Hands-down a 10/10 experience and one of the highlights of our trip! The price was definitely…read moreoff-putting at first, with $20 parking plus $41 per person for admission. We almost skipped it because of the cost, but I'm really glad we didn't. The museum is incredibly educational, and it was so cool getting to explore the ship, see the bunks and living spaces, and really get a feel for what life aboard was like. One of my favorite parts was that so many of the people working throughout the ship are retired military. Getting information from people with that personal experience made the whole visit feel much more meaningful. Another huge bonus was that because we didn't finish seeing everything before they closed at 5, they gave us a free ticket to come back the next day. The ship is massive and there is so much to see, so I really appreciated that, especially considering the admission price. It's definitely expensive, but I walked away feeling like it was absolutely worth doing. I'd highly recommend it!

What: this museum was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. When we entered we went to…read morethe right and they started a short film which I recommend. We then went out to the flight deck where lots of planes are available for you to climb into. But the best was the lower levels of the ship. They have mannequins dressed in various roles and decor so you really can imagine how it was. They also give you an audio device and there are places here and there to click and listen to a short blip about what you are looking at. Really brought it to life. This was my favorite. Price: we bought tickets through the AAA website and saved a few bucks per person if you area a member.

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!

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!

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.

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.

For the price you pay ($27 for adults and $20 with student discounts), there are not too many…read morethings to see here- only 13. It is very unique in the exhibits there are though and for that, I recommend a visit. Some of my favorites were the Experiment 2.C which gives you the same illusion you get when are on an airplane, looking outside the window. The color is very fascinating and the exhibit overall is very thought provoking. It ended up being the favorite for two of the people I was with. Other ones I really liked was the We Are All Made of Light where lights reflect off you and you see your shadow on the screen. There were other exhibits that were really emotional such as Confessions and Where Thoughts Go which I found interesting but at the same time weird as they both were so different compared to other exhibits that I wasn't sure what this place is trying to attract or messages it sends. Each exhibit had enough workers that were willing to give you background about the art and I really appreciated that. As for the parking, we ended up parking in a private lot adjacent to this place which cost $20.

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

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.

My sister and I visited on a Saturday 8/8 at 1 pm and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the…read morecrowd was managed. It was definitely busy, but it never felt overly crowded, which made it easy to take my time and actually read about and enjoy all the different critters. We purchased our tickets online and used a promo code that saved us a few bucks. Our total ended up being $62.90 for two people, which I thought was pretty reasonable for the experience and the support it goes toward. There were lots of interactive activities for kids, but I honestly had just as much fun learning about everything myself! The animals appeared very well cared for, and I loved the touch pools. The animals would occasionally take breaks from interacting, which I appreciated because it felt like they were being given plenty of space and rest. The staff were also great! We learned so much from the workers throughout the aquarium. Rosy the rosy boa was especially fun to learn about, and I loved seeing the loggerhead sea turtle with a 3D-printed back brace and the octopus recovering from a leg injury. Seeing the care that goes into these animals made the experience even more meaningful. Parking was easy and free, which is always a huge plus. There's also a cute gift shop with some really nice, quality items. It is definitely on the pricier side, but there were plenty of things I liked. Overall, I absolutely loved getting to see these animals up close and learning about them. Such a fun and educational afternoon, and I would definitely come back in the future!

This is a tiny aquarium that you can easily clear in about an hour. I would recommend purchasing…read moreyour tickets online and checking to see if they have any discount promo codes available. Otherwise, you'll be paying around $40 per person, unless you have an EBT card, which brings admission down to only $3 per person. There are about two sections of aquatic animals to explore. There is a penguin section, a small shark section, and a variety of other marine creatures. There is also an outdoor section with a nice view of the ocean in San Diego, which makes for some great photo opportunities. I've been to many aquariums, and I felt slightly underwhelmed by this one, mostly because of the price. Other than that, it's still a pretty nice spot to check out at least once. Parking: Plenty of parking, and it's free!