Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Hillcrest

"A post shared by Klinge Realty Group @ Compass (@klingerealtygroup). It’s not a large museum — in fact, it’s one of the smallest in the area — but the Timken Museum of Art is home to art created by Anne and Amy Putnam. The two sisters are well-known throughout the world for creating a variety of American and European paintings during the early 20th century."

"The San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. SDMA houses a wide collection of curated exhibitions that shouldn’t be missed!. Current exhibits range from the beautiful “Art of the Open Air” (excellent for those with concerns over social distancing) to the Modern and Contemporary Art gala."

"Its front doors are located in a gigantic, cathedral-style facade that took a full two years to build, and they can be seen from every direction if you’re in the neighborhood."

"The New Children's Museum re-opened in 2008 with a motto of think, play and create, which is exactly what kids do here. What is different about The New Children's Museum is that they specifically commission works of art with tactile features that appeal to kids rather than re-create existing art to suit a younger generation. There's hands-on art and exhibits to hold the attention of toddlers up through teen years."

"The New Children’s Museum is an interactive art museum that strives to deliver tactile interaction with its visitors. Children and adults alike will enjoy a more hands-on museum of art. So be ready to think, play and create your way through this enchanting art museum."

"The Museum of Photographic Arts was founded in 1974 and opened in 1983. It is one of three museums in the US dedicated to the collection and preservation of photography. The museum’s mission is to inspire, educate, and engage the broadest possible audience through the presentation, collection, and preservation of photography, film, and video."

"An independent institution devoted to photography, film, and video. Founded in 1983, MOPA consistently addresses cultural, historical, and social issues through its visual learning programs."

"Founded in 1978 by San Diego State University professor of art Martha Longenecker, Mingei International Museum collects, conserves and exhibits items of daily use, such as ceramics. With a collection of 17,500 objects from 141 countries, the museum contains folk art from the third century BC to the present day. Longenecker studied pottery-making under the tutelage of the founders of the Mingei Association of Japan, which inspired her to bring the vision of mingei to America."

"This museum presents exhibits of folk art from around the world, including Indonesia and New Guinea (multicolored masks, dolls, fertility symbols and shadow puppets) and Japan (decorative bottles, bowls and jars). Children will delight in the displays of international toys and antique carousels. Don't forget to visit the Collectors' Gallery/Museum Store for a wide selection of modern and antique arts and crafts."

"By Oleg Alexandrov (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Visit this vibrant, community-driven museum and get a taste of the San Diego art scene right at the source: the San Diego Art Institute. This museum's mission is to connect contemporary artists from southern California and northern Baja with audiences and to showcase art in a way that promotes cultural perspective and understanding."

"A new exhibition of works by San Diego artists opens every four to six weeks in this 10,000-square-foot gallery, dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts through outreach, education, and exhibition."

"In 2011, Joshua Pavlick decided to turn a part of his home into an art exhibition space. And while that sounds like a wild idea, it’s paid off big time for Pavlick, local artists, and the community as a whole. Helmuth Projects was designed with the idea of helping lesser-known artists display their work to the masses."

"Even if you’re broke, the Timken Museum of Art is always free, and if you have a Bank of America card, the San Diego Museum of Art and the Museum of Photogenic Arts are free on certain days. If you love art, check out the Spanish village. These are historic buildings turned art galleries and stores which have a lot of their work for sale. Even just walking through this area is a fun experience."

"A photo posted by Faith Leonard (@faithld77) on Nov 26, 2016 at 3:07pm PST. Cafe Bassam is a unique vintage coffee house in Bankers Hill and reviewers rave that it has the best coffee in San Diego!. Owner, Bassam Shamma claims it is the “first coffee house in San Diego,” saying, “Of course other places had coffee,” Bassam said."

"This is a cafe that is in the city for three generations now, which is great. It is now part of the community!. The story of how the cafe started is great."

"Inspired by Spanish and Peruvian baking traditions, Solana Sumptuous Cookies are hand-crafted gourmet artisan creations. Using only non-GMO, organic and honorably sourced ingredients is the secret to their soft cookies. It may be hard to decide because they make cookies in 18 different ways with combinations of choc chips, pink Himalayan salt, scratch-made Habanero sugar, Spanish custard, churros, oatmeal, peanut butter, toffee and marshmallows just to name a few."

"Love bringing the office donuts from yum yum! Always such a wide variety in the mornings and no line to wait in!"

"Donut Star offers the classics but also has some uncommon flavors like their chocolate-glazed red velvet and it’s open 24 hours!. Address: 601 W Washington St., San Diego, CA, 92103"

"I'm always looking out for great donuts and Donut Star in Hillcrest did not disappoint. After having sushi for dinner, we needed something sweet to ..."

"On a normal day, the Donut Bar will have a line out the door, and it’s easy to see why. This is not your typical donut shop. Donut Bar is known for their unique display of donuts and a menu that changes constantly."

"I've been looking to try the donuts here for the longest time and Donut Bar did not disappoint!. Delicious donuts, great coffee, and great atmosphere..."

"A photo posted by @devilsdozendonuts on Aug 28, 2016 at 11:59am PDT. Devil’s Dozen in Little Italy offers more than just the traditional Maple Bar or Chocolate Twist. Their menu includes Nutella Hazelnut, S’mores, Churro Bites, and their Tres Leches Cake which is the delicious love child of a cake and a donut; it may be a sin (get it?!?) to taste this good!"

"You won’t find any fancy combinations or crazy displays at Devil’s, but they are nothing short of gourmet. It’s all about the classic flavors done with quality ingredients: vanilla bean, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, s’mores, and churro bites. Photo courtesy of kirbiecravings.com"