Navy/Top Gun fan or not, this is a must see when in San Diego…read more Its an easy walk from Gaslamp and along the harbor. Tickets are reasonably priced. Its a self guided tour with a mechanism you get when you walk in that allows you more information at each spot. There's a 15 minute movie option. I do suggest you start with that then head up to the flight deck before it gets too hot. Tons of picture options, including an iconic Maverick & Goose shot. From there they'll lead you to a part of the tour you can only see with a guide, the rest is on your own. There will be several spots where you'll be like hmmm this was in Top Gun. Definitely don't skip this tour.

Who in their right mind leaves a review less than 5 stars for a museum that allows us to walk in…read morethe shoes of the brave soldiers who came before us? Midway is anything BUT mid. Great success!

My wife and I decided to go here on Memorial Day and it was such a great experience!…read more It was very spacious, the wind was crisp , and it smelled amazing . If you haven't visited this garden , I recommend you do ! Also , Students / 55+ / military receive a discount .

I wanted to love it like I loved the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park is San Francisco…read more Layers. Color. Amazing. Go look online. Balboa Part iteration just wasn't it. Pretty but also ho-hum when you grew up with something so magical. Also, the parking g sucked!! Not only do you have to pay, but there is one single machine to pay. Huge and pack lot. There are better ways to spend the afternoon....which I hate saying because at my core, I like a park/museum situation and look to those venues fir food times in any city where I'm a tourist.

A Funday Sunday Adventure! It takes a lot to get me downtown on a weekend if it's not for a great…read moremeal or a baseball game. Usually super busy, crowded and some areas very smelly, I'd rather kiss a pig than be there. The WNDR museum caught my eye. Saw some ads and had nothing planned. Checked tickets and availability was wide open for that day. Easy entering the lobby as well as starting our tour whenever we preferred. There were exhibits upstairs and down. Many were pretty cool with mirrors and lights which made for some WOW moments. Other guests generally moved at about the same pace as us. Some stayed in certain areas for extended time, which, at times caused some backlog of movement. Restrooms located adjacent to the snack bar which is just beyond the entrance/ lobby. Easily a great visit for the young and young at heart! I believe the WNDR museum is scheduled to close at the end of August '25.

Really cool museum, small but plenty of exhibits! My kiddo was fascinated! Must buy tickets online,…read morestreet parking or park in the parking structure near by. They have a little cafe, small little store to purchase souvenirs, clean bathrooms. Would definitely recommend!

Such an amazing place to learn about history, geology, animals, nature, and even dinosaurs! Their…read morelife-size dinosaurs are fascinating!. My son was amazed at how real they look! We started in the basement and worked our way up to the 4th floor. Please come early to see the entire place cos the museum is humongous! We spent 2 hours and felt like it wasn't enough haha we're definitely coming back!! We learned a lot from this visit. Please checkout their mini games with one of their staff at 3rd floor and win prizes! My favorite part was the Washed Ashore. Must see! The museum is part of the Museums For All program. They offer free entry to EBT/SNAP or WIC cardholders. Just bring the card and ID. ENJOY!

This is always a fun time. If your expecting a quiet museum trip, this is not your museum. It is…read morealways filled with kids and loud. However it's really meant to be that way, very interactive and fun. There are currently 4 levels. LL, 1, 2, and 3. 4 is currently under construction. LL is fossils. 1 floor is gift shop and kids rooms. 2nd floor is dinosaur and local animal habitat. 3rd floor is gems and library. There is enough stuff in here to keep you busy for a couple hours. Lots of San Diego native stuff and facts about where we live. I will say to me it's a little small and everytime something is closed. But still fun to go, I would just aim for a free day if your a local or if your a visitor it's worth to learn about San Diego and natural history.

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.

Second year (2019) I've been to Wonderspaces and I had a blast with my best friend but I enjoyed…read morelast year's more. Adult admission this year was $27, which I think increased from last year. If you have a school ID, I strongly recommend to use it! It becomes $20/person +$1 fee when ordered online. It was extremely packed in this area on a Saturday, so plan accordingly. We paid $10 for parking at the lot that's about a less than 5 min walk away. This might be the Millennial in me talking... but there weren't as many photos ops, in my opinion, compared to the other years. There were a few exhibits that I would have liked to see and we signed up for the wait list on the tablets, but it said there were over 100 people waiting, we never got a text back, and then ended up leaving. It seemed like there were a lot of people just waiting around the common areas and I'm assuming it's for those exhibits. On the plus side, it was indeed fun. They serve red and white wine (right under $9), which we ordered and made the trip a blast ;) The exhibits that we did see, especially with the lights and colored yarn, were awesome. I just didn't favor the one in the dark room where you hear a bunch of cars crashing over and over...it got me paranoid... but hey it's art. The confession wall was interesting and sometimes even funny. Overall, it was a fun experience and have no regrets in going! Every employee was super friendly and willing to answer any questions

Visiting San Diego over the weekend can lead to several exciting things, the immersive art…read moreexperience was definitely not immediately the experience I was looking for, but certainly an experience that was truly appreciated. If you have a couple hours to explore more than just your visual sense then I recommend stripping down and diving into the latest of the Marina's art venues. A few of my favorite exhibits include: "Experiment 2.C" takes you high above the clouds. "We Are All Made of Light" places you deep into space as you may imagine life among the stars to be. "Rainbow Room" allows you to live among the different colors and textures of life. "Where Thoughts Go" provides you with a VR experience of hearing other's intimate thoughts and life experiences and sharing your own before drifting away. The collection of art displayed and your experience with each is immeasurable, unforgettable and definitely worth visiting over and over again. Looking forward to seeing more this.

A beautiful conservatory that houses over 2,000 plants. It's humid and feels like you have just…read morestepped into a mini jungle. It's very photogenic and the best part is that it's free to everyone. Weekday mornings are the best time to visit because this place is popular and gets very crowded. I always leave wanting to purchase more plants for my home.

What do you mean no lilies in the lily pond?…read more Zero. Also, pay parking is awful. I can forgive the no lilies, but the parking situation - abhorrent.

You can purchase your tickets online at a discounted rate. Parking is free. They have several…read morehandicap parking spots available. I haven't visited this lovely aquarium in a couple of years, it is still well maintained. We arrived in time for the sea dragon feeding and penguin feeding. The staff is very knowledgeable, such a great place for children to learn about sea life. We loved seeing all of the sea animals, our favorites were the sea dragons, octopus & the touch pool. We loved the gift shop! Definitely check this small aquarium out.

I've always wanted to go to Birch Aquarium and so glad I finally made my way. I liked the right…read moreside of the aquarium the best. It was neat seeing the jellyfish, large aquarium display, and the seahorses! The interactive area outside was underwhelming and had very little sea life to explore. The view of the vast ocean was stunning though! The left side of the aquarium had one leopard shark. There was also an area for the kids to play. Overall the aquarium was small and would be worthwhile for them to consider an upgrade.