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by TourGuideTimExplore San Diego’s Top Museums
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San Diego is usually best associated with its outdoor attractions that take advantage of the great year-round weather. What most tourists don’t realize is San Diego offers a plethora of great museums that are among the best of their kind in the country.
San Diego’s Natural History Museum is one of the oldest museums west of the Mississippi River and has benefited from the fact there is more fossil history representing the last seven million years found in San Diego’s desert than anywhere else.
Our Sports and Model Railroad Museums are the largest of their kind in the country.
The Timken Museum of Art, which houses the works of Old World Masters, is free to the public.
San Diego’s great climate has attracted the world’s best aviators and airplane manufacturers for over 100 years, leaving an aviation history that is unparalleled and represented at several local museums.
Our Fleet Science Center was home to the first IMAX Globe Theater in the country and is now the first to become home to the newest generation of IMAX Globes.
Come visit the unsung heroes of San Diego tourism. Open your eyes to new experiences by selecting each of the picture tabs above or review the summaries of the Most Popular below and explore the museums of San Diego.
Panoramic Views from Mount Helix Lookout
Location: La Mesa (16 Miles / 20 Minutes East of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Sunrise to Sunset
Cost: Free
Features: Magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean to the West and Peninsular Mountain Ranges to the East.
Little Italy
Location: Downtown San Diego (Little Italy)
Features: Italian Restaurants, Art & Home Furnishing Shops, Festivals, and Farmers Market.
Mormon Battalion Historic Museum
Location: Old Town (4 Miles North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 9PM
Cost: Free
Features: One of the longest military marches in U.S. history is profiled in this new, state-of-the-art museum.
Explore San Diego’s Top Attractions
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Are you ready to make the most of your San Diego vacation?! You would need weeks to visit all of the great attractions in San Diego. There is an old saying among locals that people who visit San Diego for vacation end up staying for a lifetime.
Since most visitors do not have weeks to spare, here are the most popular attractions to visit in San Diego. These are the most recognizable attractions that your family and friends will ask about when you return home. Don’t leave them disappointed.
Click on each of the pictures of San Diego’s top attractions above or select one of the tabs to get a full description of what to expect and do at the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, Wild Animal Park Safari, Balboa Park, Old Town, La Jolla, and of course, the Beaches.
Then, continue to scroll down the summaries of the Most Popular Attractions below to see several more of the best places to visit during your vacation.
Louis Kahn Salk Institute Architecture Tours
Location: Torrey Pines (15 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Weekday Tours: 12PM – 1PM
Cost: Free
Features: Tour one of Louis Kahn’s most important architectural works, the Salk Institute
Mining for California Gemstones & Tourmaline in San Diego
Museum Curators, Gemologists, Jewelers, and Rockhounds from around the world descend on northern San Diego County looking for the perfect specimens to add to their gem collections. California’s gemstones came to notoriety during the latter part of the 19th century when abundant pockets of high quality gemstones were discovered in the Mesa Grande and Pala Districts of San Diego County. A number of famous California gem mines are now open to the public.
Wildlife Art at Hidden Forest Art Gallery & Nature Center
Location: Fallbrook (53 Miles / 55 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Cost: None, unless you want to buy a wildlife painting.
Hours: Varies
Features: Meet Famed Wildlife Artist Gamini Ratnavira, Browse through his Wildlife Paintings, and Meet his Unique & Colorful Birds.
Lake Henshaw Scenic Overlook
Location: Santa Ysabel (75 Miles / 1.25 Hours Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Always Open
Cost: Free
Features: One of the top Birding Spots in San Diego overlooking the local mountains, grasslands, and Lake Henshaw.
Cupa Cultural Indian Center
Location: Pala (52 Miles / 55 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: 9:30AM – 4:30PM, Monday through Friday
Cost: Free
Features: Displays of artifacts, photographs, arts & crafts, and history of the Pala Indians, including the Cupeno Trail of Tears
Arrowood Golf Course
Location: Oceanside (47 Miles / 55 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Year-Round; Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $87 – $110; Discounts for Twilight Play and Southern California Residents
Features: New Course, Hilly Terrain, Surrounded by Natural Habitat.
The Crossings Golf Course at Carlsbad
Location: Carlsbad (35 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Year-Round; Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $100 – $120; Discounts for Seniors, Juniors, Twilight Play, and San Diego County Residents
Features: Championship Municipal Golf Course with Panoramic Views of the Pacific Ocean built in 2007; Beautiful Clubhouse & Natural Setting; Golf Club Rentals Available
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