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Partner Content NOVEMBER 20, 2023

5 Reasons to Buy a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass

The Best Arts & Culture Deal in San Diego

5 Reasons to Buy a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass
SD Mag – Featured Image

Discover the most affordable and inclusive way to enjoy the rich cultural and artistic offerings of San Diego’s historic Balboa Park Cultural District. The Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is your ticket to the BEST museums in San Diego. Choose from our suite of amazing Pass types: Family (up to 2 named adults, up to 4 named children ages 3-17), Seniors (65+), Adults (18+), College Students (with a valid ID), and Youth (ages 3-17). 

Nat Biendara Wilson, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should become a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Passholder today!

  1. The Best Arts & Culture Deal
    • Located in the heart of San Diego, the Balboa Park Cultural District is home to a variety of arts and culture offerings. From paintings to aircrafts to dinosaurs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. With the Balboa Park Explorer Pass, enjoy incredible savings over paying different admission rates at each museum and provide support to the organization every time you scan! It’s a win-win.
Nat Biendara Wilson, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
  1. Access 16 museums in the Balboa Park Cultural District
  1. Take Advantage of the Convenience and Flexibility
    • Your Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is usable during regular operating hours, so you can enjoy unlimited general admission all year long, at your own pace. Since admission is included, expand your horizons at museums you’ve never experienced before. With a wide variety of art, science, history, and cultural opportunities in the Cultural District, discover something new with every visit or continuously return to your favorite museums.
Nat Biendara Wilson, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
  1. Receive exclusive offers and events
    • Explorer Annual Passholders receive exclusive perks and events such as:
      • Complimentary or discounted admission to select special events and special exhibitions
      • Explorer Experiences – exclusive events, behind-the-scenes access, tours, and more
      • Special prices for tickets to the Fleet Dome Theatre for IMAX documentary films and the California Tower Tour at the Museum of Us! Plus discounted tickets at the Marston House Museum and 10% off purchases at the United Nations Gift Shop.
      • Exclusive Explorer monthly newsletters featuring upcoming exhibitions, events, and activities
Nat Biendara Wilson, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
  1. Support the museums you love most
    • Balboa Park Explorer Pass sales and scans give back to participating museums. Every time you visit a museum, you provide support to the arts and culture organizations in the Cultural District, helping them continue to offer inspiring experiences for all.

The Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is a budget-friendly opportunity to visit your favorite museums all year long. Need a Pass for a visiting friend or family member? Buy a Limited Pass (1 day, 4 museums) or Parkwide Pass (7 consecutive days, 16 museums) and explore the Cultural District your way!

Looking for a way to visit your favorite museums and have a greater impact on the community? Consider the VIP Patron Pass (admission for two named adults and up to three guests per visit) which helps make it possible for Balboa Park Explorer to provide ten families in our Community Access and/or Military Appreciation programs with a sponsored Family Annual Pass for each VIP Patron Pass purchased.

Start exploring today at ExploreBalboaPark.org

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Studio S SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Vi at La Jolla Village – Senior Living in the Heart of Everything

At Vi at La Jolla Village, residents don't have to choose between security and adventure, connection and independence. They get all of it.

Vi at La Jolla Village – Senior Living in the Heart of Everything
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village

Today’s seniors are more connected than ever, with a renewed focus on retirement as a time of discovery and enriching experiences. The ultimate reward for a retirement well-earned is the wisdom to appreciate it all, and what better place to enjoy that unique perspective than Vi at La Jolla Village, in the heart of San Diego.

All-access pass to good living.

As a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Vi provides access to a connected and fulfilling community while making it easy to plan for future care, should the need ever arise. With a care plan in place, residents enjoy greater financial predictability and long-term value, freeing them to focus on making the most out of retirement.

Resort-style amenities at the epicenter of a cultural hub like San Diego offer a retirement experience unlike any other. Paired with exceptional dining, spacious accommodations and dedicated staff, the best of maintenance-free living is all around. And with the introduction of Vista 360 Well-Being, Vi’s panoramic approach to wellness, there are more ways than ever for residents to access it all.

The harmony of mind, body and community.

Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village

The key to longevity is striking the right balance in maintaining an active lifestyle with an active mind in a fulfilling community. With newly renovated community spaces and restaurants, Vista brings a variety of opportunities for residents to elevate their well-being through Vi-exclusive “Signature Experiences.”

Vista Enrich takes an evidence-based approach to brain vitality, keeping residents at the forefront of cognitive health through exergaming (exercising + gaming), nutritional plans and informative workshops. It is also home to The Brain Vitality Studio, an innovative facility dedicated to cognitive fitness that has garnered national recognition.

Vista Discover invites residents into stimulating educational experiences, from chef-led cooking demos and guided wine tastings to lectures at local universities and intimate lectures following cultural outings.

While Vista Enrich focuses on brain health and Vista Discover engages residents intellectually, Vista Explore cultivates a sense of adventure through curated travel and local excursions. But broadening one’s horizons doesn’t always require a plane ticket. One recent event brought a taste of the world right to the community: an onsite “jazz cruise” featuring live music and global cuisine served at a series of themed “ports” all within the community’s own ballroom.

“Location, location, location”

Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village

One of the biggest perks of life at Vi at La Jolla Village is its proximity to just about everything. With easy access to transportation and local attractions just steps away, residents can explore and engage with their community at their own pace.

“There are trolley and bus stops within a 5-minute walk that will get you to the beach, UCSD Campus, medical appointments, downtown La Jolla or San Diego, et cetera. We rarely use our car,” said resident Tom Yager.

With the best of San Diego just steps away, residents don’t just live in the city, they live within reach of everything that makes it special.

The best of all worlds.

Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village

At Vi at La Jolla Village, retirement isn’t a chapter to slow down; it’s an invitation to discover more. Tailored community experiences created by Vista, paired with the vibrant pulse of San Diego just outside the door, mean that residents don’t have to choose between security and adventure, connection and independence. They get all of it.

This is what an all-access pass to good living looks like: the comforts of an elevated lifestyle, a community built for growth and a city made for discovery – all in one place.

To learn more about Vi at La Jolla Village or for details on available floor plans, visit ViatLaJollaVillage.com/SDM.

Partner Content
Partner Content AUGUST 21, 2026

This Scripps Clinic Physician is Serving Up Care

Laika Nur, MD, takes her love of volleyball from the court to the clinic as team physician for the San Diego Mojo

This Scripps Clinic Physician is Serving Up Care
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff  for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content AUGUST 19, 2026

Best Feet Forward

How local orthopedic specialists are pioneering the future of foot and ankle care

Best Feet Forward
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here

Partner Content
Partner Content AUGUST 17, 2026

New Beginnings

A new program guides new moms through high-risk pregnancy and into the “fourth trimester”

New Beginnings
Courtesy of Scripps Health

Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more. 

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here

Partner Content
Partner Content AUGUST 17, 2026

Leading the Way in Skin Cancer Care

Scripps Clinic’s Mohs surgery center is one of the most sophisticated in the country.

Leading the Way in Skin Cancer Care
Courtesy of Scripps Health

It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.

Partner Content
Partner Content AUGUST 17, 2026

A Real Ironman

Scripps Cancer Center helps an endurance athlete overcome his greatest challenge yet and get back in the race

A Real Ironman
Courtesy of Scripps Health

When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here

For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here

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