Perhaps expecting a museum about comic-con and comics is too high of a bar, but this place is not worth the money. I'm not sure it should be called a museum. It's basically one main exhibit on the central floor and then Betty boop downstairs with some random costumes. It's not worth your time or money. Whoever is running this needs to be fired. read more

As an attendee of SDCC every year, I was excited to check this place out while visiting San Diego during a non-SDCC time of the year. I wasn't really sure what to expect but figured it had to be good since it is so close to the convention center, there would be props, sets and all kinds of stuff from past shows right? *right...?* Turns out, not really. At $25 a pop for adults, I was already a bit skeptical and this raised my expectations for the exhibit. After entering, you're free to explore all three floors but there really isn't much indication of what is where in the building. The main floor is a pop culture-y history exhibit, which was cool, but it really didn't have anything to do with comic-con. A lot of the displays are still relevant, but showing their age. The interactive robots and mini games were fun for about 10 seconds, but again had nothing to do with comic-con. The bottom floor was a complete blunder of design and use of the space. The walls are baren, with a row of random comic pages, covers, and display cases showing poorly graded comics and some Funko pops. There is an entire almost empty room dedicated to My Hero Academia, and next to it is an unfinished basement looking room with some random costumes. There is also a theater space that had some "panels" going on, but that really wasn't something we were interested in. Oh the elevator certificate was also expired, but don't worry they have an email taped to the wall that shows they reached out to the city in 2021 (!) showing that they tried to renew it. The top floor was also strangely laid out. An entire room with an old computer in a display case (?) in the dead center, some prints on the walls, and a "digital computing" sign that looked like someone designed in Paint Shop Pro. Down a long hall was a wall of cowboy bebop posters, that's it. Some other random stuff like a learning room where kids can color or something. There were some genuinely great exhibits, like the cardboard characters that 10-12 year olds created, and the recreation of a guys bedroom from the 70s, but again I have to ask, what do these have to do with comic-con? While we spent about an hour and a half walking around, it really didn't feel like it was worth the price of admission. The only reason I'm leaving a review is because they have a sign on the way out the door asking for one. I didn't even think to look at reviews before coming in, and now that I see the rating after the fact, I know why. Hopefully this place improves over time, it's a bit of a slap in the face to fans of SDCC and the convention in general. read more

Comic-Con Museum - IoT exhibit, pretty dated already and not really sure what this has to do with SDCC? - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

My son loved this place. He's really into drawing and action figures and the history of the comic which made this place so much better for us to visit before we head to our hotel. Nice atmosphere and customer service was great! read more

Comic-Con Museum - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great and friendly staff, what a treat to have this in San Diego. It's a place that also represents the history of comic con and they even hosts events for kids to create crafts. If you are not a big comic fan there are still interesting exhibits that relate to pop culture, so it's for everyone. The main disclaimer on this review is that I am a resident and on Tuesdays we get in for free, so my kids and I loved our experience being able to explore the whole museum. Check this place out and look at old comics create some art. read more

Strolled over to this museum after spending an hour at the Natural History Museum down the street. It's near Balboa Park which is awesome and beautiful. The main attraction was the Animation Academy and this was thoroughly enjoyable. There were tons of interactive exhibits and displays about things like stop motion, claymation, classic cartoons, etc. I really had a great time and felt like I learned a lot! It definitely didn't feel comic-forward. There was little else that was as fully developed as the animation academy section. It was cool to see some Marvel movie costumes on display, and some cardboard replicas made by kids and fans. There was also en entire room dedicated to pacman with several old playable arcade games in there. That was probably my second favorite section. There was also a TON of Gumby. This is probably because of new Gumby shows in development. But I'm a big Gumby fan so I really dug it. They also offered a scavenger hunt that you could complete as you walked through the museum, and they gave a little prize at the end. Good for kids. Kinda tiny though. I imagine they'll expand other exhibits in the future as there were several portions of the space that seemed to be under renovation. read more

Comic-Con Museum - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went to see balboa Park but ended up going going here instead lol. What a treat! In the past I use to attended comic con regularly but stopped after the halt due to COVID. Did not know this spot was here! Entry was $25 (adult) where you get to explore 3 levels of things to see. For any comic lover this was a gem. Seeing some of the art brought back some memories of my childhood. Shows like scooby doo, looney toons and the jetsons. There is a area where you can play pac-man for free. Blast from the past! Exhibit are somewhat small but I enjoyed it. Can likely tour the whole place in under an hour if you're a speedy walker and don't read all then tags. read more

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After much anticipation Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park opend in November 2021. It is only the beginning of a wonderful presentation of pop culture icons and images and I'm looking forward to more in the future. I highly recommend a membership because the exhibits will improve and some new pop culture art will replace other exhibits. There is a Star Trek exhibit of Gene Roddenberry's items with a great timeline of his life and his important science fiction creation that has spanned half a century. You now get to sit in Captain Kirk's chair and see the Gorn. Newly added to the ST exhibit are some Majel Barrett gowns from Star Trek the Next Generation and Deep Stace Nine. As you walk about you hear the voices of Michelle Yeoh, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldaña, George Takei and more quoting Gene Roddenberry. There is an Archie comics and Riverdale exhibit. A fantastic cardboard superhero sculptures. Intricate cosplay display. A newly added Dave Stevens exhibit of art, belongings and memorabilia with an amazing The Rocketeer collection. Did I spoil you with all this info. Not really. There is more and descriptions do not to the items justice. I love the huge Todd McFarlane Batman statue near the theater and the Giant Funko Pop Toucan in the lobby. This is a museum so please do not touch, unless you are in the interactive Pac-Man arcade. read more

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I got into this museum for free because they had an event there. This museum is honestly terrible not enough history or stuff to see. They do have a good collection of costumes downstairs. This museum is huge and doesn't have a lot going on. read more

Its really more of an exhibit as opposed to a museum. I could see the Spider Man exhibit as something installed in a Hall at Comic-con. With the connections, people and talent Comic-con has access to they have so much more potential to curate rare artifacts, art and memorabilia. You know... like a museum. The staff are nice and its clean inside. But overall for the high price, this is a sparse offering. Recommend they hire a museum director who understands the art of comics and has some experience with preservation, curation and promoting. San Diego is the home of Comic-con and it deserves a real museum devoted to the art of comics and pop culture. As a "museum" it's a failure. As a pop up exhibition space... OK I can see that. If they cannot up their "museum game", maybe they just change their name to adjust visitor expectations and be more honest about what this really is. How about rebranding it as "Comic-con Balboa Park Hall"? read more

Registered for Dungeons and Dragons night on 13 June 2025. Event was not organized. I am a beginner and could not even get paired up at a table. Staff did not acknowledge or attempt to assist due to how unorganized the check-in process was. I ended up leaving the event. read more

As a longtime San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) attendee, I was super excited when it was announced that a museum would be built. I became a donor and waited for the opportunity to see this museum come to fruition. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed. I visited when the Spider-Man exhibit was on display. While it was interesting, that was the extent of the museum. Art is on display, and a small SDCC exhibit is on the bottom floor, but that's pretty much it. I kept telling myself that this was a very new museum, but for the price of admission was expecting so much more. Everyone can get some enjoyment out of the museum, but the ticket price vs. the amount of time spent inside does not equal. Because of that, I cannot give it a higher rating. Maybe in 10-15 years, the museum will be a sight to behold. Until then, I'll visit the other museums and attractions at Balboa Park. read more

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Maybe not worth $30, but it was fun. They had a Spider-Man exhibition that was interesting but not much else. Maybe it's just because I'm not a comic book nerd. If you are a comic book person and love the original genre, this might be the place for you. read more

2 Stars from a Diehard Comic Con Fan I have been going to Comic Con every year since the early 90s and when I heard there was going to be a Comic Con Museum, I was ecstatic! First of all, I want to give the founder(s) a lot of credit for starting this truly one of a kind museum for an event that is embedded in San Diego history at this point. The definition of passion, courage and hope is at the core of what founding this museum is about. And that is why it's so painful to write this review because I LOVE Comic Con too! I am not going to rehash the on point criticisms some of the other reviews had. They are ON POINT for the regular visitor. I don't mind paying admission but some sort of "processing fee" too? No bueno. What really disappoints me is that I thought that this was going to be an homage to Comic Con itself. That somewhere it's be this living tribute to the evolution of an internationally recognized event. Would there be collections of badges and programs through the decades on display? Photos of some of Comic Con's most notable moments? (Ex. The rise of hall H, the move from the concourse to the 'brand new' convention center, tribute to comic legend and longtime attendee Jack Kirby, Naoko Takeuchi visiting comic con, Hollywood's impact in the 2000s, the OG Star Wars poster given out at comic con to promote this 'new' space fantasy, interviews from comic con founders, Tokyopop bags being the precursor to this past decades huge attendee bags...the list goes on). So none of that happened. Zero. Shocking since this is the Comic Con Museum. Of course I understand that some mainstream exhibits had to exist to draw your average attendee so I am aligned with the Spider Man exhibit but then the rest of the museum is dedicated to Archie and the Rocketeer. As a comics fan, kudos on showcasing less current work but to keep in line with the "mainstream" why not a retro arcade feat games/pinball feat X-Men, Star Wars, Indians Jones, classic SF...franchises that Stylin' Online would have merch for (comic con attendees know all about Stylin' Online). Maybe have a local mock Comics show (very '80s, early 90s feel) that would be akin to what Comic Con was like to your average attendee back in the day. And it comes down to money. Again, a lot of kudos goes out to the founder(s). They have achieved more with their passion for Comic Con than the 150K plus attendees have for the event. I hope they raise enough capital (financial and/or TikTok fame) to really showcase what Comic Con is all about (the history, the trends, the people that make it what it is today). I hope to update this review to 5 out of 5 stars in 5 years. Until then, there's a lot more great things to see at Balboa Park before you commit to this museum. There's even a Train Museum to satisfy your inner Sheldon Cooper. Excelsior! read more

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I am an avid museum goer and Spider-man fan - this experience was disappointing. At $30 for admission, I was hoping for more. The main floor exhibits were mostly foam core boards about Spider-man history from comics to on screen. Among the boards were framed original comic illustrations and a few props from the Spider-Man films. There were two or three photo-op spots but the interactivity level was low. I read most of the text and my visit was under an hour. The Spider-Man gift shop sold basic shirts at $30 - the same price as admission! Not a lot of variety of products here. There's a lack of signage or staff, so I stumbled upon the Archie and Rocketeer exhibits upstairs. The general vibe of the second floor was very temporary - some rooms were closed and I only found things by walking into open doors. Calling the Archie display an "exhibit" is generous - it was more like some pop up cases and panels. Downstairs had a similarly unfinished feel and the PAC Man arcade was cool but seemingly unrelated. The general gift shop had a small selection of graphic novels but not a lot of variety here, either. Hopefully they improve in the next couple of years, because it's a cool concept for a museum. If it stays the same, I will not be back. read more

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PROS: this is a brand new museum where I can see there not being any competition in. In other words, this is a one of a kind museum that's great for pop culture fans. They have a good amount of attractions but Spider-Man is currently the main feature CONS: the museum is overpriced and there's not much more beyond Spider-Man. It also doesn't participate in the "one day museum pass" where you pick 4 museums for a combined price OVERALL: if you're a pop culture fan I would suggest coming here read more

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Here in San Diego, you do find the many comics books stores that you can find the many collectibles that are from the many comic book films and the major run motion pictures that have been out in the past you can also see what the many costumes that looked like from the Star Trek Series. Yes, there are those that have played Atari Video Games there is the welcome of Pac Man at the front door yes, the Comic Con Museum is one of dreams that have come to life at Bal Boa Park. To have the pleasure of visiting the comic book museum is that I was able to see the many areas of the museum that having the jobs of repairing the many costumes which are the originals that are shipped to the museum for the general public see not many have seen costumes from the 1970s. The main part of the Museum is dedicated to Gene Rodenberry and the Star Trek series that so many have watched. There was one thing that had surprised me about the comic book museum there was an attraction that was done by students they had created a large collection of the statues which are connected to the Avengers completely made out Cardboard. To see a large display that was completed out of Cardboard to have the students that were shown teaching others at the museum the creations of the statues are just Incredible. The museum is still going through and getting more exhibits to the museum to the maim entry are when you come to the museum it is one of the largest areas off the museum it has the many areas to start your adventure. The many museums that are at Bal Boa Park you will find the great art works and the history of the world the Comic Con Museum takes you all past the many exhibits to challenge your mind. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer this is one location that is both fun and educational to see the many exhibits that are from the 60s and the 70s and till now. Discover the many adventures that are at Balboa Park . read more

Because we went during The Big Exchange and, therefore did not have to pay an entrance fee, I mistakenly thought that this museum could not cheat us. I was wrong. My son wanted to do the photo booth. No prices were listed outside but I assumed it was around $6.99 - like the zoo. Well, it was $10 but we did not see that until my card was in and there was no way to cancel. Ok. We selected Groot and proceeded with the picture. We then received a popup receipt: "$30 Paid!" $30! There was still no way to go back or cancel. It had already charged my card. We sought help and a woman went over to try to access the machine. After a few minutes she told us that she was trying to find a way to give us more pictures but that she was unable to do so. I do not want more pictures! Who needs $30 worth of pictures from a photo booth? I wanted my money refunded - as it should have been. She said that they rented the machines and that they could not help and that I would need to call the company. Don't we all know how that call would go? Now, I have to try to initiate a chargeback request through Square. I have to see if that's even possible. As I told her, it was readily apparent as to why they had so many 1 star reviews. They are quite literally stealing from people - in every way that they can. As for the "museum," the entire main floor consists of a Batman statute, the entrance booth, some vending machines, a scavenger hunt with a poster prize that not even my 12 year old wanted and a "store." The store looked like something out of a cheap flea market. We did not bother with the rest as we were so disgusted by this experience. Oh, and yes, the top floor is closed which-of course- they did not tell the people in line until they had paid. As we were exiting, there was a group of people entering. I made sure to tell them what had happened and they turned around and left. I am happy that I at least managed to save one group from being cheated. Moral of the story, even if it's free entrance day or The Big Exchange, these thieves will still manage to steal from you. Frankly, the city should have shut them down long ago. They remind me of those kiosks that pop up in malls right before Christmas. Then, come Christmas morning, the toy doesn't work and the kiosk is long gone. They share the same lack of principles. read more

My husband and I just kept asking, "Is that it?" Maybe our fault for expecting the Comic Con Museum to be about Comic Con. For $25, we were disappointed. read more

I joined as a tier-2 member prior to attending the San Diego Comic-Con Special Edition. The membership included a 1 day admission to the museum. They had a shuttle running every 30 minutes from the Convention Center over to the museum at Balboa Park. Upon entering, the Comic-Con Toucan statue was there to greet me. The museum was comprised of 3 levels. The main level was pretty all that you needed to see. The main attraction was Gene Roddenberry and all of the various Star Trek items, equipment, and costumes. This alone was worth the visit if you're remotely a Star Trek fan. If Star Trek isn't your cup of tea, there are also other items on display. The costumes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe was pretty nice to see them up close. They also had costumes from the DC Universe. The Cardboard Superheroes were pretty impressive. The models were made out of cardboard by two brothers. One is in high school and the other is in 8th grade. They recreated characters from Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar. They also had a corner dedicated to Archie Comics. This was just a tad before my time, so I didn't spend much time in this section of the museum. The Pac-Man section was pretty cool! Now this was a big part of my childhood! So much nostalgia! The arcade games were available for people to play. Since we're still in the middle of a pandemic, I wasn't too keen on playing any of the games. Maybe some other time. On the upper level, they had a Cardboard Superheroes maker lab and a cosplay creator's lab. I only did a quick walk-through, but that looked like it would be fun for kids. Along the hall there were art pieces that I believe belongs to Charles Addams. Then there was a room called, Out of the Darkness: Comic Art in the Times of Covid. Besides the 2 labs, this level of the museum was a little ho-hum for me. On the lower level, they had some nice costumes on display. In the theater they had the Comic-Con Museum character hall of fame induction ceremonies video playing on a continuous loop. I used the restroom before going back up to the main level. I checked out the gift shop before heading out. The selection was pretty sparse with nothing really worth purchasing. I hope they continue to update some of the exhibits as well as the souvenirs in the gift shop. read more

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Well, not at all what I was expecting. Being called "The Comic-Com Museum", I was thinking we would see stuff that you would see at Comic-Con (or at least be about the history of it or something like that). Nope! A lady working there had told me they change the exhibits often, so depending on what they have, that's what you would see; so I guess it's best to check online before going. My kids and I were a bit disappointed with it. At this time, they had "Popnology" (which the lady says was kind of like science meets technology), and Betty Boop (which the kids don't care about; was before their time). We were hoping to see super heroes and all the fun stuff.... With what they had this time, it was ok. They had a few other things that fell into the science/technology area that were cool. The kid's favorite part was the Maker area where you could make your own drawings like they would when making comics, that was about it. But at least we got to bring home a lil memory of the time we had together there. We might try another time when they have different exhibits. read more

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The exhibits they had were good. However, there's not a lot to look at even though they had three floors. On the 1st floor there were a few posters with some muppet on them, a batman statue, and a little movie theatre with short films about the museum. The movie did not keep my attention or my husband's and he can watch most anything. The third floor had an exhibit about Rocketeer. I know nothing about this character so I wasn't interested in this exhibit either. So the main floor, the second floor, had the most which was a display of characters made of cardboard by talented kids. Very impressive. Another exhibit was the Archie display. I was mildly interested in this one since I am somewhat familiar with this comic strip character. There was also display of some costumes of some other characters that I can't remember who they were. The two exhibits we spent the most time on were the StarTrek one and the Pac Man one. My husband is a big fan of Star Trek and I kinda got into it so it was interesting to read about Gene Roddenberry and the Star Trek series. They also had a display of some of the costumes from the series along with a couple of characters from the early years. I liked the Lego displays. The last room we went to was Pac Man. The exhibit itself was okay. But they had a few of the arcade games for Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, and Pac Man Jr. so that was fun to play and realize that I am no longer good at them. But it was fun to reminisce. So if you are much into comic-con and the exhibits that I described then this museum might be worth the visit. My husband and I enjoy Comic-Con but are not huge fans so it took us maybe 30 minutes to go through everything. Tickets are $19.95 per adult. We went because we received free tickets. For me it's not worth it for now. I know this museum is fairly new. Hopefully they will add a lot more to it. It's rather sparse as is. read more

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Comic-Con Museum doesn't officially open until 2021, but if its even a quarter as awesome as the temporary Batman exhibit they had during Comic Con, this place is going to be glorious geek heaven. I was honored to be invited as a volunteer for the opening party, so long as I dressed as classic TV Robin, which I've happily done before for the museum. I mingled with celebrities, producers, artists, and even got to meet the original Catwoman, Leigh Meriwhether. The costume, prop, and art displays were incredible, especially the Batmobiles! Great day! We still have to wait almost 2 years until the grand opening, but in the meantime the museum still hosts events and activities all related to science, education, and pop culture. Like their Facebook page and follow on Twitter so you can stay informed of it all. read more

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Not worth $25. For as big as the real convention is in San Diego... this museum's experience was completely lacking.

Made it here on 7/20/2019 during comic con weekend and stood in line for 20 min before venturing inside the newly opened Comic Con Museum! What a fun and amazing pop up experience for Batman!! We enjoyed our time here, wasn't too crowded with the crowd control and so happy it was free admission too! 3 floors of activities or exhibits and we enjoyed the punching bag of villains room. Lots of interactive video games, costumes, bat mobile and artwork too! Worth our time to come out and experience at least once while at Balboa Park! :) read more

Comic-Con Museum - The Batman experience 7/20/2019 - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

The museum is still fairly new, so they don't really have much to do and look at. It's definitely a great concept and much needed documentation of all things Comic Con related, especially to the San Diego area. Museum itself is 3 levels and pretty spacious. We spent about an hour here looking at everything. We definitely enjoyed the PAC man room. I'm hoping they continue to add more exhibits and host more events in the future. It's in a great location in Balboa park. Parking is free nearby. read more

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4 stars for being a good neighbor in Balboa Park. The second Tuesday of each month, the museum is FREE to all. Yes, San Diego residents and everyone else. My husband and I like to do different things so that we keep on learning. We read a Union Tribune newspaper article about the new Betty Boop exhibit. And, we thoroughly enjoyed the small, but informative exhibit. And, they play several 1930 silent movies and late1930 talkies. Entertaining and delightful to see. Also on the third floor, the museum offers a few Hollywood costumes and personally made cosplay costumes. The Al floor offers several reading exhibits as well as hands-on exhibits. Great for kids. Staff was friendly and informative. And, we appreciated it. read more

We were here on a free Tuesday in the summertime so of course there were a lot of people to see the museum, but once we were inside it was calm and enjoyable. The staff is amazing with giving personal attention and channeling people through the exhibits keeping everything flowing. I loved the different stations where you could create your own animation. The staff was extremely helpful and patient. My son was here with a camp of kids with varying abilities, and the staff handle it expertly. I would like to commend Jim Beigel who made my son feel special as well as the participants in his group. read more

Comic-Con Museum - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

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I honestly thought this place was better than I expected. Giving this a 4 out of 5 stars. The museum has a lot of potential and will continue to get better with exhibits, events, and programs. My girlfriend and I enjoyed walking through the museum and loved the experience that the museum provided. This place is family friendly, but I would advise that the kids should be at least 8 years old and up ( To enjoy fully the museum). Currently exhibits on display are SPIDER-MAN, 80 Years of Archie, The art of Dave Stevens, Pac-Man arcade. Customer Service: Everyone here was awesome and friendly. Restrooms: Clean read more

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Giving it two stars because my kid enjoyed it BUT for 30 minutes. WAY overpriced and I have no problems paying premium for anything that is enjoyable. not as interactive as we anticipated. We paid ~$80 for three ppl and I would've been upset paying $40 for this visit. Hard pass. Oh and the store...we spent $25 on t shirts that look like Etsy.com material. read more

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If you are someone who appreciates the history of conventions, fandom and cosplay do not waste your time and money coming here. As someone who had been going to SDCC since I was 6 I was incredibly dissappointed to find that the gift shop had more variety than the exhibit itself. The comic con museum has the absolute bare minimum dedicated to the actual convention. At the time of going it was clear to me that all of the money and effort was put into the Spiderman section which I imagine is cool if you are someone who really likes Spiderman. The rest of the museum was just sad compared to this floor. The top floor was an exhibit about Ernest Hemmingway and comics which was an oddly specific choice. It's quite literally just a plain white room filled with various comic pages that have something to do with Ernest Hemmingway. And if you don't care for Hemmingway or have kids with you you will breeze through this room almost entirely. The lower floor has what you would assume would be a section dedicated to cosplay and the masquerade as the one (and only) display is of a few different cosplays (all unfortunately made by the same creator with no variety in fandoms or skill level) but we entered the theatre only to be greeted by a video playing on Pac Man. Because when I think of San Diego Comic Con I think of all the diehard Pac Man fans. For $30 a person I wouldn't even consider trying again, even if they switch up the exhibits. The Comic Con museum needs to take a good hard look into the history of THEIR OWN CONVENTION and influence on fandom culture if they actually have any interest in appealing to attendees who would be interested in supporting such thing. Seriously. I don't think it would be that hard to actually do a museum based on a convention that has been running since the 70s and is now the worlds biggest. But there is nothing to be found about the conventions start, the people who made the convention what it is today, quite literally nothing about the con itself save for the sad masquerade display. Do better Comic Con museum. You guys make enough money with how many people come to San Diego every year for the con. read more

This museum is fun! Now, it has just opened, but it's a very large space when tons of potential. A necessary museum for the kid inside. In my first visit, there were cosplay winners on display, a Gene Roddenberry exhibit, and a Pac-Man exhibit. read more

Comic-Con Museum - Cultural Center Near Me - San Diego, California

50 dollars for two people. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk through and see everything. What was there to see, was lack luster. The top floor was just a hallway of cardboard sculptures. The second level was just action figures in a case. The bottom floor was comprised of a few comics and costumes that looked the quality of a school theater. For 50 dollars, my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. read more

Wow wow wow! They did such an amazing job with this place! This exhibit was a pop up for the Comic Con and the first inductee is Batman, and they absolutely hit the mark. The lighting in the Batman exhibits are all dark, obviously. The perfect tone was set. Multiple batmobiles were on display, the bat signal, several comic covers, as well as costumes from the movies and the "Gotham" show. The massive running video going over the characters first appearances was so good and entertaining, they have a 6 foot black and white stature next to it designed by Legendary artist Todd McFarlane. The bottom level is fun, very kid friendly, they had almost every Batman video game you can play in the "Batcave", and a "Rogue Gallery" where you can punch a boxing bag with the villains on it that make those fun "BAM!" noises from the 60's show. Such a great job, I didn't want to leave. They also have a VR experience and an iFly "Dark Knight Dive" set up. It was very entertaining and immersive. This place will make you feel like you are in Gotham City! IG Tip: Great Comic Backdrop of Gotham specifically for picture taking. Also, a picture next to the Bat signal (don't use your flash, just adjust the camera settings) read more

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This museum was a sadly a disappointment- as comic book fans and Marvel fans we were so excited to find this museum- it is a big facility, but it offers very little. The main floor has the Spider-Man exhibit, which had maybe 3 photo-ops, and 2 movie props, the rest were only comic book pages. The top floor is very sparse with only Rockteer and Archie memorabilia, and the downstairs only has 5 costumes. They could definitely add so much to make this a wonderful experience for fans. It was neat to see the Spider-Man stuff, but I wouldn't recommend this museum- aside from it not offering a lot, it was also the most expensive of all the museums we visited that day. read more

We paid $30 each to visit the Spider-Man exhibit. For that entrance fee, the whole museum should be much more fleshed out. I believe this is the most expensive entrance fee of any museum in all of Balboa Park (I know of at least one that is free, and others that are half this price and more interesting) so that sets the expectations. The Spider-Man exhibit largely consisted of black and white pasteboards from the history of the comics. As a graphic designer who used to work on exactly this type of material, I was probably more interested than most people to look at them, and I still thought it was a bit too monotonous. There were a few props from the movies, digital displays of changing graphics, and life size Spider-Man figures, but the overall design and layout of this could have been much better to hold people's attention. Modern pop-up experiences have changed expectations as well--with as much space as this museum has, a few dramatic photo spots would go a long way (posing with a web, or perched on a building top with Spidey? So many possibilities...) The rest of the museum was very meh unless you're specifically ravingly into The Rocketeer or Archie. Both rooms felt drab though. Again, the Archie room could have had a couple of photo stations without taking anything from display after display of Archie comics themselves. The basement/lower level had some cosplay costumes. On the one hand, cool, but OTOH I would rather see the real thing? Best world: show both! I overheard more than one person comment on their disappointment at how little was down there, and feeling kinda duped into going down the stairs expecting more. Spider-Man gift shop: a lot of inventory, not a lot of variety. If you wanted a beanie baby, t-shirt, or puzzle, they've got you covered. If you wanted enamel pins, stickers, or other ephemera...not so much. Better off going to Etsy. (Edit: I bought a 3000 piece puzzle at the shop for $60. I've mostly bought 1000 piece puzzles, so I didn't really have an expectation for the price of a 3000 piece puzzle. I was extremely disappointed to learn that the exact same puzzle, not a knockoff, has an MSRP of $40, and is commonly available online for $35. I strongly recommend you do your research before buying anything at the museum that could be bought elsewhere) My feeling is that the Comic-Con museum should have more and better exhibits than a Planet Hollywood cafe...not less/worse. read more

Honestly, if you're like my husband, a huge marvel and Spiderman fan- it's worth every penny. Seeing him relive his comic collecting years and childhood memories was very enjoyable. If I went alone I wouldn't have liked it much because my husband literally went through and explained everything for me lmao read more

The Spider-Man Exhibit was was nice which took the middle floor but besides that there really wasn't anything else at all that you could call a Comic-Con Museum. One whole floor was closed. And the lower floor was 6 costumes and that's it. There was a small Pac-Man area but the Spider-Man Exhibit was supposed to be addition to the Comic-Con Museum. I honestly had more Comic-Con content at home that I could use then they did. read more

This place took me back to my younger years. When life was simple. It was very educational and the staff as very helpful read more

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I think in a decade or so this will be a great museum, but we went today and it just felt like this huge space with nothing in it. Second story was about a dozen original pages of a comic nobody has read in 30 years (Rocket man) and a room a modern age Archie comics. Bottom floor was empty but for a movie theater showing a 10 minute clip of a retrospective on wonder woman, middle floor is where most of the exhibit was, it had a very cool exhibit on gene Roddenberry, and a pretty bad one on pac man and two small exhibits of cool fan art. I'm a bit worried it won't be here in 10 years though, I was there on a very busy Saturday and there was maybe 10 people in the whole museum. There's souch cool stuff to do, It just didn't feel fun. read more

It cost $54 for my 7 yr old & Ito spent 1 hour before it closed. He really wanted to see SpiderMan exhibit for some time. #1 they do not participate with Balboa Explorer Pass (which are a pass for all museums) at the very least a discount since pass holders support the arts in Balboa. The workers seemed annoyed to be there (doorman was great). I hope Balboa Parks reconsiders this place- not worth it! read more