Museums and Public Art in San Diego County

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Place	Neighborhood
Adobe Chapel 3963 Conde Street, San Diego Originally built in 1850 as a home, and converted to a church by Don José ...	Old Town
Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum 2040 N. Santa Fe Avenue, Vista The Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum is dusty, and on most days, quiet enough ...	Vista
Athenaeum Music and Arts Library 1008 Wall Street, San Diego This library is one of only 16 nonprofit membership libraries in the United States. There ...	La Jolla
Bancroft Ranch House Museum 9050 Memory Lane, Spring Valley The museum houses indigenous Indian artifacts and memorabilia of early settlers in the area, run ...	Spring Valley
Barona Cultural Center and Museum 1095 Barona Road, Lakeside "Rock of Ages: Contemporary Music Traditions on the Barona Reservation" showcases "today’s native culture of ...	Lakeside
Berkeley Ferry Boat 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego 1898 steam ferryboat that operated for 60 years on San Francisco Bay. A California State ...	Downtown San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2300 Expedition Way, San Diego Facility is a component of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD. More than 60 ...	La Jolla
Bonita Museum and Cultural Center 4355 Bonita Road, Chula Vista Museum features exhibits of local history and fine arts. Stories of Bonita’s 100-year history are ...	Bonita
Borrego Desert Nature Center 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs	Borrego Springs
California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum 340 N. Escondido Boulevard, Escondido Museum features three galleries, a sculpture court, and a gift shop.	Escondido
California Surf Museum 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside The California Surf Museum has been chronicling surf culture and preserving surf memorabilia for 25 ...	Oceanside
Casa del Rey Moro African Museum 2471 Congress Street, San Diego	Old Town
Centro Cultural de la Raza 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego	Balboa Park
Centro Cultural Tijuana Paseo de los Héroes and Mina Street, Tijuana, BC La Bola is what Tijuanenses call the IMAX dome outside CECUT and the icon of ...	Baja
Chula Vista Heritage Museum 360 Third Avenue, Chula Vista The museum features glimpses of Chula Vista's past; exhibits feature lemon packing-crate labels, photographs of ...	Chula Vista
Coronado Museum of History and Art 1100 Orange Avenue, Coronado "Kingston Trio: A World of Music" profiles the popular musical group of the 1950s and ...	Coronado
Creation Museum 10946 Woodside Avenue North, Santee A museum contrasting the evolution and creation worldviews.	Santee
Desert View Tower In-Ko-Pah Road, Jacumba, CA Desert View Tower in Jacumba resembles something you would see on a dusty 1920s postcard. ...	Jacumba
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension Building 328 J Street, San Diego The extension is the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum's showcase for rotating exhibitions. Its bay ...	Downtown San Diego
Eagle Mining Co. 2320 C Street, Julian, CA The Eagle Mining Company in Julian offers tours 1,000 feet into a mine nearly 150 ...	Julian
Edgemoor Barn 9200 N. Magnolia Avenue, Santee	Santee
Encinitas Historical Society Old Schoolhouse 390 West F Street, Encinitas	Encinitas
Estudillo House 4000 Mason Street, San Diego Helen Hunt Jackson’s hugely popular 1844 novel Ramona created the American public’s image of Mexican ...	Old Town
Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Museum 123 West Alvarado Street, Fallbrook The Empress Dowager of China, Tz'u-hsi, glowered at her courtiers. "Go to Fallbrook!" she commanded. ...	Fallbrook
Fleet Science Center 1875 El Prado, San Diego Museum features more than 100 hands-on science exhibitions. Films shown daily in IMAX Dome theater.	Balboa Park
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum 4203 Anderson Avenue, PO Box 45316, San Diego Museum dedicated to Marines who provided air support, from propeller-driven fighters and bombers of the ...	Miramar
Frank Kimball Museum 932 A Avenue, National City Home of Frank Kimball, the founder of National City. Features historical objects, including a stereopticon ...	National City
Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House 410 Island Avenue, San Diego Museum is said to be the oldest surviving structure in the New Town area of ...	Downtown San Diego
Gemological Institute of America Museum 5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad Permanent exhibits include displays depicting science and art of gemstones and history, lore, and cultural ...	Carlsbad
Green Dragon Tavern & Museum 6115 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad Open, wood-paneled, two-story tavern built into a colonial brick building, giving it all the feel ...	Carlsbad
Heritage Museum 14134 Midland Road, Poway An interpretive wall, replicas of the early post office and general store, and a schoolroom ...	Poway
Heritage of the Americas Museum 12110 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon Museum features art and artifacts from South and North America, concentrating on the utilitarian and ...	Rancho San Diego
Heritage Walk Museum 321 N. Broadway, Escondido The museum includes the restored Victorian house, the city's original Santa Fe Train Depot, a ...	Escondido
House of Pacific Relations 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego	Balboa Park
J.A. Cooley Museum 4233 Park Boulevard, San Diego An eclectic collection of items — including displays on phonographs, pianos, cars, clocks, cameras, and ...	University Heights
Japanese Friendship Garden 2215 Pan American Road, San Diego In 2015, the garden expanded from two and half acres to twelve acres, and includes ...	Balboa Park
John DeWitt Historic Museum and Library 2116 Tavern Road, Alpine Museum and library, operated by the Alpine Historical Society, is located in 1897 home/office of ...	Alpine
Julian Pioneer Museum 2811 Washington Street, Julian, CA	Julian
Junípero Serra Museum 2727 Presidio Drive, San Diego	Old Town
Knox House Museum 280 North Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon See how Amaziah Knox established a hotel serving drovers, miners, teamsters on their way through ...	El Cajon
La Mesa Depot Museum 4695 Nebo Drive, La Mesa Located in a restored 1894 wooden train station, exhibits include original telegraph and telephone equipment, ...	La Mesa
La Mesa Historical Society 8369 University Avenue, La Mesa	La Mesa
Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park 6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane, Carlsbad Park's old adobe buildings were once vacation retreat and working rancho of actor Leo Carrillo. ...	Carlsbad
Living Coast Discovery Center 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista Interactive living museum devoted to endangered Southern California coastal wetlands, located in Sweetwater Marsh National ...	Chula Vista
Magee House Museum 258 Beech Street, Carlsbad Built in 1887 and surrounded by rose gardens, site includes "one of the last barns ...	Carlsbad
Map and Atlas Museum of La Jolla 7825 Fay Avenue, courtyard level, Suite LLA, San Diego Find a second edition of the first woodcut map of the world, dated 1486, in ...	La Jolla
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Museum Witherby Street and Hancock Street, 1, San Diego Housed in a historic building, the museum features five permanent galleries with artifacts, uniforms, vehicles, ...	Downtown San Diego
Marston House Museum 3525 Seventh Avenue, San Diego The Marston House was built in 1905 and is a fine example of the Arts ...	Hillcrest
Mingei International Museum 1439 El Prado, San Diego Mingei International Museum is located in Balboa Park on the Plaza de Panama. The museum ...	Balboa Park
Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum 3190 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad A collection of fine work in metal and woodworking at small end of the size ...	Carlsbad
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia 4050 Mission Avenue, Oceanside Named after the 13th-century French king Louis IX, the mission was home to 3000 Payomkawichum ...	Oceanside
Motor Transport Museum 31949 Highway 94, Campo Vintage Packards stand aside obsolete quarry equipment and olive presses at this open-air museum located ...	Campo
Muramid International Mural Museum 212 Artist Alley, Suite F, Oceanside	Oceanside
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown 1100 and 1001 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego Art museum with a focus on works of art from 1950 to the present. Second ...	Downtown San Diego
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla 700 Prospect Street, San Diego Art museum with a focus on works of art from 1950 to the present. General ...	La Jolla
Museum of Making Music 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad Before you can make music, you have to make the things that make music. Sure, ...	Carlsbad
Museum of Photographic Arts 1649 El Prado, San Diego Museum located in Balboa Park with a theater that seats 226.	Balboa Park
National City Depot 922 West 23rd Street, National City San Diego Electric Railway Association operates museum in this historic Santa Fe depot with exhibits, ...	National City
Nautical History Gallery & Museum 1012 Pearl Street, San Diego A unique collection of American nautical history. Includes large-scale models and artifacts showing evolutionary changes ...	La Jolla
The New Children's Museum 200 W. Island Avenue, San Diego Museum admission is $1 on the second Sunday of the month, thanks to Target.	East Village
Oceanside Museum of Art 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside The Oceanside Museum of Art is a premier regional art museum in Southern California and ...	Oceanside
Olaf Wieghorst Museum 131 Rea Avenue, 2, El Cajon Displays paintings and prints by Olaf Wieghorst and features exhibits of other artists' American West ...	El Cajon
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum 750 Depot Street, Campo	Campo
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum State Highway 94 and Forrest Gate Road, Campo Explore history, heritage of railroads in setting with museum tours, old-time train rides, more than ...	Campo
Palomar Observatory 35899 Canfield Road, Palomar Mountain, CA You won’t be able to peer through their five giant telescopes, but visit Palomar Observatory ...	Palomar Mountain
Parsonage Museum of Lemon Grove 3185 Olive Street, Lemon Grove The late Victorian building features two floors of colorful exhibits related to Lemon Grove's heritage, ...	Lemon Grove
Pioneers Museum 373 East Aten Road, Imperial, CA	Imperial Valley
Ramona Pioneer Historical Society and Guy B. Woodward Museum 645 Main Street, Ramona Complex of historical buildings includes the Verlaque House (the only Western adobe home of French ...	Ramona
Roynon Museum of Earth Science & Paleontology 457 E. Grand Avenue, Escondido A collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils, including a full-size Tyrannosaurus rex. With hands-on classes ...	Escondido
Salvation Mountain 601 E. Beal Road, Niland, CA East of the Salton Sea, Salvation Mountain rises from the desert floor. It’s a huge ...	Imperial Valley
San Diego Air and Space Museum 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego Museum offers exhibits of over 65 aircraft, including an RQ-1K Predator UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) ...	Balboa Park
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido Museum is dedicated to curating and sharing archaeological collections with public for educational, scientific, cultural ...	Escondido
San Diego Automotive Museum 2080 Pan American Plaza, San Diego More than 80 automobiles and motorcycles from horseless carriages to future prototypes are included in ...	Balboa Park
San Diego Center for the Arts 2141 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego	University Heights
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum 320 N. Broadway, Escondido	Escondido
San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum 404 Third Avenue, San Diego The San Diego Chinese Historical Museum is a nonprofit organization. The museum was founded in ...	Downtown San Diego
San Diego Comic Art Gallery 2765 Truxtun Road, San Diego	Liberty Station
San Diego County Sheriff's Museum 2384 San Diego Avenue, San Diego The 150-year history of the sheriff's department is highlighted at museum, located "just feet away" ...	Old Town
San Diego Firehouse Museum 1572 Columbia Street, San Diego Founded in 1962, the Firehouse Museum occupies the former home of San Diego Fire Station ...	Little Italy
San Diego Hall of Champions 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego Museum is dedicated to promoting, recognizing, and preserving athletic achievement.	Balboa Park
San Diego History Center 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, San Diego	Balboa Park
San Diego Maritime Museum 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego	Downtown San Diego
San Diego Model Railroad Museum 1649 El Prado, San Diego Enjoy playful learning in "Lego Brick City" exhibit zone filled with interactive, creative, educational activities ...	Balboa Park
San Diego Museum of Art 1450 El Prado, San Diego	Balboa Park
San Diego Museum of Man 1350 El Prado, San Diego Permanent exhibits explore the Maya, ancient Egypt, the Kumeyaay Indians of San Diego County, human ...	Balboa Park
San Diego Natural History Museum 1788 El Prado, San Diego	Balboa Park
San Diego Police Museum 4710 College Avenue, San Diego	College Area
San Dieguito Heritage Museum 450 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas The museum offers informative displays on the North County coastal history including Native Americans, early ...	Encinitas
San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve 2710 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff by the Sea Facility features an array of interactive exhibits exploring the natural and cultural history of the ...	Cardiff-by-the-Sea
San Marcos Historical Society Museum 270 West San Marcos Boulevard, 1, San Marcos	San Marcos
San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido Commemorates the clash (on December 6, 1846) during the Mexican War between the U.S. Dragoons, ...	Escondido
San Salvador Village at Spanish landing 4216 North Harbor Drive, San Diego The construction of the re-created galleon San Salvador, in which Cabrillo entered San Diego Bay ...	Point Loma
Santee Historical Society & Museum 9200 Magnolia Avenue, Santee	Santee
Sikes Adobe Farmhouse 12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido The Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead, originally built by the Sikes family in 1872 and recently ...	Escondido
The Stein Family Farm 1808 F Avenue, National City Do you long for a simpler time? A time when people were more connected to ...	National City
Tecate Community Museum Calle Tlaloc No. 400, Colonia Cuauhtemoc CP, Tecate, BC	Baja
Timken Museum of Art 1500 El Prado, San Diego The only always-free museum in Balboa Park, the Timken Museum of Art offers a permanent ...	Balboa Park
USD: University of San Diego 5998 Alcalà Park, San Diego	USD
USS Midway Museum 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego	Downtown San Diego
Valley Center History Museum 29200 Cole Grade Road, Valley Center The museum features an educational exhibition centered around a California grizzly bear, described as "the ...	Valley Center
Veterans Museum and Memorial Center 2115 Park Boulevard, San Diego Memorial to men and women who served in U.S. Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and Wartime ...	Balboa Park
Villa Montezuma Museum 1925 K Street, San Diego	Sherman Heights
Vista Historical Society 2317 Foothill Drive, Vista	Vista
Wells Fargo History Museum 2733 San Diego Avenue, San Diego Museum features a working agents' office staffed by guides in period costumes and contains a ...	Old Town
Whaley House Museum 2476 San Diego Avenue, San Diego Built by Thomas Whaley in 1857 on land formerly used for public hangings, the Whaley ...	Old Town
Wisteria Cottage 780 Prospect Street, San Diego	La Jolla
The Women's Museum of California 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16, #103, San Diego	Liberty Station