Maritime Museum of San Diego invites you to enjoy the 54th Annual Parade of Lights Dinner staged aboard the elegant Victorian-era 1898 steam ferryboat Berkeley Sundays, December 8 and 15, 2024. Parade judges will be nested at the Maritime Museum as the brightly decorated boats cruise by the Museum fleet located at Star of India Wharf between Grape and Ash Street. The procession of boats starts at 5:30 p.m. and will follow a predetermined parade route. The parade route organizers project the parade to pass the north embarcadero and Maritime Museum of San Diego at approximately 6:20 p.m.

Maritime Museum of San Diego has been known for years as the best place on the waterfront to view the annual Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay.

Are you in town for the weekend? Or are you a local San Diegan and want to get out on the Bay to learn about Naval History?

Be a part of history and ride the only active passenger carrying Swift Boat in the country. Feel the power of the twin 12 cylinder 2-stroke Detroit Diesel engines as you take a behind the scenes 75-minute narrated tour of San Diego’s military history. 

Tour route heads under Coronado Bay Bridge, Naval Base San Diego, and then Naval Amphibious Base. It then heads back by the aircraft carrier basin and Naval Air Station North Island before returning to the Museum, plus a high speed run to feel the unique power of the Swift Boat.

This is a narrated tour describing PCF 816’s role in the U.S., Malta, Viet Nam, Swift Boat sailors, and the above establishments on the Bay.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego invites you to join us for Tall Ship adventure sailing! This is a four-hour adventure history sail aboard the schooner Californian.
The Californian is a replica of a gold rush era revenue cutter and the Official Tall Ship of the State of California.

Arrive early to take in your general admission visit to the entire fleet and exhibits, then set sail! 

Join the crew in sailing a traditionally rigged tall ship! Passengers will be invited to haul a line, man the helm and watch the crew as they scamper up and down the rigging to set and furl the sails. Listen as the Californian’s crew relates the history of sailing and exploration in San Diego, tales of whaling and sea otter trade, local sea battles, the art of ship’s gunnery, life at sea and more.

Enjoy a uniquely-San Diego experience at one of our city’s most iconic historic landmarks. Make the climb on a guided tour that highlights the origins of Balboa Park and the histories of some of the many diverse communities that call the region home. All tours culminate in breathtaking 360-degree views of San Diego from the Tower’s eighth-floor viewing deck–from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Cuyamaca Mountains in the east, and beyond.

 Learn more about the California Tower, what to expect on a tour, and get a sneak peek of the views at CaliforniaTower.org.