The San Diego History Center in Balboa Park has been preserving the San Diego region's exciting past since 1928. With an ever-changing schedule of exhibitions about the people and events that have made the region what it is today, there's no reason not to visit! If you want to learn about the history of the jewel of San Diego (Balboa Park), don't miss our quick 30-minute film playing each hour on the hour on most days. Visitors are encouraged to visit the museum free of charge, experience all we have to offer, and consider a donation on your way out. It's called Give Forward admission and it means there's no reason not to wander our over 10,000 sq.ft of exhibition space, gaze at the past through images, artifacts, and oral histories, during your time in Balboa Park!
Located in the historic Casa de Balboa, a reconstructed facility originally built for the 1915 Panama-California exhibition, the San Diego History Center is known for its dynamic permanent and temporary exhibitions that highlight the region's past, and the city's place in the larger development of Southern California and the American West. Gallery displays mark this history through a variety of mediums and subjects, including art, photographs, documents, historic clothing and objects. Our Place of Promise exhibit highlights the chronological story of the city from its indigenous beginnings to the initial development of today's Downtown! Our hands-on engaging exhibits and programs are ideal for children, families, academic scholars, and those just looking for a relaxing escape from the busy world outside!
*Give Forward is the History Center's admission policy. We invite you into the museum free of charge, let you experience the museum and all the other things we have to offer, and all we ask is that you demonstrate your appreciation for the visit in the form of a voluntary donation.
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-6203
events@sandiegohistory.org
Daily: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
In 1982, a Naval Intelligence Service investigation in San Diego to “ferret out the lesbians” aboard the submarine tender USS Dixon subjected twelve women to months of ordeal and ended in...
View the early days of American settlement in San Diego through the eyes (and words) of six intrepid women pioneers who share their unique perspectives of their new home in their writings. Their...
Bob Matheny: Almost Anonymous is the first major survey of the work of San Diego-based artist Bob Matheny. Since the late 1950s Matheny has developed his expansive practice through the lens of...
Join us for our next program in the Nyaiwait Chiwayp / In Our Words: Kumeyaay series David Toler will present Blood of the Band, which relates a journey of a Kumeyaay-Ipai family from origin to...
Be part of our event, as we unveil Historic Places in the Classroom, a behind-the-scenes for Season 10, and a fundraiser for Historic Places with Elsa Sevilla on KPBS-TV. In the new season, we...
In February 2018, the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA) hosted at the San Diego History Center its first annual recognition of individual’s whose contributions have...
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