Play, imagine and experiment at San Diego’s world-class museums and explore important historical sites! Also check out cool creatures — from seahorses and sharks to loving lizards and turtles – up close at family-friendly attractions. On the waterfront, tour the USS Midway Museum, home to the awe-inspiring aircraft carrier. At Balboa Park, stroll the Prado, visit the renowned San Diego Zoo and ride the Carousel. In Old Town, pan for gold at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site. In North County, experiment with unique instruments at the Museum of Making Music, take in dynamic plays and musicals at North Coast Repertory Theatre, and view North America’s biggest bamboo collection at San Diego Botanic Garden.
Balboa Park Carousel
Park Boulevard at Zoo Place • (619) 239-0512 x 8 • 6 map on page 75
Circle back to the past and ride the historic Balboa Park Carousel, which celebrates its 101st anniversary in 2023! Built in New York in 1910, this menagerie model merry-go-round arrived in Balboa Park in 1922, and continues to bring joy to riders of all ages a century later. Almost all of the animal figures are original, as are the hand-painted murals on the center panels, the outer rounding boards, the military band organ, the motor, and the famous brass ring game. Fifty-two animals — ranging from horses to giraffes to zebras — and four chariots, are hand-carved and intricately and colorfully painted. Rides, set by an old-fashioned egg timer, last 5 minutes, with a top speed on the outside ring of 13 miles per hour. Take a spin and make new memories on this treasured attraction after its reopening in July. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until August 20th. Check in at balboaparkcarousel.org
Balboa Park Explorer Pass
Balboa Park, San Diego • (619) 232-7502 (Press 2) • 1 map on page 75
Unlike any destination in the US, Balboa Park is home to dozens of enriching museums, beautiful gardens, cultural organizations, live performances, restaurants and more! Explore art, science, history, and culture as you make your way through this historic urban park with your Balboa Park Explorer Pass – an affordable and convenient way to experience it all, right in the heart of San Diego. Choose the best option for your visit with day, week, or group passes, or pick up an Annual Pass and explore all year long! Purchase your Explorer Pass at buymyexplorer.org
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla • (858) 534-3474 • 9 map on page 77
Dive into the world of sharks, seadragons and Little Blue Penguins at Birch Aquarium. As the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Birch Aquarium features more than 60 habitats with amazing creatures including a rescued Loggerhead Sea Turtle, a Giant Pacific Octopus, Weedy Seadragons and Moon Jellies. Don’t miss the two-story Giant Kelp Forest or the outdoor tide pools where you can touch local creatures including juvenile sharks while enjoying stunning ocean views. Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins follows the world’s smallest penguins on their journey from hatchlings to adults, highlighting the challenges they face in a changing climate while celebrating the features that make them so unique. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advanced reservations required. aquarium.ucsd.edu
Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum
29013 Champagne Blvd., Escondido • (760) 749-1666 34 map on page 76
Tour this wine and car lover’s dream, blending fine wine with classic automobiles in San Diego’s North County. Vintage vehicle buffs can check out the world’s largest collection of American convertibles (spread across three separate buildings), Coca-Cola memorabilia, early household appliances, and other blasts from the past. At the tasting room, visitors can sample an impressive selection of reds and whites — all with antique autos adorning the label.
A glass, flight or bottle of Deer Park estate wine may be enjoyed in the tasting room, outside on the covered patio or on picnic grounds. Wines grown on the property include Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonnay, California Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot Dessert Wine (judged the best in San Diego), Peach Mead, Rosé, and select blends. Check out the gift shop and deli, stocked with goodies perfect for pairing with Deer Park wines. Open at 10 a.m. Thursdays-Mondays deerparkwine.com [Coupon on page 71]
EcoVivarium Living Museum
641 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Escondido (760) 975-9690 67 map on page 76
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. The downtown Escondido museum is home to over 300 rescued and donated animals. Forty or more Ambassador Animals are featured in the museum each day, so every visit offers new animal encounters! EcoVivarium also offers the coolest parties in town, loaded with memories to last a lifetime! Walk-in tours are available Thursday-Sunday, Private tours offered Weds.-Sun. EcoVivarium.org
Fleet Science Center
1875 El Prado, San Diego • (619) 238-1233 • 3 map on page 75
Explore 100+ interactive exhibits and fun traveling exhibitions in this inspiring Science Center, 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 documentary films in an immersive, wraparound 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, afterhours 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 73]
Japanese Friendship Garden
2215 Pan American Rd. E., San Diego (619) 232-2721 G map on page 75
The Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum (JFGM) is a traditional Japanese garden that features koi ponds, a zen garden and bonsai exhibit. Various water features and florae line the pathways of the 12-acre garden which also houses the largest and oldest bronze Kannon Bosatsu in the USA! JFG is an accredited museum that offers programming and cultural events. General admission starts at $12 and children under 6 are admitted free. niwa.org
La Jolla Music Society
7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla • (858) 459-3728 • 51 map on page 77
Take note of La Jolla Music Society’s dynamic events, kicking off with SummerFest, an annual chamber-music celebration set for July 28-Aug. 26, 2023. The month-long festival will showcase dozens of international musicians, along with jazz, dance, and spoken word artists performing at the organization’s elegant two-story Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (“The Conrad”) in the Village of La Jolla. Along with timeless pieces by Brahms and Beethoven, SummerFest Director Inon Barnatan has planned new musical treats, such as a cello-focused twist on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Patrons will also enjoy Midweek Masterworks: four Wednesday evening intermission-free concerts highlighting “greatest hits” within the chamber music repertoire. View the lineup and purchase tickets at TheConrad.org. The exciting 55th Winter Season, beginning October 7, 2023, will see returning favorites, new faces and debuts, family-friendly and holiday season shows, and classical music experiences. The majority of the events will be held at The Conrad, in either The Baker-Baum Concert Hall or The JAI, their cabaret-style venue, with a select few held at the Balboa Theatre or Civic Theatre downtown. Tickets and more information are available at (858) 459-3728 and at TheConrad.org
Mormon Battalion Historic Site
2510 Juan St, San Diego • (619) 298-3317 • 27 map on page 77
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. Winter hours: Monday, Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Sunday 1-5 p.m. and Summer hours: Open Monday, Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Tuesday 5 - 7 p.m.; Sunday 1 - 7 p.m. 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
Museum of Making Music
5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad • (760) 438-5996 • 1 map on page 76
Take note of this completely remodeled interactive museum, a tribute to the love of all things music! Nestled between LEGOLAND and The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, the museum invites visitors to discover the stories of how musical instruments are made, how they change over time, how they move from maker to retailer and into the possession of those who play them. Four newly designed galleries include a panoramic multimedia display, video stories, photos, hundreds of artifacts, and performance clips by major artists. Equally entertaining are “Sit & Play” stations with a variety of stringed instruments, including banjos and guitars. Visitors of all ages will also love the Interactive Gallery, which encourages guests to try out tambourines, ukuleles, bongos, electronic drums, and other unique musical instruments. The museum also regularly presents live concerts by award-winning artists. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. museumofmakingmusic.org [Coupon on page 73]
North Coast Repertory Theatre
987 Lomas Santa Fe, Ste. D, Solana Beach • (858) 481-1055 4 map on page 76
Discover immense talent and exceptional productions in an intimate setting at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach. The leading arts organization produces seven diverse main stage plays each year. The Rep’s 41st season concludes with “Pippin,” (July 19-Aug. 13) a dazzling musical exploring good and evil, and reality and fantasy in entertaining fashion. The curtain then rises on the Rep’s 42nd stellar season with the world premiere of “The Angel Next Door” (Sept. 6-Oct. 1), by Paul Slade Smith. The screwball comedy, adapted from Ferenc Molnar’s classic French farce “Play at the Castle,” features a cast of characters grappling with romance and misunderstandings that have potential for disaster. The spotlight then shifts to Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (Oct. 18-Nov. 12), the suspenseful Robert Louis Stevenson tale about a scientist’s investigations into the nature of good and evil that unleash his murderous alter ego. Over the holidays, enjoy the return of audience favorite “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” (Dec. 15-31, 2023), featuring a talented and funny duo who play everything from Bach to Billy Joel. Also catch Variety Night shows Mondays and/or Tuesdays ranging from comedy nights to stage readings and musical entertainment. View all shows and dates at northcoastrep.org.
San Diego Air & Space Museum
2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego • (619) 234-8291
22 map on page 75
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 theater in Balboa Park. Now Open! SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure and ABOVE AND BEYOND, two interactive galleries exploring mankind’s never-ending quest to reach beyond Earth’s bonds. sandiegoairandspace.org [Coupon on page 73]
San Diego Archaeological Center
16666 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido • (760) 291-0370
7 map on page 76
Wander through the amazing San Diego Archaeological Center, celebrating 25 years of “preserving pieces of the past.” A hidden gem near the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, this modest but mighty museum curates millions of artifacts documenting 10,000 years of San Diego County history. View displays on stone tools, pottery and much more. Kids will dig a hands-on artifact-matching game, an archaeology quest, pottery reconstruction and underwater shipwreck excavation. The center hosts adult workshops and lectures, scouting programs, home school group field trips and K-12 programs. View current exhibits and activities at sandiegoarchaeology.org
San Diego Botanic Garden
300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas • (760) 436-3036
69 map on page 76
Breathe in the fresh air at this plant-lovers’ paradise, a lush urban oasis spanning 37 acres in Encinitas, and home to the West Coast’s largest children’s garden and North America’s biggest public bamboo collection. The venue offers four miles of trails with peaceful ocean vistas, flowering trees, California native plants, majestic palms, a subtropical fruit garden, and an amazing multi-level treehouse. Plants from all over the world thrive at this retreat, thanks to the area’s mild climate. Enjoy all sorts of classes and workshops, including openair yoga, pressed flower art, and succulent arranging. Explore exciting exhibitions and events including the World of Orchids showcase in spring featuring hundreds of orchids species; the Summer Nights Concert Series, where guests can savor a sunset and concert paired with food and drink; and the truly magical after-dark experience, Lightscape, held over the holiday season. View the Garden from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Winter Garden hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and go into effect Nov. 14-Jan. 1. Reservations recommended. sdbg.org
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
320 N. Broadway, Escondido • (760) 233-7755
31 map on page 76
This hands-on children’s museum in North San Diego County sparks a love of learning so all children can discover their wildest dreams. Serving children up to age 10, young visitors are encouraged to learn through play as they experiment with the forces of gravity, explore the lifecycle of butterflies and plants, engineer with giant blocks, and uncover a whole dinosaur fossil in the Base Camp dig site. sdcdm.org
San Diego Symphony
1245 Seventh Ave., San Diego • (619) 235-0804 • 17 map on page 77
The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
222 Marina Pkwy., San Diego • (619) 235-0804 • 16 map on page 77
Orchestrate an evening out enjoying world-class performances by the San Diego Symphony. From April through October, the symphony presents classical favorites, film scores, jazz, R&B, Broadway and rock at its premier outdoor venue: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The summer season, a festive time on San Diego’s picturesque waterfront, officially kicks off on June 30, 2023 with Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” followed the next night by the good vibrations of The Beach Boys. Rounding out the opening weekend will be the symphony’s presentation of “ARETHA: A Tribute” on July 2. Concerts continue all summer long, including the performance of the movie score “Apollo 13” (July 7) while the audience watches history play out on the big screen; “Beethoven by the Bay” (Aug. 4); songstress Judy Collins and international singer/songwriter and recording artist Madeleine Peyroux (Aug. 18); and over Labor Day weekend, the rousing “1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular” (Sept. 1). Choose from more than 30 concerts at TheShell.org. Beginning Nov. 4, 2023, the Symphony celebrates the grand reopening of its newly renovated and revitalized indoor home: Jacobs Music Center. Improved sight lines, acoustics, new seating and finishes, and restored architectural details will combine to create an experience of rich sound and intimacy for the audience and musicians in the nearly century-old hall. Along with its Jacobs Masterworks classical repertoire, the Symphony will reintroduce its indoor Broadway @ the Jacobs, Jazz @ the Jacobs and Family Concert series; and add contemporary classical programming called Currents. Tickets: sandiegosymphony.org
USS Midway Museum
910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego • (619) 544-9600 • 3 map on page 77
Explore the 4-acre flight deck of the awe-inspiring aircraft carrier USS Midway, a naval aviation museum in downtown San Diego berthed at Navy Pier. San Diego’s most-popular attraction features an extensive collection of restored aircraft, theater, and self-guided audio tours for adults and families narrated by former Midway sailors to more than 60 locations. Open spaces for visitation subject to change. For hours of operation, safety regulations and a list of the current exhibitions, please check the website for the latest information. midway.org
