San Diego Air & Area Museum is likely one of the hottest locations in Balboa Park and attracts hundreds of tourists yearly.
It’s dwelling to dozens of plane and spacecraft recreations and restorations and the proper place to spend a couple of hours in San Diego with youngsters and even with out.
Whereas the Museum’s predominant location is at Balboa Park, it has extra storage and a restoration workshop at Gillespie Area, an area airport in El Cajon. You may go to this small annex to see some army jets, personal sport plane, and small racing planes on show.
Within the Balboa Park location, guests can go to the six everlasting exhibitions, pay an additional value for the particular rotating exhibit, or take a tour of the restoration space (if a restoration is being labored on). The everlasting exhibitions embody:
- The Theodore Gildred Rotunda
- The World Struggle I Gallery
- The World Struggle II Gallery
- The Golden Age of Flight Gallery
- The Edwin D. McKeller Pavilion of Flight
- The Fashionable Jet & Area Age Gallery
There may be one other space devoted to particular displays and visiting shows as effectively (extra ticketing could apply).
Highlights & Issues to Do
These San Diego Air & Area Museum highlights are ones that guests notably get pleasure from:
- Unique Apollo 9 command module: In 1969, a crew examined the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit. It was the primary time the Apollo flew in full, and it proved that it might work in outer house.
- Spirit of Saint Louis reproduction (Charles Lindbergh’s airplane): The Spirit of Saint Louis accomplished the primary single-passenger nonstop from New York to Paris flown by Charles Lindbergh in 1927.
- Area exploration 3D/4D films: The museum has its personal 3D/4D theater, which exhibits completely different films in both format. Verify the schedule for what’s enjoying throughout your go to.
- Wright Brothers 1902 glider (copy): Designed in 1902 and the third of a sequence from the Wright Brothers, this glider was the primary absolutely controllable plane.
- Ryan Firebee II: The Ryan BQM-34F Firebee II is a part of a sequence of goal drones constructed within the Nineteen Fifties and utilized by the U.S. Navy between the 70s and the 90s.
- Blue Angel 1: The F/A-18 A Hornet “Blue Angel 1” was a part of the Blue Angels, U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron.
- Flight simulators: The museum has 4 flight simulators the place you possibly can expertise aerial fight, flight coaching, and the Bermuda Triangle. Extra charges apply to the simulators.
That is only a small sampling of the numerous plane and replicas housed by the San Diego Air & Area Museum. It’s one of many solely aerospace museums to be an affiliate of the Smithsonian.
Prime 5 Issues to Know In regards to the San Diego Air & Area
Earlier than visiting the San Diego Air & Area Museum, some sensible data is useful to know. This consists of any particular occasions taking place, what the costs are, and whether or not the museum is operating any specials that day.
Tickets and Hours
The principle campus of the San Diego Air & Area Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m day by day, apart from Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ticket costs are as follows:
- Grownup (12+): $23
- Youngster: (3-12): $13
- Senior (65+): $19
- Pupil (with ID): $19
- Retired army (with ID): $19
- Lively army (with ID) $0
- Toddler (0-3): $0
The Gillespie Area Annex is way smaller however much less interactive. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday via Saturday. Tickets price $5 for adults over the age of 12, whereas youngsters are free. A superb rule of thumb for any San Diego museum is to verify the hours of operation earlier than you go, as they are often topic to alter.
Two Sightseeing Go Decisions
Bundle admission to SDMRM with different points of interest throughout San Diego or simply in Balboa Park.
Go San Diego Go
Each the All-Inclusive and Explorer sightseeing passes embody SDASM in Balboa Park and over 50 different San Diego points of interest.
Use promo code lajollamom for 10% off via December 31, 2022.
Balboa Park Explorer Go
This go consists of 16 taking part Balboa Park Museums.
Select considered one of three go choices that embody a Parkwide Go good for seven consecutive days, an Annual Go (finest for residents), or a Restricted Go that features any 4 taking part venues good for someday.
Interactive Actions
Should you’re bringing youngsters to the museum, realize it’s okay to the touch a few of the replicas, and the originals are often roped off.
The spotlight for adventurous youngsters (44″ tall and above) and adults is often the state-of-the-art flight simulators. In pairs of two, passengers can expertise taking off and piloting a fighter airplane. It’s not for individuals who expertise movement illness.
As soon as they’ve worn themselves out on their flight missions, head to the 3D/4D theater to study extra in regards to the wonders of house. With interactive seats and bodily particular results, the flicks proven will come alive for you and your youngsters. Academic movies in regards to the sky and past are proven on a rotating foundation.
Particular Occasions
The Museum places on common occasions all year long that may embody enjoyable issues like Pumpkin Chucking in October, occasions on well-known aerospace anniversaries, and internet hosting NASA engineers and different flying legends for talks and interviews.
There are additionally faculty discipline journeys, contests, and workshops for attendees who dwell near San Diego.
Guests can benefit from rotating displays and month-to-month specials. Previous rotating displays embody an interactive Galileo exhibit, the Aerospace Corridor of Fame, and Legends of Engineering.
And, don’t overlook that October is Youngsters Free San Diego all month lengthy on the Museum (along with many different points of interest throughout the county) the place two youngsters 12 and beneath can enter free with a paying grownup.
Verify the calendar earlier than you go to to see in case your time in San Diego overlaps with any of the above.
The Flight Path Grill
You may have lunch on the Museum’s Flight Path Grill. It’s open Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to three p.m., however you will get their ready meals on the museum’s retailer, too. The Grill provides sizzling canines, salads, snacks, and different treats.
Present Store
From souvenirs to costumes and clothes, the San Diego Air & Area Museum’s store has one thing for everybody. They even have house meals and autographed plaques, and extra! Dehydrated ice cream, anybody?
Ensure you save a while to discover the store and discover your favourite present.
Why We Love the San Diego Air & Area Museum
The San Diego Air & Area Museum is likely one of the coolest museums in Balboa Park.
It’s modest in dimension, however full of interactive displays that educate minds younger and outdated about what they’re . So, you do take a look at neat planes and house objects, but it surely’s powerful to overlook the historical past classes woven in alongside the best way.
We discover that households with toddlers on as much as teenagers like to go to the museum. It’s additionally in the identical space because the San Diego Automotive Museum, and the brand new Comedian-Con museum. Nonetheless, it’s fairly straightforward to achieve the remainder of Balboa Park on foot from right here, so park your automotive and head out for the day.
Ultimate Ideas
The San Diego Air & Area Museum is dwelling to dozens of airplanes, tons of of replicas, and a number of other interactive displays, multi functional historic constructing. Should you go to Balboa Park, this museum is a must-stop for households with youngsters.
