• San Diego Home
• Guidebook & Maps
• Hotel Packages
• Travel Deals
• FAQs
• Pick Up Locations

Top 10 San Diego Museums

Sunny weather isn't the only thing that attracts tourists to San Diego. "America's Most Popular City" is home to a multitude of historic and innovative museums. World-renowned Balboa Park houses 15 museums, making it an educational hub for the appreciation of history, art, and culture. However, as you explore the richness and vitality of San Diego, you'll find unique museums all across the city. Whether you're a history buff or an art-lover, these top 10 San Diego museums will offer you endless amusement.

1. Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

Explore the longest-serving aircraft carrier in United States history at this legendary museum. You'll experience life at sea without ever leaving the Navy Pier port as you discover over 60 exhibits and 27 restored aircraft. The museum brings the past to life with a self-guided audio tour narrated by USS Midway sailors. A visit to Midway inspires a deep appreciation for American military history and the country's commitment to freedom.

2. Birch Aquarium

This underwater world combines the best of entertainment and education with over 60 recreated habitats. You'll be delighted by exhibitions and interactive displays featuring sharks, sea horses, and coral reefs. Get even closer to the wildlife at one of the 3 living tide-pool exhibits that include remarkable seastars, hermit crabs, and sea cucumbers. Be sure to bring a camera to snap photos of the museum's spectacular ocean views!

3. Natural History Museum

The oldest scientific institution in southern California, this 134-year-young museum is as relevant as ever with stimulating state-of-the-art exhibits. The museum focuses on the natural worlds of the Southern California and Baja peninsula regions while maintaining a global scientific perspective. Travel to the Polar Regions at the End of The Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins exhibit or see a striking film come to life in the museum's 3D theater. Whatever you do, you're guaranteed a new respect for nature and the environment.

4. San Diego Air & Space Museum

From ancient aircraft to space-age technology, all kinds of aviation history unfold at this Balboa Park museum. Wander through the World War galleries or experience the action firsthand in the FS2000 Two-Seat Flight Simulator while visiting the city with one of the richest aviation heritages in the country. Don't leave without stopping in the museum store to pick-up a brass pocket compass or the replica MA-1 aviator jacket.

5. San Diego Museum of Art

The region's largest fine arts museum attracts more than 250,000 visitors a year to its diverse cultural exhibits. The museum's collection is astoundingly comprehensive with artwork ranging in date from 5,000 BC to the present. It is most famous for its South Asian paintings from the Edwin Binney 3rd collection. In addition to the collections and exhibitions, enjoy events in music, film, and theater at this nationally renowned attraction.

6. San Diego Museum of Man

This anthropology museum is one of the most impressive presentations of human evolution in the nation. Explore the question "What makes us human?" through extensive artifact collections and exhibits like Race: Are We So Different? This unique museum will enchant and inspire visitors of all ages as they discover facets of humanity they never knew existed.

7. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

With a mission to inspire lifelong learning through the enjoyment of science and technology, this museum offers entertaining activities and exhibits for all visitors. Become an architect as you build skyscrapers and bridges with KEVA planks or experience biology in a new way as you examine real human tissue samples under a microscope. Of course, you'll want to catch a film at the world's first IMAX Dome Theater where you'll be immersed in amazing wonders of the world.

8. Maritime Museum of San Diego

This extraordinary museum is celebrated world-wide for its excellence in restoring, maintaining, and operating historic vessels. Its collection of exquisite ships includes the world's oldest active ship, the Star of India. Go sailing on the museum's schooner, the Californian, or explore dozens of permanent and temporary exhibits aboard the museum's collection of ships during a daily public tour.

9. Mingei International Museum

Art speaks powerfully of the similarities and distinctions of individuals and cultures at this international museum for the "art of the people" (mingei). The museum has an 18,000-piece collection representing 140 countries around the world. Additionally, constantly changing exhibits enhanced by lectures, films, demonstrations, and other events make this a dynamic place for artistic enlightenment.

10. Model Railroad Museum

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is the largest indoor model railroad display in the world and one of the liveliest museums in Balboa Park. The museum preserves the heritage of railroading through enormous model layouts built to scale and interactive historic exhibits. After checking out this museum's unique recreation of history, stop in the gift shop for an exclusive railroad souvenir.

I want to visit these attractions!