Showing 1-15 of 15 results
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Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, housed in a graceful Spanish renaissance structure, is devoted exclusively to art and music. You can relax here while reading daily newspapers from around the globe.
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Centro Cultural De La Raza
Devoted primarily to Mexican and Native American art, the Centro Cultural De La Raza, sits on the fringe of the main museum area (easiest access is via Park Blvd). The round, steel building is actually a converted water tank decked out by Chicano muralists. Inside, exhibits can run the gamut from contemporary Chicano and indigenous artwork to photographs documenting San Francisco's first gay marriage ceremonies in 2004.
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Maritime Museum
The 100ft masts of the square-rigger Star of India will help you spot the Maritime Museum. Launched in 1863, the tall ship plied the England-India trade route and carried immigrants to New Zealand. The museum takes you on a journey through the history of water voyage, plus a fair amount of navy stuff.
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Model Railroad Museum
The Model Railroad Museum, the largest indoor model railroad display in the world, has working models of real railroads in Southern California, past and present. Awesome.
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Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Downtown
As of January 2007, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Downtown completed work on its ambitious expansion, with renovation of the existing building - which used to be the train station's baggage building, plus a three-story contemporary art space, which adds a modern counterpoint to the museum's Mission-style architecture. MCASD is the downtown branch of the La Jolla-based institution that has brought groundbreaking art to San Diegans since the 1960s.
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Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - La Jolla
The small but excellent Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - La Jolla supports a permanent post-1950s collection that is especially strong in minimalist, pop and California art.
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Museum of Man
As you enter Balboa Park via Laurel St, you cross the picturesque Cabrillo Bridge and then pass under an archway and into an area called the California Quadrangle, with the Museum of Man. Its richly decorated Tower of California has become a symbol of San Diego itself. The museum specializes in Native American artifacts, in particular from the American Southwest.
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Museum of Photographic Arts
The permanent collection at the stellar Museum of Photographic Arts traces the history of photography in terms of both technology and aesthetics, with particular strength in social documentary and photojournalism.
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Museum of San Diego History
The previously blah-ish Museum of San Diego History has sexed itself up a bit, most notably with a cool interactive walk-on map of San Diego. The city's history is also displayed through thousands of historical costumes.
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Old Town State Historic Park
This park is the site of the original pueblo (village) that sprang up in San Diego below the mission and fortress back in the 18th century. It preserves five of the original adobe (mud brick) buildings alongside scores of recreated structures, including a schoolhouse and a newspaper office.
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San Diego Air & Space Museum
In a distinctive round structure at the end of Pan American Plaza, the San Diego Air & Space Museum houses a small but interesting collection that ranges from the balloon age to the space age.
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San Diego Museum of Art
The small but elegant San Diego Museum of Art has no truly famous works in its permanent collection, but includes a decent survey of European art, from Giotto to Josef Albers, as well as some noteworthy American landscape paintings and Asian art.
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San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum. Kids dig this temple to the natural world, which has a particular focus on the ecosystems of southern California and the Baja California peninsula. Giant-screen films are included in the admission to the museum.
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Timken Museum of Art
Distinctive for not being in imitation Spanish style, the tiny Timken Museum of Art houses works by Rembrandt, Rubens and El Greco. There's also a remarkable selection of Russian icons. The museum is named after the Timken family, who rode to fame and fortune on the invention of the roller bearer used in horse-drawn carriages.
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World Beat Cultural Center
Housed in a converted water tank, the nonprofit World Beat Cultural Center presents performances and exhibits on the African and indigenous cultures of the world, but perhaps the most fun for visitors is dropping in on one of their classes (free to around US$15 ), from West African drumming for children to capoeira and qi gong.
Showing 1-15 of 15 results
