Balboa Park Explorer Pass

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Start your journey at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, a lively community cultural center that creates, preserves, promotes, and educates about Chicano, Mexicano, Latino, and Indigenous art and culture. Be sure to check out the vivid murals; each is 15 by 25 feet and mixes indigenous graphics with contemporary design and color.

WorldBeat Center

The WorldBeat Cultural Center highlights the African diaspora and indigenous cultures of the world through music, art, dance, education, sustainability and technology. Its vivid murals by local artists commemorate important leaders and historical cultures.

Veterans Museum at Balboa Park

Located on Park Boulevard, honors the memories of all men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces and Wartime Merchant Marine. Highlights from the museum’s collection include WWII artifacts such as the pen that Admiral Nimitz used to sign the Japanese surrender document and the first American flag captured by the Japanese in the Philippines. Also, see if you can find Sen. John McCain’s autograph on its elaborate mural.

San Diego Air & Space Museum

Head over to the San Diego Air and Space Museum to join the ranks of other great explorers. Discover artifacts from the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and other pioneers.

San Diego Automotive Museum

Speed on over to the San Diego Automotive Museum to see cars and motorcycles to see a variety of makes and models that highlight car culture throughout history. Its collection even includes a motorcycle that belonged to legendary movie star Steve McQueen.

Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego

Experience something new and exciting at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego. Founded in 1941, ICA showcases contemporary art and artists from the Southern California/Baja Norte region, with a focus on San Diego County.

The San Diego Museum of Art

Wander the beautiful galleries of The San Diego Museum of Art, which host a fine selection of European old masters, 19th and 20th-century American art, an encyclopedic Asian collection, and growing collections of contemporary and Latin American art.

Timken Museum of Art

There’s more art to discover at the always-free Timken Museum. While small in size, the museum’s collection is impressive and features European old masters, 19th-century American art and Russian icons. The collection also includes the only Rembrandt painting on public display in San Diego.

Museum of Photographic Arts

Stroll down El Prado to check out one of the few institutions in the country devoted to photography, film and video. The Museum of Photographic Arts’ collections represents the entire history of photography, its aesthetic movements and technological advancements.San Diego Model Railroad Museum

San Diego History Center
Brush up on the region’s past at the San Diego History Center. With 45 million documents, 2.5 million historic photographs, 1,700 oral histories, 1,500 films, 15,000 historic objects, 7,000 items of historic clothing, and a significant collection of San Diego artwork, there’s something here to spark everyone’s interest.

Fleet Science Center

Discover the possibilities at the Fleet Science Center where you’ll find more than 100 interactive exhibits that connect people of all ages to the power of science.

San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)

Learn about the unique biodiversity of Southern California and the Baja California at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Watch out for dinosaurs!

Mingei International Museum

Dedicated to art of the people (mingei) from all eras and cultures of the world, Mingei International Museum features dynamic, changing exhibitions of historical and contemporary folk art, craft and design.

Artifact at Mingei

Craving something different? Check out Artifact’s menu inspired by Northeastern Thailand’s cooking methods, spices and botanicals.

Japanese Friendship Garden

The Japanese Friendship Garden has plenty of paths to explore. Keep an eye out for koi fish; they were born in Japan and hand-selected for the Garden by the Koi Club of San Diego, who proudly maintain the fish and pond.