Best History Museum in Poway

"One of San Diego’s gems, Balboa Park, is teeming with free things to do in San Diego. There are over 65 miles of walking trails at Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in America. In addition, there are gorgeous gardens, botanical gardens and spectacular Spanish Colonial Revival architecture to see."

"A post shared by Daniel Deming (@grubyoface619) on May 10, 2016 at 9:44pm PDT. Wander through the attractions in Balboa Park before you make your way to The Prado. This full-service restaurant is perfect for a relaxing dinner where you can spend quality time together."

"Balboa Park is incredibly overdone, unless you are going to venture out some little bit. You will love spending your time walking around it's less popular locations. There are attractive gardens and lawns surrounding the park."

"As the only anthropology museum in the region, the San Diego Museum of Man offers a diverse program, including cannibalism, beer history and humans’ relationships with animals. Its mission is to inspire connections by helping to understand the human experience better, and it accomplishes this goal through its hundreds of thousands of documented ethnographic objects, archaeological items and photographic images. Constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the museum was designed by the famous architect Bertram Goodhue – it has Plateresque, Baroque, Churrigueresque and Rococo details and a unique Spanish Colonial exterior that hints at a Gothic influence, with inspiration from Spanish churches in Mexico."

"For visitors who are interested in learning about early America, mummies, and the historical culture must visit the Museum of Man in San Diego. Located in Balboa Park, it is one of the top-rated museums in San Diego. Museum of Man is all about learning of all our experiences of relationships with animals, the truth about cannibalism, information about monsters, beer history and the power of secrets."

"Study humankind at the San Diego Museum of Man, marvel at aeronautic engineering in the San Diego Air and Space Museum, then catch your breath in the Botanical Building. Head up to North Park for happy hour at Polite Provisions; its beautiful cocktail lounge may hook you up with some small plates if you’re hungry. Save the appetite, though—North Park’s Restaurant Row is nearby."

"Some people may have a grand piano in the living room or a guitar lying around, but what actually goes into making these instruments the vibrant playable pieces of art that they are?. The National Association of Music Merchants, which founded the Museum of Making Music in 1998 “to showcase and celebrate the music products industry,” answers that question. Through the museum’s various exhibits, you will learn about the people who make the instruments and what they sound like when played by an expert."

"The Museum of Making Music offers visitors a unique experience with the history of music. You can explore the innovations that changed instruments and see how popular American music changed throughout the years. Get hands-on with instruments from around the world and throughout history with the Museum of Making Music’s interactive exhibits."

"Opened in 2000, this museum aims to inform and educate the public about the perks and heritage of creating music."

"With its unassuming yellow paint and perfectly square foundation, the William Heath Davis House bears the distinct honor of being the oldest building in San Diego. Erected in 1850, this historic saltbox-style home now serves as a museum, transporting everyone who steps through its doors back in time to the Victorian era of yore. While it once was the home of one of our earliest settlers, William Heath Davis himself, it now affords its visitors a glimpse into our past."

"The William Heath Davis Historic House Museum is the Gaslamp district’s oldest surviving structure, a saltbox style home shipped around Cape Horn and assembled in San Diego in 1850. The museum has been home to many fascinating people, including pre-civil war soldiers, a German Spy and Alonzo Horton, founder of San Diego. Each room represents a historic period of the home and is filled with fascinating and amusing stories about the former inhabitants."

"Built by William Heath Davis in 1850, many fascinating people, including Alonzo Horton, have called the William Heath Davis House 'home.' You'll get to tour the home, and its decorated rooms - each representing different eras in the life of the house and its various former (and rumored ghostly current) inhabitants. Getting in: William Heath Davis House tickets are included on the Go San Diego Card All-Inclusive Pass."

"Visit the rumored 'most haunted house in America' located in Old Town San Diego and take a tour of the beautiful home. Explore the two-story Greek Revival-style mansion and see rooms that once served as a general store, San Diego's first commercial theater, a courthouse, and more. A tour of the Whaley House is a tour of San Diego's history."

"San Diego’s first two-storey brick-built building, the Old Town’s Whaley House dates to 1857. What kindles fascination about the building is its spooky goings-on. This National Historic Landmark was designated “haunted” by the U.S."

"One of the oldest homes in the city established in 1870, the Sikes Adobe historic farmstead is a place for people who would love to get an insight into history and culture of old American era. The place is open only on Sunday and was restored with new interior decorations a few years back."

"There is a nice dirt trail nearby for biking, hiking, or walking. Nearby there is a farmer’s market. There are a few great trails that extend east and west into the valley."

"Archaeology studies human culture by recovering artifacts and trying to understand what they were used for. The San Diego Archaeological Center focuses on regional artifacts to tell the history of the people of San Diego and find common ground in our humanity. The exhibits feature tools dating back 10,000 years."

"San Diego Archaeological Center is dedicated to preserving and showcasing regional archaeological artifacts that tell the story of San Diego County’s past. The main exhibits feature tools and pottery dating back 10,000 years, and there are several interactive exhibits just for kids."

"The San Diego Union Museum enables visitors to see where the San Diego Union, the first newspaper in the city, got its start. Visitors can tour the recreated editor’s office and the original print room to see how they looked in 1868. The prefabricated wooden building was manufactured on the East Coast, shipped to California and reassembled in 1851."

"The museum showcases the region’s unique, colorful, and diverse history exhibiting artifacts, costumes, textiles, art, and photographs detailing life and development of the local area."

"The Seeley Stable Museum is a reproduction of the Yuma to San Diego stage stop. It displays a wide collection of 19th-century transportation vehicles and equipment as well as other rare artifacts."

"If you have kids that are into dinosaurs, the Roynan Museum of Earth Science and Paleontology is an excellent destination. The museum has thousands of specimens, fossils, meteors and more. Originally only open to school groups, scouts and community groups, the museum has recently opened its doors to the general public."

"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."

"Balboa Park is home to several San Diegan museums, and the Museum of Art is another magnificence you can visit here. With hosting over half a million visitors every year, this oldest and largest art museum in the region is noted as one of the best museums in San Diego. It has been in operations from the year 1926, exhibiting the most comprehensive art collection anywhere in San Diego."

"The San Diego Museum of Art houses a broad art collection with particular strength in Spanish art. The Museum first opened as The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego in 1926 and changed its name to its current form in 1978. The museum building was designed in a plateresque style to harmonize with existing structures, in Balboa Park, from the Panama–California Exposition of 1915."

"One of the best museums in San Diego to visit in 2019 is, without a doubt, the San Diego Museum of Art. Founded in 1926, this museum is located in Balboa Park. It has the reputation of being the oldest and largest art museum in the region."

"Horton Plaza Shopping Center, a multi-story, open-air mall, is known for its eclectic architecture, people-watching opportunities and more than 100 stores and shops. Make a purchase here and you'll get three free hours of parking—ample time for shopping and exploring the surrounding Gaslamp Quarter."