"Balboa Park museums offer free general admission on a rotating basis throughout the month to residents of the City and County of San Diego, and to active military personnel & and their dependents.

Some museums may offer complimentary admission to their permanent collections only and charge admission to special exhibitions, showings, and events. Please call individual museums for information."

First Tuesdays

• Centro Cultural de la Raza
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum
• San Diego Natural History Museum (fee charged for theater)
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (fee charged for theater)

Second Tuesdays

• Museum of Photographic Arts
• Museum of San Diego History
• Veterans' Museum and Memorial Center

Third Tuesdays

• San Diego Art Institute
• San Diego Museum of Art (Permanent Exhibit Only)
• San Diego Museum of Man
• Japanese Friendship Garden
• Mingei International Museum

Fourth Tuesdays

• San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum
• San Diego Air and Space Museum
• San Diego Automotive Museum
• House of Pacific Relations International Cottages and
• Hall of Nations

Fifth Tuesdays

• Regular admission prices are in effect

The City's Botanical Building is open every day except Thursday. Admission is always free.

Some museums may offer complimentary admission to their permanent collections only and charge for admission to special exhibitions, showings, and events. Please call individual museums for information.

Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Abandoned homes of Hellhole Canyon (Valley Center)

Adobe Falls (Mission Valley)

Aesthetigeist Art Collective (Downtown)

Altitude Sky Bar (Downtown)

B-39 Submarine

Balboa Botanical Building (Bankers Hill) 

Balboa Dirt Bike Trails (Balboa Park)

 Balboa Native & Rose Gardens (Balboa Park)

 Balboa Park Canyons (Balboa Park)

 Bates Nut Farm (Valley Center)

Bernardo Winery (Rancho Bernardo)

 Berkely Ferryboat (Seaport Village)

Blacks Beach (Torrey Pines)

Bates Nut Farm (Valley Center)

 Black Mountain Mine (Rancho Penasquitos)

Blue Sky Ranch (Lakeside)

 Bridle Trail (Balboa Park) 

 Butterfly Farm (Encinitas)

Cabrillo National Monument (Point Loma)

Cara Knott Memorial Garden (Rancho Penasquitos)

Carlsbad Flower Fields (Carlsbad)

Casa de Estudillo (Old Town)

Chapel of St. Francis Assisi (Warner Springs)

Centro Cultural de Raza (Bankers Hill)

Chicano Park Murals (Logan Heights)

Chinese Historical District (Downtown)

Christmas Light Displays (San Diego)

 Chula Vista Nature Center (Chula Vista)

Co-Habitat (Hillcrest)

Cosmopolitan Hotel (Old Town)

Coronado Sand Dune's Secret Message (Coronado)

Cuyamaca State Park (Cuyamaca)

Deer Park Montesary (Escondido)

Devil's Punchbowl (Julian)

Dia de los Muertos (Old Town)

Distinction Gallery (Escondido)

Downtown Julian (Julian)

Eagle Mine (Julian)

East Village Tavern + Bowl (Downtown)

Eichar's Grave (Rancho Penasquitos)

Elfin Forest (Escondido)

El Campo Cemetary (Old Town)

Exotica Rare Fruit Farm (Vista)

Fort Rosecrans Cemetary (Point Loma)

Four-o-clock Friday's (Del Mar)

Free Tuesdays at the Park (Bankers Hill)

Folk Arts Rare Records (Normal Heights)

 

Grant Hotel (Downtown)

Golden Hill Park (Golden Hill)

Harmony Grove (Escondido)

Harmony Grove Spiritualist Center (Escondido)

HMS Surprise Ship (Seaport Village)

Horton Grand Hotel (Downtown)

Hotel Del Coronado

(Coronado)

 

Ho Chi Mihn Trail ( La Jolla)

Inn at the Park (Bankers Hill)

Japanese Friendship Garden (Balboa Park)

 

Maple Canyon (Bankers Hill)

Marston House Garden (Balboa)

Mason Schoolhouse (Old Town)

Medea Steam Yacht (Seaport Village)

Mingei International Museum (Bankers Hill)

Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala (Mission Valley)

Mission San Antonio de Pala Cemetary (Pala)

Morning Star Ranch (Valley Center)

Mount Soledad (La Jolla)

Mount Woodson Castle (Ramona)

Munchkin House (La Jolla)

Murphy Canyon (Serra Mesa)

Mushroom Beach (La Jolla)

Mushroom House (Torrey Pines)

Natural History Museum (Bankers Hill)

The Noble Experiment (Downtown)

Palomar Mountain

Palm Canyon (Bankers Hill)

Phap Vuong Monatsery (Escondido)

Pet Cemetery (Sorrento Valley)

Pioneer Park (Mission Hills)

Presidio Park (Mission Hills)

Presidio Park Historic Spots (Mission Hills)

Prohibition (downtown)

Rancho de Los Penasquitos (Rancho Penasquitos)

Rancho Penasquitos Waterfall (Rancho Penasquitos)

Ray St. (Northpark)

Record Paradise (Escondido)

Red Fox Piano Bar (University Heights)

Rock Canyon Vineyards (Alpine)

 

USS Dolphin Submarine (Seaport Village)

Unarius (El Cajon)

Victorian Village Heritage Park (Old Town)

Villa Montezuma (Golden Hills)

Xpressive Arts Center BYOB Classes (Poway)

99 Ranch Market

The Henry Miller Library

McWay Falls

Nepenthe Restaurant

Partington Cove

Pfeiffer Beach

River Inn

Spirit Garden

Bronson Caves (Griffith Park)

Korean Friendship Bell (San Pedro)

The Museum of Death (Hollywood)

The Sunken City (San Pedro)

Hearst Castle

 Please share your experiences with this location!

A few of the free museums...

Japanese Friendship Garden:

Mingei International Museum: