Attended my first -art and wellbeing experience this weekend. Diana was the most amazing docent…read more She walked us through some breath work and some great impressionists. This is a small event and lovely way to spend an hour at the museum. Just grab a ticket to the museum and check in at the booth up front and the experience begins. Diana spent time talking about breathing and grounding your self. While you are given a notepad and pencil to write notes and try to recreate the art. Don't worry you don't have to share tour impressions or art. The experience was located in one room and after we explored the rest of the museum and it is interesting at how different you look at the works in front of you when you are relaxed and in the headspace to experience . Bonus shout out to the museum which is over 100 years old and continues to bring the community together to enjoy and experience the art. I did not take any pictures because I was enjoying the moment.

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.

Free art museum in Balboa Park! It's small, but I really enjoyed the artwork! We had just come…read morefrom the Botanical Building and had some time to kill. This worked out perfect!

Such a lovely, well-curated museum!…read more The Christmas decorations as we walked in are beautiful and welcoming. The rooms are small but thoughtfully laid out. It wasn't crowded so we were able to take our time in admiring the details and history of each wonderfully preserved art piece. It's definitely worth the stop and time to appreciate the Timken Museum!

The Japanese Friendship Garden was easily one of the prettiest and most peaceful stops during my…read moretime in San Diego. If you enjoy walking around, taking in beautiful scenery, and getting some great photos along the way, this place is absolutely worth visiting. The garden is very walkable, and there are gorgeous views around seemingly every corner. As someone who loves photography, I had my camera working overtime. Between the landscaping, bridges, waterfalls, plants, and all of the little details throughout the garden, there are so many great opportunities for photos. The koi pond was probably my favorite part. The koi were BEAUTIFUL, and I could have stood there watching them swim around forever. It was easily one of the most relaxing parts of my visit. A fun fact I learned is that the garden opened in 1991 and was created as an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. The garden continued to expand over the years, including the addition of a grove with around 200 cherry trees in 2015. So there is actually quite a bit of history and meaning behind all of the beauty. Definitely a 5 star experience for me. Peaceful, gorgeous, easy to explore, and an absolute dream if you enjoy photography. I would gladly come back, especially during cherry blossom season!

We visited during our trip to San Diego & oh my goodness, it was absolutely amazing…read more This is such a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature. Located inside Balboa Park, you can tour the museums in the area, but don't forget to stop and take a moment to smell the flowers at the Japanese Friendship Garden... There were so many beautiful birds, butterflies, koi, and plants I've never seen before. The grounds were very clean and well manicured. Pricing to get in was about $60 for a family of 4 (including student pricing for our children) which may be a bit steep if you have young children with thin patience.. however, if you are able to come in and find your Zen for a couple hours, this is the spot to do so. They offer free crafts for visitors- when we were there they were doing an origami workshop, which seemed very fun. However, our kids weren't up For it- so we did not participate. Would definitely visit again in the future!

My wife wanted to stopped by here the moment we arrived to San Diego. We been here before like five…read moreyears ago when we first started dating. There different parking lot you can park at but I chose the parking lot near the Organ Pavilion area. Since we came before lunch time, I was able to find a good spot and you'll have to pay for parking here. My wife wanted to check out the Botanical Garden building first and then we went to the Art Center so my wife can shop over there. We also saw a long line of people looking to buy plants at Casa Del Prado. We didn't stay long because the sun was starting to come out and our daughter was getting fussy.

Balboa Park is one of my favorite places to visit in San Diego. Every time I come down here to…read morevisit my daughter who is studying in San Diego, I try to stop by if I have some free time just to walk around and relax. This place is more than just a park. I really enjoy the beautiful gardens, historic buildings, and unique Spanish style architecture. The area around the California Tower is especially beautiful. Walking around here and taking in the peaceful atmosphere is always a nice experience. I usually park in one of the parking lots inside the park (around $10). If you are lucky, you may find free parking in the surrounding areas, but honestly, parking can be difficult, especially on busy days. What I like most about Balboa Park is that you don't need to visit all the museums to enjoy this place. You can simply walk around, enjoy the gardens, take pictures, and relax. One thing to keep in mind is that the park is very large. If you don't plan ahead, you may end up walking more than expected. But that is also what makes this place special , every visit gives you a chance to see something different.

Lovely space with cool off-hour events. Went to poetry reading and would love to participate in…read moretheir poetry Monday meetings! Mingei is one of my favorite stops in Balboa Park. It's not a huge museum, which honestly makes it easy to enjoy in a short time without feeling museum fatigue. Exhibits are thoughtfully put together and focus on the artistry and craftsmanship of everyday objects, which feels both accessible and surprisingly inspiring. We spent time with the exhibits and then wandered through the gift shop, which is easily one of the best museum shops around, full of cool books, ceramics, jewelry, and gifts you won't find everywhere else. The space itself is bright, modern, and welcoming, making it a great place to slow down and appreciate beautiful things. There's a cool restaurant downstairs too.

The Mingei Internation Museum is so cute!…read more Although we didn't pay the admission for the upstairs exhibit, we thoroughly enjoyed all the colorful Armadillos on display on the first floor. We then spent some time browsing through unique items at the gift shop. There is large cafe on the opposite side. There are additional interesting displays (behind glass), right outside the entrance. We may check out the upstairs at our next visit.

Came on a complimentary day and saw Cat Gunn's work. Interesting show. Glad we had the chance to…read morecheck it out!

Interesting exhibit. Free the day we went. I love art and all things art. Spent about 30 minutes…read morebrowsing. Will be back.

A gem of a museum nestled within the beautiful classic architecture of Balboa Park. I love this…read morespace.

This review is for the theater in the museum & peripheral services in the building…read more We attended a film screening in the museum's beautiful theater. The seats are comfortable & the theater is very clean. I love the star lights in the ceiling as well. The screen & sound system were fine as well. This was a very pleasant experience. Nice bathrooms on the museum & Cafe in the Park inside & to the left of the museum entrance. We parked in the Spreckels lot & walked over. Peace.

I came for The Nat at Night. I'm sooo blown away! This museum is very very educational...packed…read morewith a lot of natural history to learn in one or more visit. I loove the interactive activities and how it engages visitors from all ages. Each level has a niiice flow...places to sit scattered around if you wanted to take a pause to absorb the AMAZING things you've witnessed. To add to this natural history adventure, you can interact with the actual researchers who preserve the artifacts in the basement...asking them questions. There's a theatre on the 1st (Main) floor as well as gift shop. I was very fortunate to get on the Rooftop which had a waitlist of over 80 people when I arrived. I'm glad I did since the food and drinks were really good. Based on my positive experience, I highly recommend this museum to the Yelp Community.

Love coming here with my 3-year-old son! We have WIC, so we were able to get in for free for up to…read more4 people, which is a HUGE benefit if you have WIC or CalFresh. There are several floors to explore with lots to see and plenty of fun play areas for kids. My son especially loves all the dinosaurs! They also have little scavenger hunts in several of the exhibits, which is a fun way to keep kids engaged while walking through. It's educational without being boring and easily keeps us entertained for a few hours. Definitely a great place to take younger kids!

Came here on a slow Wednesday afternoon because we found free tickets from the library…read more Just a heads up, right now the parking is $10 for four hours at certain lots. Anyways, this museum was pretty entertaining. Plenty of things to see and do that we'll keep you entertained for a few hours. They have the history of beer, a section dedicated to people's secrets, and relics from different countries. Across the open area is the cannibal exhibition. It has an eerie feeling in some areas but I would recommend walking through it.

This is the second museum that we booked through San Diego Discover and Go using our library card…read more The place is absolutely incredible! We enjoyed each exhibit and learned a lot about history, race, power, and the way of life of those before us. The ticket includes entry to the other museum across the street which showcases the history of cannibalism. It's a very interesting place! I love the mini interactive activities they have too. Head on to Balboa Park if you're looking for fun places to visit with family and friends!

Pretty cool little art museum showcasing local graduating artists, most of which are earning a…read moreMasters in Fine Arts. Located in the middle of Balboa Park, West of El Prado, you'll find this small little museum filled with one or two pieces of work, from each of the 7 artists. Since there's only approximately 15-20 pieces, you'll likely get through here in 30 mins or so. When I visited several days ago, the museum was FREE, as long as you provided them with your zip code. That may mean that it's only free for locals, so you might want to call ahead. It's great to see an art space showcasing local collegiate talent. If you're already heading to, or visiting Balboa Park, it's worth a free visit. Enjoy!

The many areas of art have been some of the greatest fields for the many art pieces of the many…read moregreat art pieces some that have become the greatest artists . Of the many Art Museums that are the greatest for the city many museums that charge upwards from $15.00 to $28.00 some of the highest entry admissions . One art museum that has been open to the Balboa park that is free to the general public it's one of the best museums that is two levels which located on the Broadway of the park that you can walk to. For the many museums which have gift shops the ICA ART Museum is one that is to the artists showing the art works and the visual displays they have. Being welcomed at the front door as person first time there they gave me a visual display and walk through of the museum for the artist they on display has many pieces that shows the world's weather through shapes and color . For the ICA Museum is one that has great ambiance and the showing of art that you don't sed the retail store. The Art Museum of the ICA is one that is more relaxed with the many that work their are welcoming the museum has an up and coming artist with the great art pieces. From the many museums that are at Balboa Park from the Tomlin which are free to the Public. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the ICA museum is one of the b St for Balboa Park it has the feel of the best art welcoming the many to the showing for me are showing will be coming in the month of November which showcase the many national artists . The art gallery Museum is one that is great for students and families great art for the next generation.