San Diego’s beloved cultural venues look forward to safely reopening their doors and welcoming back visitors at the soonest opportunity. In the meantime, they continue to offer online exhibits, events and activities. Enjoy virtual experiences offered by the renowned museums within San Diego’s cultural crown jewel — Balboa Park. Catch a free weekly virtual concert by the Spreckels Organ Society, dedicated to preserving the world’s largest outdoor musical instrument. Nearby, walk about Old Town San Diego, offering visitors a vision of 19thcentury colonial life; and down by the waterfront, see the thrilling USS Midway Museum. In North County, kids can play (online, for now) at the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum and the EcoVivarium Living Museum. To support these treasured venues, please donate to them or buy a gift card today. For the latest updates, please check each institution’s website.
ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station
2640 Historic Decatur Rd., San Diego • (619) 573-9300 5 map on page 53
Experience something creative at San Diego’s hub for arts and culture. ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station is a unique waterfront destination with nearly 145 galleries, museums, artist studios, distinctive shops and dining at historic Liberty Station. This is a place to create, connect, learn, shop, dine, explore and buy local art. Located at the former Naval Training Center in Point Loma, you’ll find historic architecture, vast parks and plentiful free parking. Visit ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station and explore Installations at the Station, a collection of public art pieces located throughout the district. Join us for Virtual FIRST FRIDAY ARTS DISTRICT, a free monthly online arts event where you can enjoy dance, theater and music performances, meet artists, participate in crafts and storytelling events for the whole family and so much more! Visit our website to explore galleries, museums, artist studios, distinctive shops, dining and virtual activations at ARTSDISTRICTLibertyStation.com
EcoVivarium Living Museum
641 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Escondido • (760) 975-9690 61 map on page 52
Get up close and personal with reptiles, amphibians, and bugs at EcoVivarium Living Museum! Guests of all ages can touch and hold snakes, lizards, and turtles. Plus, you might even get to high five a tarantula! Your guided tour of EcoVivarium is fun and educational for the entire family. We’re home to nearly 300 rescued and donated animals. Forty or more Ambassador Animals are featured in the museum each day, so every visit offers new animal encounters! NEW for 2020 - we offer a variety of Global Virtual Classes and Online Mini-Camps for kids of all ages. Outdoor Camps will be offered during school closures. Plus, we offer the coolest birthday parties in town loaded with memories to last a lifetime! Call or check social media or website to verify hours and permitted activities during COVID. EcoVivarium.org
Fleet Science Center
1875 El Prado, San Diego • (619) 238-1233 • 3 map on page 51
Explore 100+ interactive exhibits and fun traveling exhibitions in this inspiring science museum, Dome Theater and planetarium in Balboa Park. Inside the Fleet Science Center, you can construct marble roller coasters in Studio X, touch a swirling tornado, learn how to generate electricity and explore other fun science concepts! The Fleet is also home to the world’s first IMAX® Dome Theater, showing stunning nature and science films in an immersive, wrap-around screen environment. Without leaving your seat, you’ll feel as if you’re on the edge of an erupting volcano or diving underwater to explore a coral reef. The theater also hosts live planetarium shows the first Wednesday of each month. Additionally, the Fleet Science Center offers spring, summer, fall and winter camps, engaging live science talks, unique school learning programs, after-hours events for the 21+ crowd and an array of virtual activities to experience at home. For hours of operation, a film schedule and a list of the current exhibitions, please check the website for the latest information. fleetscience.org [Coupon on page 47]
Heritage of the Americas Museum • 15 map on page 54
12110 Cuyamaca College Dr. West, El Cajon • (619) 670-5194
Journey through time as you visit four museums in one place: Natural History features specimens from throughout the world. Archaeology is filled with pre-Columbian artifacts from North, Central and South America. The artifacts in Anthropology represent Native American life after 1492. The Art Wing has contemporary western art and a Chinese collection, including a jade burial suit from the Han Dynasty. Stroll through the botanical gardens, containing exotic palm trees on one side and desert plants on the other. HeritageOfTheAmericasMuseum.com [Coupon on page 47]
Japanese Friendship Garden
2215 Pan American Rd. E., San Diego (619) 232-2721 G map on page 51
Find peace and enjoy meditation among the ornamental plants, colorful koi pond, and beautiful bonsai display in the expansive Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) found in Balboa Park. Considered to be a living work of art in Japanese culture, JFG features a meandering path flanked by artfully arranged rocks, shrubbery, and trees that lead to the new expansion hosting a koi pond, waterfall, the Inamori Pavilion, and the oldest bronze bosatsu in the nation. JFG is a popular venue for weddings and corporate events that accommodates both indoor and outdoor facilities. Visit JFG online for the latest updates on public hours, admissions, and more! niwa.org
Legacy International Center
875 Hotel Circle So., San Diego • (619) 782-9183 7 map on page 54
Journey through this extraordinary complex where history, faith, and culture are explored through enthralling exhibits and immersive attractions. Begin a visit by interacting with the rotating, 18’ high Interactive Globe inside the Center and hear recordings of people from around the world welcoming guests.
Explore the replica of ancient Roman catacombs with dynamic 3-D murals painted by Master Artist and Architect Kurt Wenner. Stand in the empty tomb, and hear the apostle Paul write his letters from his prison cell. Journey back in time while sitting in the 4-D Motion-Seat Theater. Experience the parting of the Red Sea and the Great Flood in the film, “Walk Through The Bible.” Then soar over present-day Israel, including the Sea of Galilee, Masada and the Dome of the Rock, in the film, “Wings Over Israel.” Outside, explore a replica of the Western Wall, adorned with genuine stone shipped from the quarries of Jerusalem. Take a relaxing stroll in the flourishing Garden of Peace, and discover Inspiration Tower where the words “peace,” “love” and “forgiveness” are expressed in 22 languages. thecenteratlegacy.com
Mormon Battalion Historic Site
2510 Juan St, San Diego • (619) 298-3317 • 27 map on page 53
Step into history and experience the journey of the Mormon Battalion. In 1846, as part of the US Army of the West, they completed one of the longest infantry marches in American history — about 2,000 miles — from Iowa to San Diego. The fascinating story of their march, how they built up San Diego, and helped discover gold is the focus of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town. It’s FREE, family-friendly, and you can even pan for gold. Note: the historic site is temporarily closed. For reopening updates and to sign-up for the virtual tour visit the Mormon Battalion Facebook Page at facebook.com/mormonbattalion/ and for additional information visit lds.org/locations/san-diego-mormon-battalion-historic-site
San Diego Air & Space Museum
2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego (619) 234-8291 22 map on page 51
Get lost in aviation and space exploration at this top-flight museum in the heart of Balboa Park! See a flight-worthy replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, which carried Charles Lindbergh on the world’s first solo trans-Atlantic flight. Experience the real Apollo 9 command module, one of only a handful on display in the world. View aircraft used by barnstormers of the 1920s. Appreciate classic military aircraft from World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Enjoy the only 3D/4D in Balboa Park. Now Open! SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure, a new, interactive gallery exploring mankind’s never-ending quest to reach beyond Earth’s bonds. sandiegoairandspace.org [Coupon on page 47]
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
320 N. Broadway, Escondido (760) 233-7755 31 map on page 52
This hands-on children’s museum in North San Diego County inspires children to learn about our world through exploration, imagination, and experimentation with interactive exhibits and educational programs focused on science, art, and world cultures. Serving children up to age 10, young visitors are encouraged to learn through play as they set sail on the Discovery Sailboat, travel to the Kids Global Village, feed chickens in the Children’s Discovery Garden, and uncover a whole dinosaur fossil in the Base Camp dig site. Although the Museum is temporarily closed to the public, you can still enjoy the Museum experience directly from home with exciting virtual activities ranging from birthday parties, seasonal camps, daily story time and STREAM videos, special events, hands-on activity kits, and more. online.sdcdm.org
Spreckels Organ Society
1549 El Prado, Ste. 10, San Diego (619) 702-8138 15 map on page 51
Experience musical excellence on the world’s largest open-air musical instrument. Every Sunday throughout the year, San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez performs a one-hour public concert in Balboa Park. In March of 2020, a pivot to online webcasts of the concerts began and will continue until further notice. The professionally produced videos have great sound and viewers around the world are eager for the backstage tidbits shared by organ curator Dale Sorenson and for the fascinating musical stories and online ¨live chat¨ opportunity with Raul, who is among the leading international concert artists of his generation. Get a fresh dose of passion for music and life from the comfort of your home at 2 p.m. (Pacific Time) every Sunday. balboaparkconcerts.org
