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Exploring the High-flying San Diego Air and Space Museum

Balboa Park is home to 17 museums. Since we love traveling and being in the air so much, we decided to start our adventures at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Exploring the San Diego Air and Space MuseumPin

The museum was established in 1961 and opened its doors for the first time in 1963. In its original location, it had a small but impressive collection and was an immediate hit. Unfortunately, a fire in 1978 destroyed the museum and much of its collection.

In 1980, they reopened in The Ford Building, which was initially built for the California Pacific International Exposition held in the 1930s. The building makes for a perfect layout for the museum.

 San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.PinLocal Adventurer at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.Pin
 San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pin

You can follow along the circular path as you admire all the different exhibits. Also, if you look up at the mural that follows along the entire inner wall, you can see the original mural that shows the evolution of transportation. It’s amazing to see what they thought the future of transportation would look like back in the 30s.

Local Adventurer at the Air and Space Museum San Diego.PinSan Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pin
Balboa Park Museums: San Diego Air and Space Museum.Pin
San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.PinSan Diego Air & Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pin
San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pin
San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.PinBalboa Park Museums // Air and Space Museum San Diego.Pin
San Diego Air and Space Museum is an aviation and space exploration museum located in Balboa Park. It is housed in the Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pin

During our visit, we were most fascinated by the Da Vinci special exhibit and World War II Exhibit. The Da Vinci exhibit had a lot of recreated machines from his sketches. His inventions were centuries ahead of his time! You can even interact with some of them too.

The San Diego Air and Space Museum vividly brings to life Da Vinci's inventions, artworks, machines and robotics with the amazing Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator special exhibition. Leonardo da Vinci is a renowned artist, but he was also an inventor of many technological wonders that were centuries ahead of his time.PinThe San Diego Air & Space Museum vividly brings to life Da Vinci's inventions, artworks, machines and robotics with the amazing Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator special exhibition. Leonardo da Vinci is a renowned artist, but he was also an inventor of many technological wonders that were centuries ahead of his time.Pin
The San Diego Air & Space Museum vividly brings to life Da Vinci's inventions, artworks, machines and robotics with the amazing Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator special exhibition. Leonardo da Vinci is a renowned artist, but he was also an inventor of many technological wonders that were centuries ahead of his time.Pin

The World War II exhibit was great because my brother, who is a WWII buff has rubbed off on me. We had watched Band of Brothers together so it’s amazing to see a lot of the pieces in person.

On the left is one of Hitler’s actual uniforms:

Hitler's Uniform at in the World War II exhibit at the San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park.PinWorld War II Exhibit // San Diego Air and Space Museum // Museums in Balboa Park.Pin

We had a great time taking photos and checking out the exhibits, and can’t wait to check out the rest of the museums at Balboa Park!

TIPS FOR VISITING THE SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM:

  • Tickets are $19.50 for adults and $10.50 for kids (3-11 years). Children under 2 are free. The Da Vinci Exhibit is an additional $5.
  • They are open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM, but be sure to check in case they have special events.
  • We spent roughly an hour and a half at the museum, but allot more time if you like reading all the information at every exhibit.
  • There is plenty of free parking outside of the museum but will fill up quickly on weekends, holidays, and summer months.
  • San Diego residents can visit the museum for free on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
  • If you’re interested in seeing all of the aircrafts they have, check out their interactive map!

San Diego Air and Space Museum
2001 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA
619.234.8291

Are you a museum person? What types of museums do you like visiting?

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