Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Spring Valley

"An almost overwhelming medley of Spanish Renaissance and Baroque painting awaits at this museum in Balboa Park. El Greco, Murillo, Goya and Zurbarán are all here, together with Italian and Dutch Masters like Veronese, Canaletto, van Dyck, Rubens and Frans Hals. In the last few years, the museum was donated a raft of paintings from the Symbolist, Expressionist and New Objectivity movements, by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Robert Delaunay, Otto Dix and Alexej von Jawlensky."

"The renowned permanent collection includes Spanish and Italian old masters, Asian paintings, and 19th- and 20th-century American paintings and sculptures. In addition, the Museum regularly features major exhibitions from around the world."

"This award-winning children’s museum encourages children to think, play, and create with over 50,000 square feet of child-centered art installations, studios, and interactive spaces. From free play to guided workshops, this modern museum has a wide range of activities and events for creative kids. Young visitors are free to interact with working artists, design something in the Innovators LAB under the guidance local professionals, or explore the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces with their families."

"The New Children’s Museum is an interactive arts-based museum that commissions contemporary artists to create pieces with tactile, physical, and participatory elements to introduce kids to art and create an opportunity for them to observe, play, and create. Getting in: New Children's Museum tickets are included on the Go San Diego Card All-Inclusive Pass."

"A new model of children’s museum whose mission is to stimulate imagination, creativity and critical thinking in children and families through inventive and engaging experiences with contemporary art."

"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."

"This world-class museum features extensive collections of still photographs, videos and films. The history of the medium is illustrated, from the earliest Daguerreotypes and albumen prints to modern laser holograms. A variety of artists are represented, including Alfred Stieglitz, Ben Shahn, Alberto Korda, Ansel Adams and Margaret Bourke-White."

"Art is subjective and interpretive, and sometimes hard to decipher. Less so photographic arts, perhaps. And who doesn't like looking at amazing images of real things?"

"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."

"A diverse collection of folk art, costumes, toys, jewelry, utensils and other handmade objects of traditional cultures from around the world, plus changing exhibitions covering beads to surfboards. Check the website to find out what's on."

"Dedicated to art of the people (mingei) from all eras and cultures of the world, Mingei International Museum features dynamic, changing exhibitions of historical and contemporary folk art, craft and design."

"This beautiful museum began in what was once the 1916 Mission-style home of Ellen Browning Scripps, noted San Diego philanthropist. (The Institute of Oceanography and the breathtaking oceanside park are named for Mrs. Scripps.) Expansion to the original building was completed in the mid-1990s. The museum houses an impressive collection of post-1950s contemporary art from famed California artists as well as works by Warhol, Cornell and Stella."

"The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is spread out over two venues, one downtown and one in La Jolla. The museum is dedicated to serving their diverse audience through exhibits of art created since 1950. The downtown location features site-specific...[Learn more]"

"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."

"San Diego Art Institute is a not-for-profit institution in San Diego, California, that is an experimental bi-national modern art center. It is situated in the historic building House of Charm in Balboa Park, El Prado. SDAI is the only contemporary culture association in Balboa Park that supports the creation of innovative art by providing exclusive space for artistic competencies of Southern California and Northern Baja to fraternize, exhibit, and bloom."

"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."

"Coronado’s rich and complex history is a fascinating subject even for those that don’t consider themselves history buffs. The Historic Walking Tour sponsored by the Coronado Historical Association is a great change of pace and something your whole family will enjoy. Stroll through historic Coronado while a knowledgeable guide spills all the details behind the architecture and adventure that makes Coronado so unique."

"Coronado Historical Society, an easy walk from Hotel del Coronado, connects people with the city’s interesting past through museum exhibits, historic photos, and walking tours. The latter I also recommend as one of the things to do in Coronado for tourists. (Location: Coronado)"

"The Coronado Historical Museum’s collection includes art and ephemera from Coronado’s unique history. Check out a 22-minute video of Coronado that is shown every hour. *Small donation requested."

"The First San Diego Courthouse, rebuilt in 1992, was originally the town hall. Constructed by the Mormon Battalion, the first brick building in San Diego became the courthouse when the city was incorporated in 1850. It also served as a school, church and polling place."

"The buzz:Brunch and brews are the attraction at this trendy North Park pub. The food: This is first and foremost a brewery, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t begin with head brewer Chris Gillogly’s outstanding variety of beers including Mexican dark and light lagers, pale ales, West Coast and hazy IPAs, hard seltzers, and collaborations. And lest you think that such an ambitious beer menu means basic brewpub bites, you’ll find hearty, house-made beef chili, short rib street tacos, and a spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich available all day, with mussels and frites, baby back ribs, and a flatiron steak with fries and chimichurri on the dinner menu."

"North Park is rearing to go and The Original 40 Brewing Company couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome back guests for outdoor dining!. There’s no duo more iconic than the location’s juicy OG Burger, piled high with lettuce, red onion, tomato, white cheddar cheese and garlic aioli served with house-cut fries, coupled with one of their house-brewed beers. Get your fill Monday through Thursday from 3PM to 9PM, Friday and Saturday from noon to 10PM, and Sunday from noon to 8PM."

"The brewhouse is open to the taproom but even so, the space feels surprisingly homey (possibly because of the wall of plants). On any given day, there are about 15 of the brewery’s beers on tap plus a handful of guest brews. Particularly nice is the fact that there’s a small wine list, so if someone in your group isn’t a beer lover, they can still have a drink."

"Saint Archer Brewing Company will be reopening both of it’s tasting rooms, located in Miramar and Leucadia respectively, for guests to enjoy onsite, outdoor beers paired with local food partners. Leucadia has partnered with Pandora Pizza, and Miramar will be serving Artesano Tacos on Saturdays, and Pizza Joint Monday through Friday, and Sunday. Leucadia is open daily from 12PM to 7PM, while Miramar is open Monday through Thursday 2PM to 7PM, Friday and Saturday 12PM to 7PM, and Sunday 12PM to 6PM."

"Both locations of Saint Archer are opening their tasting rooms for to-go beers and delivery. The Miramar location is open daily and Leucadia is open Saturday/Sunday. Pick-up and delivery orders can be placed here (delivery available with a $40 minimum)."