Best Arts and Culture Places in La Jolla Shores

"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."

"Old Town State Park enables visitors to travel back in time and experience life during San Diego’s Mexican and early American period between 1821 and 1872. Visit restored and recreated historic buildings where you can view exhibits featuring a wide range of artifacts. Costumed interpreters relay fascinating stories and little-known facts about the rich culture of San Diego."

"Art lovers looking for a dose of culture should head to the San Diego Museum of Art. Its distinctive facade is a copy of the 17th-century University of Salamanca, in the so-called plateresque style, with finely-chiseled terra-cotta work. Busts of Spanish painters adorn the entrance, and their artworks are among the many eclectic exhibits displayed here."

"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."

"With 17 museums at Balboa Park, it’s easy to miss this fun spot for children in the heart of San Diego’s downtown Gaslamp Quarter. Some areas of The New Children’s Museum are age-specific, like Sketch Aquarium for ages 2+ and Reconnecting to Home for ages 6+. Meanwhile, other spaces engage children across age groups."

"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 a powerful voice for people and helps us connect and express ourselves beyond language barriers. The Mingei International Museum showcases the “art of the people” across time and cultures. The exhibits are constantly changing to highlight new historical, contemporary folk art, crafts, and design and discover the finest examples of creative expression from underappreciated artists."

"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."

"Where: 2196 Logan Ave, San Diego CA 92113 Imperial Beach-native Chris Zertuche established this gallery in a formerly vacant Barrio Logan warehouse that was once home to the Bank of Italy. The space hosts art shows and workshops, and furnishes 30 local artists with studios, all in the name of supporting up-and-coming as well as established San Diego artists."

"Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is an art museum that is engaged in the collection, preservation, exhibitions, evaluations of artworks from the 1950s to today so far. It is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941. MCASD offers access to the finest art at two exemplary locations in San Diego, i.e., the La Jolla and downtown location of Santa Fe Depot."

"It’s a rare phenomenon for such a sunny place, but it does happen, and it doesn’t have to be a vacation ruiner. Just visit somewhere like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). MCASD houses many different types of art, including paintings, sculptures, scrolls and 3D art installations that jut out from the walls and dangle from invisible strings."

"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]"

"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."

"When founded in 1941, the San Diego Art Institute was called the San Diego Business Men’s Art Club, only permitting male members. By the 1950s, women were allowed in and the name had been changed. The cultural institution now showcases experimental art from a diverse array of artists from the Southern California/Baja Norte region."

"Peter Lik’s photography lines the walls of this ambient gallery. With 35 years of experience, this self-taught Australian photographer has explored the earth's natural beauty from behind the lens. Lik's focus on landscapes is matched by the gallery's prime location two streets from La Jolla Cave, where Pacific waves meet the West Coast."

"If you’re spending a weekend in San Diego, a trip to Little Italy and its farmer’s market will probably be on your agenda. To get a boost of energy before you start browsing the market, head to Lofty Coffee for a nice breakfast. Oh yes, they serve some great pastries here if you want a real Italian breakfast, but they also have breakfast and lunch menus (all organic)."

"Founded in 2011, this coffee shop and bakery has several locations in San Diego county. Each location is different from the rest, giving coffee lovers a unique and wonderful experience. Some of the popular locations include the Little Italy bakery where all their baked goods are created and the Coast Highway location where coffee lovers can enjoy artistic roasts."

"Lofty Coffee is also a great place to go to in San Diego if you want to have good coffee!. This coffee shop focus on two things in sourcing their coffee. They try to find the coffee that is most delicious and that allows you to try out flavors from all around the world."

"With a reputation of making some of the best bread in San Diego, Con Pane also serves up breakfast and lunch favorites in addition to baked goods. The lunch menu is small, but it will be hard to fight the urge to pair a sandwich with a chocolate croissant, cookie or similar. Pets are welcome on the patio outside and kids order favorites like peanut butter and jelly that literally oozes out the sides."

"Next up is Midway District's Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe, at 2750 Dewey Road. With 4.5 stars out of 1,291 reviews on Yelp, the bakery, which also offers coffee, tea, sandwiches and more, has proven to be a local favorite."

"The House of Pacific Relations International Cottages showcases the traditions of 34 national groups, some of which have their own cottages (build originally for the 1935 Exposition). The goal is to promote multicultural understanding through exhibits and programming. (Location: Balboa Park)"

"A post shared by LAB Dessert&Coffee (old Blush) (@lab_dessert_coffee) on Nov 10, 2017 at 7:41pm PST. It’s not a drill; a cotton candy burrito truly exists here at LAB Dessert & Coffee!. It’s ice cream wrapped in cotton candy and you get to combine flavors."

"Ice cream macaron sandwiches, churros, inventive Asian-inspired iced coffee drinks and cotton candy burritos - all of them wildly creative and eminently Instagram-able - are the name of the game at this Asian bakery with hints of a French patisserie."

"If you’ve been searching for an Instagram-worthy treat, this may just be a spot to add to your list. SomiSomi – 4640 Convoy Street"

"Located in Barrio Logan where all the industrial warehouses are near downtown, Cafe Virtuoso has revamped and turned a warehouse into a super rad coffee shop. Not only do they roast their own coffee and make awesome drinks, they also have barista classes you can sign up for!"

"If you are in need of a good cup of coffee or tea this is the place to go!. Cafe Virtuoso is a local artisan coffee roaster focusing exclusively on fair trade and organic coffees. Their baristas are very friendly and knowledgeable and their choices of coffee are great."

"Another great place for good coffee in San Diego is Cafe Virtuoso. What's great is that they have both hot, regular coffee, as well as iced coffee. For example, they have Espresso and Cappuccino, and they have Iced Americano coffee!"