San Diego Natural History Museum

It's summer in San Diego! Come visit the oldest museum in San Diego, and a flagship institution in Balboa Park, featuring the regional natural history and unique biodiversity of Southern California and Baja California! The Museum has FOUR floors of exhibition space, rooftop views on Friday nights, a giant-screen theater, and San Diego’s only Foucault pendulum! Plus, you can stay late on Friday nights!

With permanent exhibitions, rotating films, a robust calendar of events and activities, and the opportunity to see scientists at work – this is the opportunity you’ve been looking for to spend time with your friends and family!

Current exhibits include:

Amazement from the Basement
Our newest experience offers a rare “backstage” glimpse into the Museum’s collections and research work, inviting people to marvel in the diversity of nature, think like a scientist, and peek into the state-of-the-art Paleontology Center.

Coast to Cactus in Southern California
This exhibition will take you on an immersive walk through the major regions of southern California's coast, inland valleys, mountains, and deserts and celebrate the abundant variety of life found here.

Expedition Baja (Opening July 2026)
The Baja California Peninsula: our neighbor in nature. Explore towering mountains, desert flats, and isolated islands, and follow along with researchers working to conserve the peninsula’s wild beauty.

Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science
This exhibition explores the past, present and future of citizen science through rare books, art, photographs, and historical documents.

Fossil Mysteries
From dinosaurs to megalodons to mastodons, travel through 75 million years and dig into the rich fossil history of southern California and Baja California.

Giant-Screen Theater
The giant-screen theater experience is one-of-a-kind. Settle into the 300-seat, stadium-style theater and enjoy films on the massive screen.
*Showing Daily: Ocean Paradise, Wild San Diego, and Back from the Brink; films do not show during Nat at Night

Hidden Gems (Opening June 2026)
More than 100 stunning objects from our mineralogy department are displayed in this little gem of an exhibit.

Living Lab
Meet more than 20 of your not-so-cuddly neighbors, from stinging scorpions to elusive nocturnal lizards.

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
This stunning exhibition transforms beach trash into larger-than-life art, highlight the peril of plastic pollution in our oceans.

Hours

10am - 5pm ( Saturday – Thursday)
10am - 11pm (Fridays through September 4)
Closed Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day

Known Exceptions (at this time): Close at 3 PM: July 16, 2026