Highly recommend coming and checking out the SDASm's Annex. The staff is extremely friendly and…read morehelpful. Very knowledgeable about the aircraft they have displayed. They also have some fun pedal cars and things available for kids. A great place to come, learn about some aviation history and spend time at the airport.

I am always energized by Museum Month in San Diego. Whoops, the Gillespie Field Annex does not…read morehonor Museum Month. So, I paid the $10 fee. A very chatty docent offered me a tour of the normally off-limits restoration hangar, and I enjoyed that. There is a MiG 21 in there under restoration as well as a recently painted yellow T-34 (as I recall). My attention was on the MiG. Outside, there is an interesting lineup of military aircraft, including one of San Diego's own, an F-102. The Atlas missile is also a San Diego product, as is the pedestal-mounted drone. Unfortunately, all the aircraft are showing signs of weather damage, some more than others. At least the canopies have been covered with blue tarps. The placard describing the deep blue Douglas A2D Skyshark indicated that of the 12 aircraft produced, it is the only survivor. Why is this uniquely rare aircraft displayed outside? Can't room be found for it in the Balboa Park location? It's a Navy aircraft with folding wings, so it wouldn't take up much space. It is a restoration facility, as well as a sort of catch-all for miscellaneous artifacts, most of which are aircraft-related. That said, it has a haphazard look about it that perhaps can be improved.

The Lakeside Museum is a well kept secret. The building began its long life as the rectory/home for…read morethe Church next door's pastors and their families for almost 100 years. Now it houses a wide variety of antiques and items from Lakeside's long colorful history! A personal favorite is the machine women would use to give their hair a "permanent". If you're interested in the paranormal history of Lakeside you need to stop by for a visit! As a paranormal investigator, I've conducted 2 full investigations of the museum and the Church, one in 2014 and another in 2017. My written analysis's of all recording devices along with a portable hard drive with these files are filed in the nearby Lakeside Historical Society's office and are available to the public.

On February 28, 2026 we visited the Air and Space museum in Balboa Park…read more We definitely enjoyed the museum and all of the exhibits. One of the volunteers showed us how to start the messerschmitt jet engine. This was fascinating. While there, we also had the pleasure of visiting the flight path grill. The hamburgers were fantastic! We wanted to thank the person that grilled them but they are behind closed doors. We couldn't believe the hamburgers cost only $8. The hamburgers were far better than the $22 hamburgers we got at our hotel! We really appreciated having such an enjoyable experience and hope you will give the person that grilled those hamburgers something special.

Whenever we visit a new city, we always try to check three things off our list: visit a museum, do…read moresomething on the water (if applicable) & catch a sports game. The San Diego Air & Space Museum was our museum pick for this trip & it was a fun, educational morning! My husband is a retired Army veteran & enjoys planes, aviation history & anything military-related, so this museum was right up his alley. We could have spent hours exploring all of the exhibits, aircraft, artifacts & historical displays. One of the highlights of our visit was meeting a super outgoing docent shortly after we walked in. Somehow, he kept magically popping up throughout the museum during our visit, sharing fascinating tidbits & fun facts about whatever exhibit we happened to be looking at. You could tell he genuinely loved being there & his enthusiasm made the entire experience even more engaging & personal. (My apologies for not remembering his name. He was an Air Force B-52 pilot & bonded with hubby over their shared military service.) Another really cool aspect of the museum is its location directly in the flight path of the airport. Planes were flying overhead every couple of minutes, which honestly added so much atmosphere to the visit. Hearing & seeing aircraft constantly overhead while walking through the exhibits made the whole experience feel extra immersive. The vintage Pacific Southwest Airlines stewardess uniforms on display were awesome! The museum does a great job balancing serious aviation history with quirky, interesting pieces of airline culture & design history. This was definitely a worthwhile visit - whether you are an aviation buff or just looking for an interesting & interactive museum experience. We both had a great time!

The tour is a must signup. They have tiny, light chairs to take from room to room…read more The tour was two hours long. There is so much knowledge that you pickup if you see, hear and are able to question at one time. We had a lovely picnic after the tour.The picnic tables are located below in the parking lot on the left. Please call and verify the time of your tour as it may email you a incorrect starting time. There are only two tour times a day. It is only $8.00 / $6.00 to tour on your own but I strongly suggest buying the two hour guided tour.

So this place is definitely one of the coolest looking museums I've ever been too. Very nicely…read moredone, I loved that each room was completely different and the dinosaurs were all really cool. This museum is definitely on the religious side rather than science. Whatever you believe you'll still have a cool time, but there was a lot of things that I would say are not facts. Great book store as well, and pretty big! I think it's worth a visit to learn or just have a different experience.

We stumbled upon the San Diego Natural History Museum after noticing their rooftop dining, and it…read moreturned out to be a fantastic spur-of-the-moment decision. Across four full stories, the museum is packed with impressive exhibits featuring prehistoric bones, wildlife displays, and regional art. We caught an informative film on San Diego's natural environment in the theater and thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on interactive stations--matching bugs and identifying animal scat was surprisingly fun! The true highlight, however, was the rooftop Sunday brunch. The food was excellent, the views were wonderful, and the cashier serving us was exceptionally warm and welcoming. I highly recommend a visit, and definitely make sure to take advantage of the rooftop brunch!

We visited during The Nat at Night when the tickets were half price, then there is access to the…read morerooftop; and the 5 floors of the museum. This experience is during the summer, and starts at 5pm on Fridays/ We arrived just before 5pm, entered and then headed to the rooftop. There were food and beverages offered and the views were amazing. Getting there right at 5 and going to the rooftop first was the best decision becuase the area is limited occupacy and once it's full there is a line waiting for some people to leave before you can then access the rooftop. There were so many people in attendance, it was great to see. It was a warm evening and the rooftop got pretty warm, then once we went into the museum it took a while to cool down. Not sure how that could be remedied, but the AC seemed to be a little inefficient for the number of people. Even if you aren't interested in going to the rooftop, the discounted price for 5pm to 11pm was a great option to explore the museum. I do recommend it! Lots to see and I was most interested in the Washed Ashore exhibit; art created with trash that has washed up on the beaches.

Warbirds West is been such a BLAST to be a part of! The people are fun and enthusiastic. There are…read morealways projects to do and new things learn and new people to meet. Just in my first year I've been able to attend: air shows - in town and out of town; lots of monthly pancake breakfasts; movie nights; dinner/dance with band; formation flying; flyovers; drive military vehicles; celebrate veterans; create quality friendships and meet fascinating people, many of whom are veterans. As an Aircraft Sponsor Member, I get to fly in warbirds with people I admire and trust and look forward to more! :)

Had a good collection of antique planes and trucks, but this place no longer exists. He suddenly…read morevanished and, from what I understand, re-emerged in Redding, CA.

The Japanese Friendship Garden was a stunning place to get married. We got married on the koi pond…read moredeck this past Saturday. The location felt very private and serene with the way Marina sections off garden paths. Plenty of beautiful photo opportunities throughout the garden. Marina, as venue manager, was professional, communicative, and very warm and friendly. She made us feel comfortable and confident that we would have a beautiful wedding, and we did.

What: beautiful Japanese garden with large koi ponds. It's a beautiful path to walk and we were…read morethere for about 2 hours. I recommend getting there when they open as there is less crowds and it's cooler. They also have a gift store inside and several vendors set up selling foods and drink. Price: $16 for adults, $14 for students. Parking: we parked in the closest lot and paid $5.

The SD museums of art is at the balboa park amongst other museums and beautiful outdoor flowers,…read moresceneries, etc. there were many tourists out that day including school field trips, groups, etc. I used the gocity pass to check in at the front desk and then I was able to enjoy the museum. It is two stories big offering stairs and elevators. They have security on each art room/ theme area. I was able to observe many paintings that were diverse and unique. Some are antiques kept there for everyone to admire. They have clean restrooms available as well. Bring comfortable shoes because there is pretty to walk around. Staff were very nice and checking went smoothly as well. The sticker you are given can be used all day long to come back to the same Museum. Most museums open at 10AM but plenty of people arrive earlier. I took public transportation to get up there and that was easy.

It had been a minute since I was here last. There were some new exhibits I thoroughly enjoyed:…read more Cafes and Cabarets: the spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrec known for his beguiling portraits of Paris nightlife and immortalizing the cabaret culture of Belle Époque Paris. Chanell Stone: Undulation of a Rupture during a journey through the Mississippi Delta. Black and white photographs invite reflection on the Mississippi River as both a natural force and a historical passageway. The museum created an atmosphere of this exhibit with a deeply emotional connection and experience. Graciela Iturbide, arguably Latin America's best-known living photographer from Mexico. This exhibition surveys her most iconic photographs, primarily captured in Mexico, but also worldwide. Also, Dutch Paintings on loan from Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I came during the Great Exchange and it was free if you have membership with a participating museum. It's also free for San Diego residents on the third Tuesday of the month. Two things that surprised me: The first being half of upstairs was closed to prepare for new exhibits. Secondly, several Gallery Attendants behaved very strangely and were definitely not friendly or welcoming. There were two different exhibits where I was viewing the museum app on my phone and witnessed the attendants walking around in circles quickly. It was distracting and odd. I got the impression they didn't want me to linger but I ignored them and they finally stopped. I asked a question to another attendant and he seemed annoyed like I was disturbing him. The friendly women security guards were absolutely wonderful! Lastly, free parking was available for several hours as long as you previously registered with the city. Check out the map online for the different locations.