We love the Balboa Park Air & Space Museum. Take advantage of free resident Tuesdays, or visit if…read moreyou have WIC or CalFresh benefits its very cheap tickets. When you walk in, you're greeted by an impressive atrium filled with plants, planes, and a water feature, it's an awesome welcome. There are so many aircraft for kids to see, explore, and climb into. The museum offers a very educational experience, and you can easily spend a few hours here. We highly recommend it whether you're visiting San Diego or a local resident.

Either come with children or really appreciate the military. I appreciate that children are free in…read morethe month of October, which is why we brought our 6 year old niece and 8 year old nephew from LA. The first section had oddities from Ripley's Believe It or Not, which felt really out of place... especially when the next section was about Space. Honestly, get rid of the Ripley's stuff and add more about Space or commercial & logistics aviation. I really liked the Apollo capsule, the interactive station to build modules for the ISS, and the 4D theater experience (though it's kinda dated). The early history of aviation was pretty neat, but the huge sections on military aviation felt obnoxious. Yes, aviation innovation significantly accelerated for military research (and to meet the moment in those points in history), but I didn't need Nazi and Japanese rising sun logos featured so heavily - I was almost confused on whose side the museum was on until I realized it was a "kill scorecard" for the Hellcats or the few Nazi aircrafts on display. One of my favorites is the Blue Angels aircraft at the last exhibit...it brought back many memories with family at different sporting events. I wished there was more about the aviation industry today - passenger, logistics, commercial rockets to space. It felt like to museum got to the 80s in aviation and gave up.

The abundance of history and significance of the USS Midway makes it a must see. The whole staff…read morewas very accommodating today, but the gem of our tour was meeting retired CAPT Gerry Garmin, a 1962 USNA graduate and former pilot on the Midway who now volunteers twice a week to share his experiences with guests. He was a wealth of information and such a fine gentlemen to meet and visit with.

History. I've taken…read morea few tours here and alway find it fascinating. Ok I'm a Navy bias. It is interesting to me, to see how people lived while at sea and all the room they have. These people were spoiled. Coming from a submariner, I can say that. Plus all the individual aircraft's that's line the flight deck. Each one with a specific task. Overall five stars. I appreciate those that served and those that a serving. It's them that make the backbone of this country safe. M

Our wedding day at the Japanese Friendship Garden was truly perfect. From our very first site tour,…read moreMarina Miller was incredibly communicative, accommodating, and helpful throughout the entire process. She made everything feel organized and easy, and the clear map instructions provided for our guests made the day even more seamless. The Garden itself was absolutely breathtaking. We were blessed with beautiful weather, a stunning sunset, and the most romantic atmosphere imaginable. The scenery created such a magical backdrop for our wedding and made the day feel even more special for my bride, our families, and all of our guests. Everyone had an amazing time, and we received so many compliments about the beautiful venue and atmosphere. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting to begin our marriage. We are so grateful to the Japanese Friendship Garden and their wonderful team for helping make our wedding day unforgettable!

The Japanese Friendship Garden was easily one of the prettiest and most peaceful stops during my…read moretime in San Diego. If you enjoy walking around, taking in beautiful scenery, and getting some great photos along the way, this place is absolutely worth visiting. The garden is very walkable, and there are gorgeous views around seemingly every corner. As someone who loves photography, I had my camera working overtime. Between the landscaping, bridges, waterfalls, plants, and all of the little details throughout the garden, there are so many great opportunities for photos. The koi pond was probably my favorite part. The koi were BEAUTIFUL, and I could have stood there watching them swim around forever. It was easily one of the most relaxing parts of my visit. A fun fact I learned is that the garden opened in 1991 and was created as an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. The garden continued to expand over the years, including the addition of a grove with around 200 cherry trees in 2015. So there is actually quite a bit of history and meaning behind all of the beauty. Definitely a 5 star experience for me. Peaceful, gorgeous, easy to explore, and an absolute dream if you enjoy photography. I would gladly come back, especially during cherry blossom season!

A Funday Sunday Adventure! It takes a lot to get me downtown on a weekend if it's not for a great…read moremeal or a baseball game. Usually super busy, crowded and some areas very smelly, I'd rather kiss a pig than be there. The WNDR museum caught my eye. Saw some ads and had nothing planned. Checked tickets and availability was wide open for that day. Easy entering the lobby as well as starting our tour whenever we preferred. There were exhibits upstairs and down. Many were pretty cool with mirrors and lights which made for some WOW moments. Other guests generally moved at about the same pace as us. Some stayed in certain areas for extended time, which, at times caused some backlog of movement. Restrooms located adjacent to the snack bar which is just beyond the entrance/ lobby. Easily a great visit for the young and young at heart! I believe the WNDR museum is scheduled to close at the end of August '25.

Really cool museum, small but plenty of exhibits! My kiddo was fascinated! Must buy tickets online,…read morestreet parking or park in the parking structure near by. They have a little cafe, small little store to purchase souvenirs, clean bathrooms. Would definitely recommend!

If you're a San Diego local, I recommend giving the Natural History Museum a visit on resident free…read moreTuesdays. The resident free museums do rotate, so check the schedule on the balboa park website to see what week the natural history museum falls on. I especially liked the section where you get to see live snakes (including a rattlesnake), frogs, and some bugs. There's a fair amount to see, so you can definitely spend between 1-2 hours here. It seems like a temporary exhibit, but when we went, there was a display of art pieces made just from garbage found in the ocean, which is an artful and memorable way to leave people with an impression of the the negative ways in which people can affect the environment. I am glad that we were able to get in at no cost. I do think it is a bit on the costly side at full price.

I came for The Nat at Night. I'm sooo blown away! This museum is very very educational...packed…read morewith a lot of natural history to learn in one or more visit. I loove the interactive activities and how it engages visitors from all ages. Each level has a niiice flow...places to sit scattered around if you wanted to take a pause to absorb the AMAZING things you've witnessed. To add to this natural history adventure, you can interact with the actual researchers who preserve the artifacts in the basement...asking them questions. There's a theatre on the 1st (Main) floor as well as gift shop. I was very fortunate to get on the Rooftop which had a waitlist of over 80 people when I arrived. I'm glad I did since the food and drinks were really good. Based on my positive experience, I highly recommend this museum to the Yelp Community.

Small museum that's definitely worth visiting. This is my third time visiting and it's always…read moregreat. One of my favorites, a couple of nice Alexi Jawlenski pieces. They show the change of his style over time

Attended my first -art and wellbeing experience this weekend. Diana was the most amazing docent…read more She walked us through some breath work and some great impressionists. This is a small event and lovely way to spend an hour at the museum. Just grab a ticket to the museum and check in at the booth up front and the experience begins. Diana spent time talking about breathing and grounding your self. While you are given a notepad and pencil to write notes and try to recreate the art. Don't worry you don't have to share tour impressions or art. The experience was located in one room and after we explored the rest of the museum and it is interesting at how different you look at the works in front of you when you are relaxed and in the headspace to experience . Bonus shout out to the museum which is over 100 years old and continues to bring the community together to enjoy and experience the art. I did not take any pictures because I was enjoying the moment.

For the price you pay ($27 for adults and $20 with student discounts), there are not too many…read morethings to see here- only 13. It is very unique in the exhibits there are though and for that, I recommend a visit. Some of my favorites were the Experiment 2.C which gives you the same illusion you get when are on an airplane, looking outside the window. The color is very fascinating and the exhibit overall is very thought provoking. It ended up being the favorite for two of the people I was with. Other ones I really liked was the We Are All Made of Light where lights reflect off you and you see your shadow on the screen. There were other exhibits that were really emotional such as Confessions and Where Thoughts Go which I found interesting but at the same time weird as they both were so different compared to other exhibits that I wasn't sure what this place is trying to attract or messages it sends. Each exhibit had enough workers that were willing to give you background about the art and I really appreciated that. As for the parking, we ended up parking in a private lot adjacent to this place which cost $20.

Second year (2019) I've been to Wonderspaces and I had a blast with my best friend but I enjoyed…read morelast year's more. Adult admission this year was $27, which I think increased from last year. If you have a school ID, I strongly recommend to use it! It becomes $20/person +$1 fee when ordered online. It was extremely packed in this area on a Saturday, so plan accordingly. We paid $10 for parking at the lot that's about a less than 5 min walk away. This might be the Millennial in me talking... but there weren't as many photos ops, in my opinion, compared to the other years. There were a few exhibits that I would have liked to see and we signed up for the wait list on the tablets, but it said there were over 100 people waiting, we never got a text back, and then ended up leaving. It seemed like there were a lot of people just waiting around the common areas and I'm assuming it's for those exhibits. On the plus side, it was indeed fun. They serve red and white wine (right under $9), which we ordered and made the trip a blast ;) The exhibits that we did see, especially with the lights and colored yarn, were awesome. I just didn't favor the one in the dark room where you hear a bunch of cars crashing over and over...it got me paranoid... but hey it's art. The confession wall was interesting and sometimes even funny. Overall, it was a fun experience and have no regrets in going! Every employee was super friendly and willing to answer any questions

The Botanical Building was one of my favorite spots to visit when I went to Balboa Park. It is such…read morea beautiful and peaceful spot. I loved walking around and seeing all the different plants, flowers and greenery. There's even a pretty fountain inside! Thai spot is a great place to just relax and walk around. It is picture perfect and a must see places

I have an unabashed affinity for conservatories, I confess I watch Bridgerton just so that I can…read moremarvel at the conservatories they unveil for their summer time dance galas. Anyway, the botanical building in Balboa park, Sand Diego though made of wood lath is nonetheless considered a conservatory and reputedly the only wood lath conservatory in the world and also one of the largest of its kind globally. As soon as one enters, they are greeted by the intoxicating smell of fecund moist earth. The wood lath structure allows the breeze to flow through but cuts down the harsh sun creating a dappled sanctuary. I felt like a little child let loose in candy land, the display is a feast for the senses with monsteras, philodendron, ferns, orchids, begonias, cycads etc in every corner. One side had majestic soaring plants reaching the ceiling while the other side felt bare in comparison. The lily pond greeting one at the entrance also houses turtles, pink lotuses, frogs and fish. Overall a must visit for people who have a thing for plants or even-otherwise.

Come early because parking is a nightmare, one way and stalls are narrow…read more Came here on our weekend getaway, it was my baby's first time at the aquarium. Clean, beautiful habitats, place is well kept. I saw ladies keeping the bathrooms clean too. I loved that it was perfect enough for a Saturday morning activity. We got through it within 2 hours and headed to lunch. My son loved the jellyfish, and the big tanks. I thought we would see more penguins, they had a few. It is SoCal so I cant expect many penguins in sunny San Diego. The outdoor activities were minimal, had there been alot more ppl it would probably be too overcrowded.

It was a rainy weekend in San Diego. So we had to look for some indoor activities for us to do…read morebefore heading back up to LA. I found Birch Aquarium and decided this would be a great spot for the family to visit. They have free parking, which is definitely a plus. Admission to the aquarium is pretty pricey, but they do offer various discounts so check online to see if you can qualify for them! They have a variety of aquatic animals, lots of different fish, and even some cute activities for the kids. We spent about 2 hours at the aquarium, comfortably looking at the fish and enjoying its various exhibits. Lovely little aquarium located on the UC San Diego Campus!

Came here on a slow Wednesday afternoon because we found free tickets from the library…read more Just a heads up, right now the parking is $10 for four hours at certain lots. Anyways, this museum was pretty entertaining. Plenty of things to see and do that we'll keep you entertained for a few hours. They have the history of beer, a section dedicated to people's secrets, and relics from different countries. Across the open area is the cannibal exhibition. It has an eerie feeling in some areas but I would recommend walking through it.

This is the second museum that we booked through San Diego Discover and Go using our library card…read more The place is absolutely incredible! We enjoyed each exhibit and learned a lot about history, race, power, and the way of life of those before us. The ticket includes entry to the other museum across the street which showcases the history of cannibalism. It's a very interesting place! I love the mini interactive activities they have too. Head on to Balboa Park if you're looking for fun places to visit with family and friends!