Free Museums in Black's Beach

"Explore the longest-serving aircraft carrier in United States history at this legendary museum. You'll experience life at sea without ever leaving the Navy Pier port as you discover over 60 exhibits and 27 restored aircraft. The museum brings the past to life with a self-guided audio tour narrated by USS Midway sailors."

"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."

"Italian Renaissance, Dutch, Spanish and baroque pieces are exhibited, as well as contemporary paintings and sculptures. Works by Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Pisarro, van Gogh and Dufy are rotated in display on the ground floor. Shop, sculpture garden and cafe with outdoor seating."

"Known for its Spanish baroque and Renaissance paintings, including works by El Greco, Goya, Rubens, and van Ruisdael, San Diego's most…"

"This museum is concerned with developing children’s creativity and imagination. It originally opened in 1983, and it has been one of the favorite places of the youngest visitors in San Diego ever since. The vision of this museum is to engage children in developing numerous skills through contemporary art."

"This unique museum collaborates with contemporary artists to create one-of-a-kind art installations. The exhibits include playhouses, clubhouses, and climbable towers. Kids can interact with the exhibits and engage in active play as they would at home."

"© Craig Lovell / Eagle Visions Photography / Alamy Stock Photo. With a collection of more than 7,000 photographs by 850 photographers, including Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Stieglitz and Ruth Bernhard, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) devotes itself entirely to the collection and preservation of photography, film and video, including its aesthetic movements and technological advancements. In particular, MOPA’s collection features a large selection of mid-20th-century Soviet Russian photography, social documentary photography and photojournalism."

"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."

"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."

"The Fleet Science Center has over one hundred hands-on exhibits for curious kids and their parents. Kid City was designed for children up to five years of age and features a block corner for budding architects, the Little Learner’s Lab and its Young Explorer computer stations, a Fire Truck exhibit that teaches street safety, and the colorful and exciting Ball Wall that demonstrates the properties of physics. Older kids will gravitate to the Studio X maker space where they can participate in regularly scheduled workshops or create something on their own using the studio’s tools and materials."

"The Fleet Science Center is an interactive museum that highlights how we are connected through science. All ages tend to love the over 100 interactive exhibits that simplify and allow you to test various theories you may have learned at school. Kids under the age of 5 spend quite a bit of time in Kid City."

"The Fleet Science Center is always a crowd-pleaser for the crew. Get the fam in free the first Tuesday of the month. (Go early and avoid large crowds)."

"The Wells Fargo Museum, located inside the Colorado House, features one of the company’s original 1867 Concord stagecoaches. The recreated and historically-furnished former hotel also houses actual historic telegraph machines and a variety of other memorabilia related to the banking and transportation company. Photo Courtesy of Historic Old Town Community Foundation"

"The California Center for the Arts in Escondido, brings world class entertainment to the area. The Center’s unique campus includes a 1,500-seat concert hall, a 400-seat theater, a contemporary art museum, art and dance studios, and a full-service conference center with meeting and banquet facilities ready to host corporate gatherings, weddings and other special life events. The Center also runs an extensive education program and produces free community events, such as the Jazz Jam Sessions, Musica En La Plaza, 4th of July Celebration, Day of the Dead Festival, Holiday Tree Lighting and WOW First Wednesdays performances."

"A stunning theater, the California Center for the Arts is absolutely beautiful, with a sound system that will amaze you. The California Center for the Arts has many events to consider, from theater to a plethora of concerts. There is also, a multimedia art gallery, where you will have the opportunity to roam around this lovely building and enjoy various international art exhibits, from paintings to sculptures and everything between!"

"Performers and musicians from all over the world come to the center each year. From September through June, the Center of the Arts hosts a free concert every first Wednesday of the month. The concerts are a great way to expose kids to different genres of music."

"The San Diego Asian Pacific Historic District, San Diego’s historic Chinatown, is an eight-block district adjacent to and in part overlapping with the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. The San Diego Chinatown is bounded by Market Street on the north, 2nd Ave. on the west, 6th ave. on the east and J st. on the south. 22 structures are considered historically contributing."

"The Chinese Historical Museum displays Chinese-American art, culture and history. Housed in a restored mission-style building, exhibits include miniature models, historic photographs and rare artifacts related to the heritage of San Diego’s Chinese community. *Small donation requested."

"Nestled in the coastal hills of North County San Diego, Escondido is a “hidden” gem. Escondido is a combination of rural and city, that has parks, lakes and a vibrant center. The diversity of the area creates openings for interesting and fun things for families to do."

"The mission of San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum is to inspire children to learn about our world through exploration, imagination, and experimentation...."

"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."

"A post shared by Patti Boo✈️Travel🌿Nature (@resistthemundane). When it comes to any art lover’s itinerary, the San Diego Museum of Art is generally somewhere near the top of the list. Located in Balboa Park (along with 16 other museums), the San Diego Museum of Art is best known for its large collection of paintings."

"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."

"An educational forum to present the work of professional artists in a range of media and dealing with diverse issues. sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/mesa-college-art-gallery/. 7250 Mesa College Dr, San Diego, CA 92111"

"San Diego is known for its large and rapidly growing craft brewing community, with Blind Lady Ale House being an outstanding highlight. Named one of ‘America’s 100 Best Beer Bars’ several years running, this simultaneously lively and laid-back venue features a custom designed direct draw system, which serves the 26 draft beers on tap, faster and fresher. BLAH also offers a menu of house-made sausages and other meat specialties, Neapolitan-style pizza and numerous other tasty edibles made with local seasonal products and special imported Italian ingredients."

"Blind Lady Ale House does two important things very well: beer and pizza. This Normal Heights staple has one of the city’s widest selections of local beers and a high-tech tap system to make sure you’re getting the best-tasting beer possible. Also, their pizzas are really good."

"Although this Del Mar fish market has come a long way since its inception (as a humble case operated by one man) in 1974, its commitment to high-quality seafood remains. Today, that takes the form of a wide variety of sautéed and chargrilled catches, from local yellowtail and thresher shark to Mexican octopus and Idaho rainbow trout. A post shared by eugenia bahng (@euggg) on Jan 7, 2014 at 1:59pm PST"

"The Fish Market is known for its grilled seafood, sushi, and oyster bars. It is a Bayfront chain branch that offers diners patio tables and the dual service of a retail market. After enjoying your meal you can take some home."

"Yum! Every kid’s meal at the recently opened Park 101 comes with a token for cotton candy at the end of the meal. Talk about every kid’s dream come true!. As for adults, you can choose from a wide selection of beer and wine to pair with your delicious BBQ."

"ft. multi-level dining complex there is endless amounts of fun to be had. The restaurant is located across from Pacific Beach and is kid and dog-friendly. We dined in the Garden Pub area of the restaurant."

"In addition to family meals, Carlsbad’s Park 101 offers curbside 32oz frozen cocktails, draft beer, hard kombucha,and wine. Call ahead or order online here."

"On various Tuesdays each month, the museums in Balboa Park offer free general admission to residents of the County of San Diego and active military (and their dependents). Please check the calendar as things are subject to change, but this is the schedule at the time of this writing:"

"Located in the historic Old Navy Chapel, the museum preserves and honors the memory of men and women of the Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and Wartime Merchant Marine. The collection contains artifacts, documents, photographs, memorabilia, and artwork from the Civil War to the present."

"The San Diego Asian Pacific Historic District, San Diego’s historic Chinatown, is an eight-block district adjacent to and in part overlapping with the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District. The San Diego Chinatown is bounded by Market Street on the north, 2nd Ave. on the west, 6th ave. on the east and J st. on the south. 22 structures are considered historically contributing."

"The Chinese Historical Museum displays Chinese-American art, culture and history. Housed in a restored mission-style building, exhibits include miniature models, historic photographs and rare artifacts related to the heritage of San Diego’s Chinese community. *Small donation requested."

"The Wells Fargo Museum, located inside the Colorado House, features one of the company’s original 1867 Concord stagecoaches. The recreated and historically-furnished former hotel also houses actual historic telegraph machines and a variety of other memorabilia related to the banking and transportation company. Photo Courtesy of Historic Old Town Community Foundation"