Museums

USS Midway Museum

Where: 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101
The USS Midway Museum aboard the decommissioned USS Midway aircraft carrier, is the most-visited 100-plus historic naval ship museums in the continental United States. Berthed at Navy Pier along San Diego Bay, the Midway is a floating tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men who served their country aboard the ship for nearly 50 years. Highlights include self-guided audio tours; more than 40 exhibits and displays, including many restored aircraft; access to the mess deck, berthing spaces, hangar deck, flight deck, island superstructure and more; Mach Combat F-8 and F-4 phantom flight simulators and flight stations; a Flight Avionics motion simulator; and interactive, story-telling docents, many of whom are Midway veterans. Active duty and reservist personnel receive free admission; retired military receive discounted admission.

San Diego Air & Space Museum

Where: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101
The San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park is home to a massive collection of classic military aircraft ranging from the dawn of flight through WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the jet age and beyond. The Museum also features an International Aerospace Hall of Fame, honoring the inventors, engineers, pilots and industrialists who created and built airplanes. Active military admission is free.

Cabrillo National Monument

Where: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
Along the paths of Cabrillo National Monument sit the remains of coastal defenses built to protect the approaches to San Diego Bay. While visiting the park, you will find base-end stations, fire control stations, searchlight bunkers, and other remains of troubled times; lonely sentinels that now serve to guard our memories of the past. Housed in an old radio station, the exhibit, "They Stood the Watch," shares the story behind these remains, and ranger talks are often given on weekends. For those who wish to learn more, the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation bookstore, located in the Visitor Center, offers several titles about Fort Rosecrans and the military history of Point Loma.

Liberty Station

Where: 2701 Lytton St, San Diego, CA 92106
Hundreds of thousands of civilian and military passed through the gates of San Diego Naval Training Center in the course of its history. This decommissioned base has now been transformed into Liberty Station part residential community, part arts district and part retail center. With many of the businesses housed in the historic structures that date back to the 1920s, just walking around Liberty Station can bring back proud memories for the more than a million military personnel who were trained there. The base's former command center and parade ground are included in what is now called the ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, a cultural district with galleries, artist studios, dance studios, restaurants and retail stores. The command center contains historic displays of the Naval Training Center and Point Loma. Admission is free.

CAF Air Group One World War II Museum and Hangar

Where: 1915 North Marshall Avenue, Hangar #13, El Cajon, CA 92020
CAF Air Group One World War II Museum and Hangar, located at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, is dedicated to preserving military aviation history and honoring those who served during WWII. The museum currently has two aircraft assigned to it: an SNJ "Sassy," and an L-5 Sentinel "Betsy". Other museum displays include a number of World War II vehicles and artifacts. Admission is free.

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

Museum is closed until further notice.

Where: 4203 Anderson Avenue, San Diego, CA 92145
The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at MCAS Miramar is the nation's only Marine Corps Aviation museum, with 31 aircraft from World War II to the present day on display. The museum also features aviation art and memorabilia, as well as numerous trophies awarded annually for outstanding achievement in Marine Corps Aviation. Admission and parking are free.

Events

Fleet Week San Diego

San Diego proudly salutes its armed forces each fall during Fleet Week San Diego, the largest military appreciation celebration in the nation. Interested folk have an opportunity to attend a number of special events.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

Every year, MCAS Miramar is honored to host an amazing lineup of military and civilian performers. MCAS Miramar's flight line will be transformed to accommodate more than 100 military and civilian aircraft, simulation rides, fun for the kids, ride and drives, and a variety of delicious food and beverage offerings.

Veteran's Day Parade

See over 4,000 Veterans, Active Military, Bands, Floats and Civic Groups celebrate Veterans Day with the San Diego Veteran's Day Parade.