San Diego is one of the largest military complexes in the free world with numerous Navy, Marine and Coast Guard installations. The region's impressive military presence and achievements have awed visitors and residents alike for decades. To show appreciation for the dedicated men and women in uniform, many San Diego hotels, attractions and activities are offering discounts exclusively to military personnel. Following is a list of military discounts currently available. Additional restrictions may apply; please check with each facility for more details.

HOTELS

• Now through December 20, 2011, active and retired military and Department of Defense employees can fall asleep to the sounds of surf at the La Jolla Cove Suites in La Jolla with 50% off oceanfront suites.
• Throughout the year, active and retired military and Department of Defense employees can receive a 10% discount at the affordable 500 West Hotel in downtown San Diego, located just blocks form the historic Gaslamp Quarter with its numerous restaurants, shops and nightlife offerings.  
• Throughout the year, the Holiday Inn Express San Diego Downtown offers a Government/Military Package providing a special welcome amenity, guestroom upgrade, free parking and high speed internet, airport shuttle service and breakfast, lunch, dinner and a cocktail reception.  
• Now through December 31, 2011, the Sheraton Suites San Diego at Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego is offering a “Salute to Heroes Getaway” Package with room rates starting at $129 single/double occupancy for active, retired and reserve military.
• Now through December 30, 2011, active and retired military can take advantage of the Military Months Package provided through Bartell Hotels. The Dana on Mission Bay, Humphreys Half Moon Inn & Suites and the Best Western Plus Island Palms Hotel & Marina are offering 25% off the best available rates, free upgrades to the best existing room at check in and complimentary parking. The Days Hotel-Hotel Circle in centrally located Mission Valley is providing 25% off the best available rates with free early check in and late checkout. The Pacific Terrace Hotel in picturesque Pacific Beach is offering a special rate of $125 per night, Sunday through Thursday, and $175 per night, Fridays and Saturdays, for non-view guest rooms, with the ability to upgrade to a full ocean-view room for an additional $30 per night; also included are a glass of wine upon arrival and souvenir photo. Guests must present a military I.D., V.A. I.D. card or DD214 at check in to qualify. 

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS

• Throughout the year, Seaworld San Diego offers any active duty, activated or drilling reservist or National Guardsman free admission under its “Here's to the Heroes” program.  As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents can take advantage of the offer without their service member, although an adult must accompany minor dependents, and dependent aged 10 and over must present valid dependent I.D.
• The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park offer a complimentary 1-Day Pass at the Zoo and an Africa Tram Safari at the Safari Park for U.S. active duty military, cadets of military academies and reserves with active orders. Individuals must show a valid, active military I.D.; the program also includes U.S. cadets that do not have "Active" on their I.Ds.
• Active duty and retired military save up to 40% on LEGOLAND California tickets and receive a second day free when tickets are purchased at a military ticket office. At the LEGOLAND California gate, active and retired military receive a 10% discount on all LEGOLAND tickets with a valid military I.D.
• Military personnel receive a discounted $12 military admission to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla.
• Now through February 29, 2012, the Sycuan Golf & Tennis Resort in San Diego’s rural East County provides active military with a $25 green fee every Monday and Tuesday on their championship courses.
• During their season, the San Diego Padres offer $6 off every game ticket priced $13.50 or more with a valid active duty, dependent, reserve, retired or Department of Defense (DoD) ID card. The discounted tickets can be purchased at PETCO Park ticket windows, as well as at select on-base ticket offices. For those military veterans who served in the armed forces but do not carry a DoD ID card, the Padres created the Veteran’s Appreciation Card (PVAC). Once issued, a PVAC can be used to purchase military discount tickets, just like a DoD ID card. On Sundays, military personnel in uniform also receive a 50% discount; these tickets must be purchased at PETCO Park on game day.
• Military personnel can enjoy the San Diego Symphony with a $3 military discount, valid for certain sections of the beautiful Copley Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego.
• The Tony Award ®-winning La Jolla Playhouse offers military families a $3 per full-price ticket discount for all performances except Saturday evening.

TOURS

• Hornblower Cruises & Events offers numerous military discounts, which can be purchased through the Military Ticket Offices, including a $6 one-hour harbor cruise, $8 two-hour harbor cruise, $12 seasonal Whale Watching Adventure, $46.05 nightly three-hour dinner cruise, $22 Sights & Sips happy hour tour and $42.25 Weekend Brunch Cruise.
• Adventure Rib Rides offers a 10% discount for active and retired military aboard its Navy SEAL Rigid Inflatable Boat, providing up-close views of the many offerings along San Diego Bay.
• Military personnel and their entire group receive a 10% discount at Brew Hop, a San Diego tour designed for “beer enjoyment, consumption and enlightenment.”
• La Jolla Wine Tours offers a variety of activities at a 10% discount to military and their entire group, from walking epicurean tours of La Jolla to exploring San Diego County’s burgeoning local wineries.

CULTURE

• The Veteran’s Museum and Memorial Center, which exhibits a collection of military artifacts, photographs, memorabilia and artwork, in Balboa Park honors the active men and women of the military and their families with free admission.
• The San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park offers free admission for active military and a $2 discount for their family.
• Home to Southern California’s only IMAX Dome Theater, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park offers a 10% discount for active military and six dependants.
• The New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego offers a 50% discount for active, veteran and retired military and their dependents.
• The nation’s largest multi-sport museum, the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park offers $6 tickets for military and their family.
• The San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park offers a $2.50 admission for military and dependents.
• The San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park offers a $2 admission discount for active military.
• Housing more than 7,000 works, the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park is free for active military.
• The San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park offers a discounted $12 admission for the military.
• San Diego’s only museum devoted to anthropology, the San Diego Museum of Man in Balboa Park offers a $10 admission for military.
• The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park offers a $9 admission for military.
• Dedicated to the art of the people from all eras and cultures of the world, the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park offers a $5 admission for military.
• The Marston House Museum, a beautifully kept Craftsman Prairie-style home built in 1905 on the northwest side of Balboa Park, provides a $2 admission discount and 5% discount at its gift shop for military.
• Active military can wander through the Zen gardens, koi ponds and bonsai exhibits of the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park for a discounted $3 admission.

Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau's website, www.sandiego.org, or call 619-236-1212. In San Diego, visit the International Visitor Information Center, located along the Embarcadero at the corner of West Broadway and Harbor Drive in downtown; the La Jolla Visitor Center, located at the corner of Herschel Avenue and Prospect Street in La Jolla; or the California Welcome Center, located at the Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine.