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With its rich history dating back to 1868, this stretch of iconic architecture, galleries, theatres, and gardens serves as the city’s natural meeting place. Whether you’re picnicking in the vastness of green spaces, strolling over scenic trails, or taking in the latest exhibitions from local minds or artists of the past, Balboa Park offers it all—and keeps it fresh for city dwellers and visitors alike. So, drop a pin anywhere along its sprawling 1,400 acres to get a jumpstart on your cultural agenda.
HOMETOWN HISTORY
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The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership is a great place tostart to learn more about our city home. It hosts 29 different institutions within the park and offers an “Explorer” Annual Pass, which includes access to 16 museums where you can explore exhibits like Balboa Park: The Jewel of San Diego, a film showing at the San Diego History Center, and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum’s Transcontinental Railroad exhibit, or you can use the pass to stop by the San Diego Natural History Museum to see our feral, furry friends snapped in their natural habitat with the Caught on Camera exhibition. Prefer the human element? Check out some living history with the Marston House, a residential museum showcasing the work of local architects from the early 20th century.
GO INTERNATIONAL
See beyond our backyard with the international aspects of the park. Start with the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, representing a range of 34 countries and heritages—from Mexico to Ukraine—who proudly open their doors every weekend. Immerse yourself in global art at the Mingei International Museum with the African by Design or A World of Beads exhibitions. Learn from the greats as you rove the halls of the Timken Museum of Art, which features French, Russian, Spanish, and Flemish masterworks.
KEEP IT CLASSIC
San Diego Museum of Art is the lynchpin of visual feats at the park, and organizations like Balboa Art Conservation Center keep it in top shape so it can remain on display for all the see. Roam through the different levels to peer at various works, including the O’Keefe and Moore exhibition showing Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings alongside British sculptor Henry Moore’s work, or experience local artist Carlo Miranda’s 10 displays of hyperrealist painting. Take in some performing arts with The Old Globe as it opens its summer show with Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Or grab a seat amongst younger audiences as San Diego Junior Theatre continues its 75th anniversary season with Grace, the story of a young girl’s quest to be class president, opening June 30. In between performances, stop and smell the flowers at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Linger on for a cup of tea or to peek at the Art of Origami/ Origami Senbazuru Dress exhibition.
GET TECHY WITH IT
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Unleash your scientific side with the joy of discovery at the Fleet Science Center. With summer STEM camps and a rotating schedule of science-themed films in its IMAX Dome theatre, this is the place for facts and fun. Time it right and head over to San Diego’s Air & Space Museum for the 18th annual Space Day on June 3 for astro activities for all ages. On any given day, stay to explore the array of aircrafts and aeronautical artifacts, like a mystery bag belonging to Neil Armstrong. If you prefer being earthbound, trek to the San Diego Automotive Museum to get your need for speed fulfilled with exhibitions from Indian and Harley-Davidson motorcycles to San Diego lowriders and even a few keepsakes from two-wheeled daredevil Evel Knievel.
PLACES WE LOVE IN BALBOA PARK
JAPANESE FRIENDSHIP GARDEN
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SAN-KEI-EN TRANSLATES TO “THREE SCENE GARDEN” and celebrates three landscapes in Japanese culture: water, pastoral, and mountain. The Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) is an expression of the ties between the people of San Diego and our sister city, Yokahama, blending the two cultures in a unique cultural exchange. JFG follows the original principles of a Japanese garden to create an experience of harmonious interaction between humans and nature. As a 501(c)(3) organization, JFG aspires to engage, inspire, and educate present and future generations of diverse backgrounds about Japanese culture and community legacy through exhibits, programs, and the preservation of the garden.
2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 niwa.org | 619-232-2721
HOURS: Daily, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., with last admission at 6 p.m.
SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (THE NAT)
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NATURE IS THE BIGGEST EXHIBITION OF ALL.
While best known as a favorite spot to see new exhibits, the San Diego Natural History Museum (nicknamed The Nat) is much more than a museum. The roots of this organization trace back to 1874 when to a group of naturalists came together to study the unique flora and fauna of our region. They didn’t open the first exhibits until nearly 40 years later. Today, The Nat is abuzz with activity serving as a popular destination for museumgoers, a trusted source for outdoor educational programs, and a research institution working to protect our regional biodiversity. Its newest exhibition, Caught on Camera, brings it all together under one roof. The show features beautiful wildlife photography taken with motion activated cameras by local scientists, professional photographers, and curious members of the San Diego community.
1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 sdnat.org | 619.232.3821
HOURS: Daily, 10 a.m.– 5p.m.; open until 10 p.m. on Fridays this summer
SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE
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SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE is the oldest youth theatre in the nation, currently celebrating 75 years of offering affordable camps, classes, and outreach programs for children ages 3-17, as well as six main stage productions each season. Students gain confidence, learn leadership, practice teamwork, and build a skill set—not only for a theatre stage but for the larger stage of the real world. Junior Theatre is committed to promoting inclusion on its stages, in its classrooms and in its audience and strives to provide high-quality educational curricula and theatre productions that are accessible to all children so that it can be a place where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and represented regardless of race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or disability
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1650 El Prado, Casa del Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 juniortheatre.com | 619 239-1311
HOURS: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
BALBOA ART CONSERVATION CENTER
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DID YOU KNOW SAN DIEGO IS HOME to the West Coast’s only regional art conservation center? For more than 45 years, Balboa Art Conservation Center—located in the heart of Balboa Park—has provided conservation and preservation services to museums and private collectors. Consultation and conservation services, focusing on paintings, works on paper, and textiles, are available by appointment only.
1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 bacc.org | 619-236-9702
HOURS: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
SAN DIEGO MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM
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SPANNING OVER 27,000 SQUARE FEET of trains, trestles, and tracks, we are in the heart of natural beauty framed by the majestic backdrop of Balboa Park. The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a space where imagination is beautifully engineered. Kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult!
1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 sdmrm.org | 619-696-0199
SUMMER HOURS (MAY 26-SEPTEMBER 4): Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. NORMAL HOURS: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
SAN DIEGO AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
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SINCE 1988, THE MISSION OF THE SAN DIEGO AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM has been to tell the story of the social and technological past, present, and future of motorized vehicles throughout its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs. In addition to having cars that span the 20th century, the museum also has one of the largest collection of motorcycles on the West Coast.
2080 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 sdautomuseum.org | 619-231 2886
HOURS: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, Closed most Mondays
BALBOA PARK EXPLORER PASS
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EXPERIENCE ARTS, SCIENCE, HISTORY, CULTURE, AND MORE!
The Balboa Park Explorer Pass is your ticket to some of the best museums San Diego has to offer. Get the most out of your visit to Balboa Park with affordable pass options: Limited (up to four venues), Parkwide (seven consecutive days of access), and Annual (365 days of unlimited exploring!)
1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-232-7502, press 2
HOURS: Open for use during each venue’s regular operating hours
CALENDAR of EVENTS
5/10-9/17:
AFRICAN BY DESIGN: FORM, PATTERN, AND MEANING IN AFRICAN CRAFT AT MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM
African by Design features traditional and contemporary African craft, including furniture, pottery, basketry, textiles, jewelry, clothing, currency, and more. This exhibition presents dazzling works as well as the design elements that make them special everyday objects.
1439 El Prado, Casa del Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 mingei.org
6/12-8/18:
SUMMER CAMPS AT SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE
Spend your summer acting, singing, and dancing in beautiful Balboa Park! Junior Theatre has something for all ages and levels of experience. One-week sessions begin June 12 and run through August 18. We also offer a tech camp and two-week conservatory camps for acting and musical theatre. Register today!
1650 El Prado, Casa del Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 juniortheatre.com
6/13-11/20:
STEP RIGHT UP: CIRCUS TRAINS AT SAN DIEGO MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM
Step right up and marvel at the world of circus train travel. This exhibit
features models of colorful cars and animals like the real circus
would’ve traveled with! Open from June through November this year.
1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 sdmrm.org
8/11-8/12:
TORO NAGASHI FESTIVAL AT JAPANESE FRIENDSHIP GARDEN PRO-TIP ONE CARD
Enjoy the Japanese custom of Toro Nagashi—floating lantern
celebration. The festivities will take place on August 11th and 12th
from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., with last admission at 5 p.m. There will be
performances and vendors for guests to enjoy.
2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 niwa.org/odori
All Fridays:
NAT AT NIGHT at SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (THE NAT)
On Fridays this summer, explore the museum after hours—with
half-price admission after 5 p.m. Enjoy access to all exhibitions,
activities and trivia, and a rooftop deck for great views and delicious
small plates from Wolf in the Woods.
1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 sdnat.org
ONE CARD, 16 DESTINATIONS
Spend your summer (and beyond!) with Balboa Park! Explore all the incredible arts, science, history, and culture Balboa Park has to offer with one convenient and affordable pass.
1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 explorer.balboapark.org
