San Diego Natural History Museum

Visited with 5 adults on a Saturday afternoon during a Pride Parade, and it still was not too crowded. Felt the price of admission (about $25/adult) was worth the value and experience for all you get to see and learn. About 5 floors (including basement) with dedicated areas to different species. Gift shop and restrooms.

There so many attractions to visit that around this place that one day is not enough, as an adult i enjoyed visiting with my significant other and had a blast learning and admiring so many things about animals, they have fossils from dinosaurs to extinct species that were native from California. What i was amazed is that they have a huge living frog that I think it's about 12-15 inches long. Kids would love this place.

This is the perfect spot for kids and grownups alike! There is so much to see and plenty of hands on exhibits. The docents were friendly and knowledgeable. My favorite part was the Amazement in the Basement. I enjoyed watching them work!

I liked how it was a small intimate venue as well and how they talked to us. It was one's FIRST show ever, another orchestrated (?) (figured out which of the 4 instruments could do what) 4 of the songs himself. It was fun trying to figure out which piece was doing what sound as well. I would even get chills when the two were in PERFECT harmony (insane!!!) And of course cried at times. Chef's kiss 👌

The Nat is a great museum and the exhibits are laid out very nicely. I love that there are specific mentions to the research that is done there. The employees at the help desk are very knowledgeable and have lots of great fun facts. I really enjoyed strolling around and learning about local wildlife as well as seeing so many fossils and bone structures. What a cool place!!

Awesome adventure with my 3 year old daughter who absolutely loved it. There’s a little play area on the bottom floor, but she had more fun exploring all the cool exhibits

What an amazing way to honor & cover Pink Floyd songs! The string quartet was not only talented musically, but each had an outgoing, upbeat and humorous personality. It was a very cool, "comfortably numb" and intimate setting for enjoying awesome music. I want to see what they do with Coldplay and Imagine Dragons next month!

It looks to be more geared towards children as well as highlighting its history in natural history. Discounted price for military was nice. Been to some better natural history musuems but this one has a long history of not just a musuem but conservation and learning so thats a good cause.

Interactive museum for wide range of ages and interests. Take time to check out all areas and floor levels of the museum. The public areas have increased over the last few years to include the ability to view science work underway by specialists and even the ability to speak with staff. The activities and events offered for various ages, interests and abilities make this museum fun for all. Friday evening events on the outdoor deck with tasty food and drinks is a nice way to enjoy a summer evening. The gift shop has a wide range of unique items making it a San Diego downtown shopping destination (shop can be accessed without museum entry fee). The museum's Canyoneers Hiking group outings are fun and informative and offer a range of levels and varied hike locations.

I love the Nat at night!! There was plenty of free parking. Staff was nice & helpful throughout all the floors. So many interaction, and hands on experiences for the kids. So many interesting things to see and learn. Food is served on the roof which has a cool view. First floor has craft taco which was good, also there is coffee and alcohol served. They also have a short film you can view in the theatre, which is included with your ticket. We watched about dinosaurs. My grand kids want to go back! Highly recommend.

SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM @ Balboa Park Came here for a networking event, very large museum and so many great memories and things to look at here! What I really liked was the spinning world, it was really interesting to see the "toys" falling that present us humans. Parking was free, since it was a networking event it was difficult to find spots but there were some available for street. Overall, the place was clean, and fascinating. I really enjoyed the giant shark I saw, as well as the event itself that had yummy tacos!

Staff very helpful when procuring our tickets !! This is a large 4-level museum that has rotating displays on earth science. some animals, and dinosaurs. They have live perfomances and films shown in their giant screen theater! Expect about a good 3-4 hours to visit the exhibits , enjoy rooftop views, and when famished during or after the tour you can dine at The Craft Taco located at the ground level .

San Diego natural history Museum what can I say about it? first of all if you haven't experienced Nat at night, you're missing out because it usually happens once a month and every week in the summer. I enjoy this museum the most bc it showcases a lot of the local lore (native plants, animals etc) the fossil floor is my favorite but I understand it's closed until they're ready I love the huge installations of animals and the meg ngl Plenty of things for people and children to look at and learn from ... the candlelight events are amazing too

First, my experience comes from visiting on a Monday around noon. We were able to find plenty of parking by the carousel side of Balboa Park and walked over. Second, I haven't been here since the Titanic Exhibition was here yeaaaaaars ago, but I decided to bring my son who's 18 months old today and my mom as well. My son had a blast and so did we. We were able to get $20 entry for military affiliation and I think it was pretty worth it. There was so much to look at and it was such a blast. My son was running around in amazement of everything and so was I. I appreciate the kids' play area with a small section separated for infants on the first floor towards the back. Bathrooms near the area with a changing station in the big stall at the end. Very cute with nice toys and books I might've missed it, but it could use a hand sanitizer area or like wipes? Kids are germy foreal foreal Elevator available for strollers and wheelchairs. Nice cafe with food at the bottom and don't need entry ticket if you're just there to eat. Love the store they have as well. So many nice and niche items for nature lovers with some cool postcards and greeting cards as well!

First, parking was so hard on a weekend. I don't know what was happening but it was so hard to find a spot anywhere. Once in, it was a lot of learning which is good for the kids interested but perhaps not so much for kids that were expecting a little more interaction. They have a fossil section where my kids thought there would be more dinosaur stuff but it wasn't as much dinosaur as all kinds of animals. I thought they were neat but a kid wasn't super interested. Appreciated the various flip things to make kids think with questions and answers. Museum shop was pretty cool with some fun, unique things too. If your kids like animals, learning all about them and their history, this is the spot. If they want to play more, it's not.

My family and I have visited this museum twice recently and our toddlers both had a blast. There are two entrances from the first or second floor. While there are three floors, the main exhibits were on the second one and the bears and dinosaurs are a favorite of the toddlers. What I also really liked was the under 5 play area on the first floor and the quiet library on the third floor where we parked two strollers and two napping toddlers and were able to relax on the bench ourselves.

Wow I haven't been here in decades. What an amazing museum. Every exhibit was fun and exciting. We were greeted by Angela and Rhianna and they were both so sweet and helpful. I think we saw everything there was to see and we were not disappointed. I got to see the pendulum knock over a couple blocks and that was awesome lol. We can't wait to go back next year!

My kids and I love visiting museums. When in San Diego, we decided to visit this museum as the science one (which we prefer for hands on experiences) was closed. There are many floors to this museum. When we arrived, we started at the top and worked our way down, which was a great choice and would recommend. There were a lot of cool things to look at. There were a few hands on experiences, which we all know kids enjoy. There were things to click on, and there was even a nice reading area just for kids with bean bags, a sculpture bookcase, and tons of books. My kids really enjoyed the live animal exhibit and playing try to find them. Overall, a great museum and can definitely spend a few hours here.

While the museum was gorgeous, the admission price was a bit high for the number and quality of exhibits. Admission was typically $24 but I visited for free on a resident Tuesday. The multiple floors trick visitors into believing that there are more exhibits than it actually does. I spent about 1.5 hours thoroughly going through all the exhibits. *Expedition Baja: one of the newer exhibits and it centered on the natural landscapes of the California peninsula. This focused more on geographical beauties. I was uncertain if it was intentional but this room was incredibly humid compared to the rest of the museum. *Living Lab: small collection of amphibians, reptiles, and insects. The snakes were especially lively. This collection seems to be steadfast throughout the years but I hope that they'll expand this area to include more animals or species. *Hidden Gems: the minerals were not placed exclusively in one area and there were other gems dispersed near the elevators. I wished there was greater emphasis on minerology, especially with California's extensive history. *Fossil Mysteries: more fossils were in the process of being discovered and we saw some missing on display for "additional research". The models were bright and lively. However, some of the interactive stations were broken. *Unshelved: one of my favorite storage displays. Other museums often clutter their items together without any rhyme or reason but the Nat had a clear theming to each section. Although the storage wasn't as extensive as others, the organization made it easier to consume and appreciate. *Coast to Cactus: more fun for children to climb into tunnels and crevices but I still liked the colorful displays. *Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: more modern and I loved how there was an interactive screen that clearly showed and explain different microscopic slides. The technology was quick and functional and this should be incorporated in other museums too. *Skulls: although the collection was impressive, I don't know why they were placed so close to the railing. This results in 1/4 of the skulls to not be properly viewed. Although they list 200 skulls, so many of them are packed together that it was difficult to appreciate the similarities and differences. This section would benefit from better spacing and descriptors. *Foucault Pendulum: classic exhibit near the entrance but it has definitely seen better days. The railing and ground show some wear and tear. The gift shop was underwhelming. Each item was greatly overpriced and appeared worn out. I usually buy themed souvenirs at all museums yet there was nothing exclusive to the Nat. While I think the Nat is worth visiting, but the admission was twice as others I have visited yet it had less to offer. Best to visit on a Tuesday as a San Diego resident or wait for their half off nights for the best deal.

Okay, so I do love nature, history, and museums, and was really excited to come back here again after 10+ years. Admission prices have gone up since I last came here: $24/adult, $20/senior 62+, military, students with ID, and $14/youth 3-17. Not much has changed though. I see the same exhibits I saw back then from dinosaur models and fossils to skulls and native specimens. The have a giant screen theater, which is included with paid admission. Current showings are T. REX (25min), Wild San Diego (40min), and Ocean Oasis (40min), depending on the time. Considering there are 4 floors, I guess because I really didn't see anything new, it was a bit disappointing. I do want to support the museum though. There was a staff member going around asking visitors about their experience and ideas to improve the museum, and so my kiddo suggested perhaps having more aquatic animals or something to attract more people. Regardless, I think younger kids would love this place more and wouldn't mind coming here multiple times.

Cassie J help gave us insight on a lot of the exhibits, she was so nice. Made the experience 10x better

Great museum for all ages. It packs a ton of info in, and is spaced nicely. There are a lot of stairs, and only a couple elevators, so on busy days it may be difficult to get to every floor efficiently.

The San Diego Natural History Museum (I think locals call it "The Nat" - at least that's how I've heard the TV news anchors refer to it) is a nice destination for the nature enthusiasts in you. Located at the (let's see, umm) far northeast edge of Balboa Park, this museum offers three floors of education, exploration, and inspiration. The exhibits are well-curated and cover a diverse range of topics, from the prehistoric past of dinosaurs and fossils, which you'll find to the right as you enter, to the complex ecosystems of Southern California (lots of spiders, furry critters and the like - don't worry, they're all stuffed or stiff). Check out the "Fossil Mysteries" exhibit with its display of ancient creatures, and the "Coast to Cactus" setup covering the unique biodiversity of the region. They have a nice 3D theater showing various nature and natural world based films with eye-popping images that jump off the screen. You'll hear announcements over a loud speaker when a film is about to start and there are posters letting you know what is "Now Showing". I like how knowledgeable, friendly and ready to share the staff is, making for a more informative and interactive visit. The museum has a unique spacious design where the center is open from the ground floor all the way up past floors 2 and 3 to the ceiling. Look out the back windows by the stairs and you'll see the giant fig tree (I mean giant).

We are members so it wasn't our first time here. We love coming to this museum! There is so much to see and learn. I love how there are many fun exhibits for children to see and engage with. Since kids were free this October we decided to invite some other family members to come along. My Sister-in-law called the day before to ask about the rules on strollers and tickets for adults. She was told she could buy her ticket online and her 3 year old would be able to come in for free with her paid admission. She also has a two year old which is already free since she is a baby (2 and under don't require a ticket). When we arrived the girl at the front desk was not friendly at all. She seemed quite bothered that my sister-in-law had bought her ticket online and said that was not acceptable for the free child's admission. When my sister-in-law stated she had called the day before to make sure it was okay the girl looked upset and said "You can enter this time but I'll be talking to my team about this, because this is not okay." After seeing her attitude I checked her name tag and saw her name was Amanda and she was a "lead". For someone who is in a supervisor position I found this very unprofessional and unwelcoming. It was their first time at this museum and it was not a good first impression or a friendly customer service experience for them. I'm not sure why Amanda with the blue hair was so annoyed, when we were just so happy to be there . I have come many times before and the girls working in the front have always been so helpful and friendly. Maybe Amanda can learn from her team.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is packed with fascinating exhibits on dinosaurs, fossils, local wildlife, and the natural history of Southern California and Baja. There are interactive displays and a giant screen film showing. The museum is well-organized and does a good job to bring science to life. The top floor balcony offers a great view of Balboa Park! We were visitors (adult couple) and enjoyed it but also recently been to DC's and this was a little underwhelming as we felt it was more geared toward kids and families. Took us maybe an hour and half to see the whole thing.

My partner and I came here during the nighttime admission for half off tickets and had so much fun! It was great seeing the exhibits with a drink in hand. We were amazed how large their collection was and enjoyed each floor, especially the rooftop bar! This was a great spot for date night

Our little guys LOVES science and animals. The movie was a bit too slow but we loved everything! Especially the geology and the live snakes and the bones exhibits. So much fun. Don't miss the view from the rooftop!!!!

My girlfriend and I came here for Nat at night. There was half off admission after 5pm! The exhibits were very interesting; from prehistoric fossils to a live animal exhibit, the museum had a lot to look at and learn about. The museum was huge; I wasn't expecting the museum to be as many floors as it was. I thought it was awesome that you could get drinks and walk around; and they even had a rooftop bar! The staff at the museum were all very friendly and helpful, when we were ordering drinks and asking questions. If you're interested in natural history and in the San Diego area, you should check this museum out!

I love this place so much! I highly recommend this wonderful and amazing museum! It's free on Tuesdays for California residents! Such a fun and educational museum! Great place for school field trips and to take the kids and families!

I went here for the Taylor Swift candlelight event and it is simply amazing. I love the candlelight events here. TIP: If you arrive early, you could wander around the museum for a bit before the show begins.

This is the best museum in Balboa Park!!!! Please do not skip this one! It is amazing to see real dinosaur bones here as well as models of how large they were. You can learn so much here, or just look around at cool things if you don't like to read. My favorite section was actually the "Unshelved" section. I also really enjoyed that there were some real living animals here, such as reptiles and spiders. This place is a must-see!!!! Elevator inside for wheelchair access.

We love visiting this museum! There are so many different exhibits and lots for kids to look at. Some of the exhibits are interactive and so fun!

First Stop on my Balboa Park Museum Adventure It was alright. It's summer so there's summer campers and tourists but it's San Diego so ... the kids got a good laugh at the selfies I took. Great for the kids. I did appreciate the beauty of the gems. It was nice to see them beautified in another way than jewelry.

Love the exhibits here so much ! Very clean and situated perfectly between all the floors. There are elevators as well if stairs aren't your thing. Favorite museum by far!

The San Diego Natural History Museum is a nice place for children to learn and explore the past. I enjoyed quite a few exhibits featuring prehistoric animals, but the museum is pretty sparse. It took approximately 45-60 minutes to walk through the entire museum, including my time in the gift shop/cafe. I've been spoiled by the Smithsonian museums I visited as a child, but that's not to say the San Diego Natural Museum does not have merits. I recommend coming on a Tuesday when it's free for San Diego City & County residents or purchasing a Balboa Park Explorer Pass. This way you can pay a discounted fee and visit several museums in the Park. Otherwise, admission is $24 for adults and $14 for children (ages 3-17).

We came for the 150th birthday celebration! There was so much to see and learn about. I think you could spend 1-2 hours here. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable. There's lots of history to be appreciated here!

Came here for Nat at Night. Admission is half the cost of normal admission. Honestly it's a great event. Something about being in a museum after hours just makes it so much more fun! The displays are all wonderful curated and all the information placards are in English and Spanish. It's easy to go through everything pretty quickly even if you peruse through at a leisurely pace. Even though it's not jam packed with exhibits, the exhibits that are available are quite good. With the rooftop patio lit up and serving drinks and food though during the Nat at Night event, the museum becomes a perfect spot for a fun date night idea. I can imagine this museum feeling a bit sparse but it's perfect for a laidback peruse while enjoying drinks and snacks and conversation. The short movies playing on the giant screen theater are excellent also. Overall, it's a pretty fun and unique experience and I had a blast. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something fun and chill to do with friends or family or a unique date night idea.

Came here with our 7 year old and he loved it. There are so many things to see and do. The museum is 4 levels and the layout is very easy to work from the top down so you don't miss a thing. You learn a lot about the different places around San Diego and the conservation work that the museum scientists have done. There are a lot of different exhibits meant to engage a child's mind and get them to think about the world around them. It also allows them to see things that they might not have seen before. From the different live animals to the taxidermy ones it brings out a bunch of curiosity. We were lucky to be there when one of the films was playing in the theater so we got to learn about the TRex and also learn about how some of the fossils were discovered not by scientists but by a trio of pre teens. This is an engaging museum that captures the attention, indulges the curiosity of everyone young and old. It's a great place to spend a few hours or if pressed on time just see an exhibit or two. Next time we are back in the area we will definitely be coming here.

So much to see and learn about in one place. Great for the family and curious minds. Interesting info about fire in a chaparral ecosystem and seeing the transformation of parts of San Diego. Kids loved the dinosaurs and mineral exhibits. We could easily spend hours in this museum. Definitely recommend it.

Beautiful surroundings and great interactive areas. Not sure if it's a yearly pass type place since I'm not local but some of the other reviews say it's the same year after year. I was a bit disappointed in how some exhibits were left in plastic bags and not presented properly. It was great to see the history of San Diego for wildlife and flora, minerals too. People working there were friendly and helpful. Elevators weren't easy to find.

I came here awhile ago but I thought I would write a review and share some pictures. I'm sure they have done some renovations and remodeling since then. Current admission is $24 for an adult. Parking was very easy, we had no issues finding a spot. I really enjoyed this museum. I saw a lot of intriguing exhibits and I liked that they had some interactive activities. We probably spent 3-4 hours here. Museum was well kept. We came on a day where it wasn't too busy at all.

Nice museum at balboa park. My kids enjoyed it. This is a good size museum. It has a theater inside. It was very educational and fun for the kids.

This museum is good for tourists and locals alike. They change the films in the theater often. I usually go using the free tickets from the summer reading program at the public library.

I highly recommend this museum for kids. Parking: There is free parking in a lot near the museum, on the street, or down by the lot by the carousel. On the weekend the lots are full by 11am. Entry is located across from the GIANT tree. Walk down steps, enter door and walk to counter. They have maps at front but you don't really need them. The basement floor was not open when I went. The first/main floor has the giant t-rex skeleton that everyone loved. There were beautiful gems placed throughout the museum. Kids were mainly focused on the things they could touch and were bored with most other things. They had live insects and reptiles in the corner on the first floor. The second floor had some neat kid friendly areas, including a darkened camp ground story area (very cool!) and a giant tree your kid can go in to take a picture. On the third floor there are stairs in the back that go to a small hideaway book reading area for kids. I highly recommend this museum as it was very interesting, well planned and kids loved it. It took a little over an hour to go through everything.

Nice displays of vertebrae, dinosaurs, animals and more. We went with 2 kids and did not see it all after 2 hours. But that depends, on how much learning and reading they do. There are lots of places to sit and there are 3 different movies included with admission in a large theater. It's also very quite for the older set, we went on a Friday afternoon.

Fun fact: when you grow up in San Diego and THIS is your museum experience during elementary school field trips, you will be very spoiled. It's been over 15 years and the Nat is as awesome as I remember it being. We spent about an hour exploring before my friend's kid needed a nap and our trip was cut short, and there is a lot more that I need to explore. I especially enjoyed the exhibits on the local habitat, especially as it pertains to wildfires being a natural part of the area. I enjoyed learning more about the area, the animals that call it home, and more. I've been to other natural history museums that were just filled with a bunch of sad taxidermy; The Nat in San Diego is a true gem.

I visited the museum today, as it was free access for residents (uou check out Balboa website for Free Tuesday musuem access to local resistants). I overlooked that it was spring break for the schools, so the museum was packed with children and their parents. Also, the parking lot had some challenges to finding an open spot. But nonetheless I went, and had a good time overall. There's four floors, they did a really good job of creating different types of exhibits, some with live animals / reptiles, some with recreated natural habitats, some walkthroughs over the computer montiors, and movie/film showings. There's a lot of different exhibits to digest in this museum. From underwater creatures to dinosaurs to crystals and rocks. Overall, I would say the museum appeals more to children than adults. I'm still making my way through all of the Balboa museums, but I wouldn't go to this museum if I didn't have children. With that being said, this is a very children friendly museum! Great activity to take your kids to. It's very interactive and very entertaining with all of the large dinosaurs and animals they recreated.

Very fun museum! I liked all of the visual displays, and all of the different exhibits, but a fair warning, if you like animals.. DONT GO TO THE SECOND FLOOR! There's a load of taxidermies of different animals and there is animal fur that you can see. I would totally recommend this place though, especially if you're looking for a fun place to kill some time, and learn something new.

This museum is also in the Balboa Park area. Since I've already frequented it's namesake in NYC, in comparison I prefer the NYC museum but this one is ok also. They have a large screen with Dolby in their Theater. The fossils are always interesting exhibits as well as some of the assorted mammals.

This is not a museum for adults. It's definitely geared strongly towards children. There was nothing here that I felt belonged in a museum.

I haven't been here in years. Went a week ago for the Nat at Night. My friend planned this date and it was great. Admission was half price at the door after 5pm, around 11$ per ticket. Thanks Jenny! This was the last day for the Nat at Night of the year. I believe it resumes next summer. With the time change, the sun set right before we went in. It felt cool to be in the museum after normal hours and at nighttime--kinda like staying up late during a sleepover when we were kids. The museum itself is amazing. Old stuff is cool! We did the sketch party which was drawing on a little picnic style table covered in white paper. Colored pencils and markers were provided. Jenny's drawing was wayyyy better. Posting a picture of mine for reference. Make sure to take pictures of your masterpieces because you cannot take it home. After we explored some more, we got mocktails and went to the rooftop where most everyone was. Right as we got there, it started to rain so we went back inside and looked at more old stuff. Before we left, we went back to the rooftop and enjoyed some decent views of the park. A great place to take your better half, a date, and older kids. Highly recommend doing this next summer as part of a great day in San Diego.

Love the Nat. We come once a week. But did you all get new guest stickers? Because I cannot get the latest one off my vest hah.

The museum was a bit underwhelming. It is very focused on San Diego history so if you aren't a local it isn't very impactful. Lots of stuff for kids but as 2 adults we were pretty bored.

Wonderful museum! Great if you have passes, pays for itself after 2 visits with a family of 4. Changes year around and has plenty of areas to learn about and interactive activities. So many things too look at. Handicap wheelchair accessible Clean restrooms Helpful Docents and volunteers Plenty of picture opportunities and lots of room for the littles to run and play. Enjoy

This was one of the most expensive public museums with limited items of interest. It took about an hour to walk through. The lower level was closed so could I have %20 off for that, another %20 off for the library and closed door research floor which leave the other 3 floors actually housing exhibits. They were staffing eight people on the registers for the 1 pm Sunday rush. Literally one very nice volunteer discussed Megaladon teeth. There were no other visible guides using the latest witty museumisms. Very expensive flat experience which, I expected better from San Diego. This is a very missed opportunity to have made something special and it underwhelms. Currently it is in my history so, I am recording it not to repeat it.

A nice museum overall - clean, lots of interesting facts, and some neat exhibits to look at. That said, I was a little underwhelmed especially since the admission was $25 per person. Most of the models were replicas and there wasn't anything super unique. It was pretty quick to get through the entire museum even with taking our time. I think it would be more fun as a child. As a tourist, I wish I had chosen another museum for my visit, but if I was a local it would be fun to go during discount or free days.

NHM and is a must visit Museum. It is a great place to explore especially with the kiddos. There is plenty to see and do during your visit. You can enjoy live animals, kids play areas, presentations, a cafe, a rooftop area and so much more. Dedicate a few hours because it is a fairly large museum with four floors plus a rooftop area with spectacular views. I highly recommend this museum because it's very educational, entertaining and budget friendly.