San Diego Museum Month is back for 2025, and participants can wander through a colorful camellia garden, stand at the ready in a command center on an aircraft carrier’s flight deck or see a Dutch artist’s debut exhibit in the United States.
These exhibits and activities at the Japanese Friendship Garden, USS Midway Museum and The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego are among dozens of permanent and temporary exhibits across the county that can be accessed with half-off ission prices during February. Hosted by the San Diego Museum Council and more than 70 museums, theme parks and institutions, Museum Month extends to all different parts of San Diego County and Tijuana.
es can be picked up at public libraries across the region starting Jan. 24 or via the San Diego Museum Council website starting Feb. 1. They can be used up to four times at a single museum, but participants can get the half-priced ission to visit as many museums as they want through Feb. 28.
Here’s a look at just 10 of the many exhibits on display throughout this monthlong discounted celebration of art and culture.
Barona Cultural Museum: ‘Nya’waap Illyuw Uuchyuwp — Our Way of Knowing’
This 20-minute film featuring the Kumeyaay creation story is a highlight of the Barona Cultural Museum. The 20-minute, semi-animated project is screened in a mini theater there, and was created with the recollections and stories from elders in the community and materials going back more than 100 years. Guests to this museum can also see various exhibits, visit a native plant garden and learn from its research library. 1095 Barona Road on the Barona Band of Mission Indians’ Reservation. baronamuseum.com/visit-us
Museum of Us: ‘Hostile Terrain 94’
A collaboration between the Undocumented Migration Project and the Museum of Us, this exhibit comes with a content warning. With family narratives, cultural resources and an interactive map, it carefully presents an exploration of migrant deaths and government policies at the U.S.-Mexico border since 1994. The Museum of Us also features exhibits on beer, ancient Egypt and various issues of humanity. 1350 El Prado, San Diego. museumofus.org
Maritime Museum of San Diego: ‘Celebrating the Sea: Exploring the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s Hidden Collections’
“Celebrating the Sea,” displays maritime-themed art in the Com Gallery of the museum’s 1898 steam ferryboat, the Berkeley. The exhibit is described as presenting rarely-seen artifacts and art from the Maritime Museum’s lesser-known collections. Landlubbers and fans of seafaring alike can hop on and off historic sailing ships, steam-powered ships, a submarine and other boats as well. 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego. sdmaritime.org
Visions Museum of Textile Art: ‘Rewired’
“Rewired” offers the opportunity to examine how technology can become art. One such example is the “Platform” series, which uses floppy disks, iPhones, iPads and threads to make art with mixed media and crocheting techniques. Visions Museum of Textile Art celebrates quilting and textile arts and is located inside Arts District Liberty Station. 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100, San Diego. vmota.org
Tijuana Aquarium: ‘Gray Whale Marine Migrants’
This temporary exhibit explores the life of gray whales and their journey for thousands of miles to the Mexican Coast. The aquarium also displays various species from the region and around the globe. It is located inside the Tijuana Cultural Center, which is also home to the Museo de las Californias, a botanic garden and other cultural experiences. Decima, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico. cecut.gob.mx/eacuario.php
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum: ‘Storytime Inventing’
Storytime Inventing makes reading fun through interactive challenges. Kids can work on problem-solving and reading comprehension skills with activities inspired by children’s storybook characters. At San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, families can also find a child-sized grocery store play area, a puppet theater, a wind tunnel and other activities for kids. 320 North Broadway, Escondido. sdcdm.org/exhibits
Bonita Museum & Cultural Center: ‘Friendship Park, Take Amistad on the Road’
Starting Feb. 8, learn about Friendship Park — a historic site straddling the U.S.-Mexico border — through paintings, sculptures and photography. Four artists, Nanzi Muro, Maria Teresa Fernandez, Pedro Rios and Natalia Ventura will show expressions of the meaning of cross-border friendship. The Bonita Museum & Cultural Center is also the home to the Bonita Historical Society and various exhibits on local art and culture. 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita. bonitahistoricalsociety.org
San Diego Museum of Art: ‘Women in Focus’
Debuting on Feb. 1, “Women in Focus” highlights contributions by women to the art of photography. Find the works of legends in the field, such as Margaret Bourke-White, Dorothea Lange and Imogen Cunningham. The Museum of Photographic Arts can be found next to the San Diego Museum of Art, where visitors can also see exhibits on art from around the world. 1649 El Prado, San Diego. mopa.org
San Diego Air & Space Museum: ‘Da Vinci’s First Flight’
Go inside the mind of Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci as you explore his designs, experiments, inventions and contributions to flight at this world premiere exhibit. Visitors to “Da Vinci’s First Flight” can see large, carefully crafted replicas of his famous flying machines and even experience a virtual simulation of a glider. At the San Diego Air & Space Museum, there are also interactive activities, multi-sensory film screenings and other opportunities to learn about space and aviation past and present. 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego. sandiegoairandspace.org.
The California Surf Museum: ‘Stars, Cars and Guitars: The Birth of Modern Surf Era: 1958 to 1966’
The early days of surf history are on display at the California Surf Museum through imagery, artifacts, art and memorabilia. Specifically, this exhibit looks at surfing’ss explosion in popularity through three areas of California culture: beach life, cars and music. Learn more about surfing’s essential role in statewide history at this museum and, of course, find plenty of surf boards. 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside. surfmuseum.org
This article has been updated to clarify the location of the Museum of Photographic Arts.
