main attractions at the 1915–16 Panama-California Exposition. The beautiful structures were built in an elegant and ornate Spanish-Colonial Revival architectural style. The Tower is 60 metres tall with a Maas-Rowe carillon that plays the Westminster Chimes every 15 minutes. Also inside the building is t...Read more

7. Whaley House Museum

   4.4 (45 Votes)
   

   Museum

   This 1857 Greek Revival was the home of Thomas Whaley. Built on the site of a graveyard, it is one of the country's most famous haunted houses. It's said the house has been more significantly involved in San Diego's history than any other building in the city, having played a role as a court, store, ballroom, and polling place. Visitors can explore the house in guided tours. The guides are exce...Read more

8. Timken Museum Of Art

   4.6 (54 Votes)
   

   Art Museum, Museum

   This small fine arts museum is thought to be one of the finest in the world. It's collections include masterworks from European, American and Russian painters. The museum also has the only publicly displayed Rembrandt in the city. One of the museum's highlights is that the paintings, sculptures and tapestries are all kept under natural light. While you could have quite a good time going over th...Read more

9. Mingei International Museum

   4.6 (31 Votes)
   

   Museum, Specialty Museum

   Mingei means art of the people, and this museum accordingly collects, exhibits and preserves folk arts and crafts from around the world. The collections are segregated by region - India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Africa, Central and South America, Middle East, USA, and Mexico. The 17,500 objects are almost all historical artefacts, covering jewellery, pottery, masks, textiles, wood carvings, fur...Read more

10. Sheriff's Museum

    4.6 (29 Votes)
    

    Specialty Museum

    The two floors of this Old Town museum take you through the history of law in San Diego going back to 1850. First, see the educational video. Then move on to the exhibits. There is a mock courtroom, a crime scene stage up, police equipment, bomb detection robot, and artefacts from the old days, including revolvers and machine guns and 200 other confiscated weapons. The museum is the love child ...Read more

11. The New Childrens Museum

    4.6 (1447 Votes)
    

    Children Museum

    The New Children's Museum was established to animate creative ability, inventiveness and rational thinking in kids and families through imaginative and captivating encounters. All the exhibits have been specially designed for this purpose. The children are encouraged to do and see how things work on their own. The museum is based on arts. The idea is to make people do creative things and actual...Read more

12. Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

    4.7 (25 Votes)
    

    Museum, Specialty Museum

    The museum collects and exhibits artefacts related to the history of the United States Marine Corps Aviation. These include vintage aircraft (planes and helicopters), vehicles, and naval weapons like Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns and Armored Personnel Carriers. There is a huge collection of artefacts in the main building. Check out the museum store for gifts, clothes and games. Get into the museum...Read more

13. Marston House Museum

    4.7 (45 Votes)
    

    Museum, Exhibition

    This historic house from 1905, home of San Diego civic leader George Marston, is considered to be an exemplary example of the Arts and Crafts Movement style of architecture. Built by famous architects, furnished by famous interior decorators, and still full of artefacts from the Marston family, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Outside, there are nearly five acres...Read more

14. Mcrd Museum Historical Society

    4.8 (36 Votes)
    

    Museum, History Museum, Architecture , Exhibition

    Focusing on the history of the Marine Corp in the 20th and 21st centuries the museum has several related galleries and exhibits, covering conflicts such as Desert Storm and Vietnam War. The building's architecture is Spanish Colonial Revival. It was built in 1921. The museum was opened in 1987 and has since gradually expanded its collections of historical artefacts. Check out the gift shop.

15. Museum Of Photographic Arts

    

    Museum, Exhibition , Specialty Museum

    Housed in the beautiful Casa De Balboa, this museum is one of the only three in the USA to be dedicated exclusively to photography. Exhibiting thousands of photographs, including the works of renowned cinematographers, the museum strives to educate and inspire. You'll also find a classroom, a theatre and a library. Check the museum website for upcoming events and exhibitions. Guided tours are a...Read more

• Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next