San Diego Air & House Museum is without doubt one of the hottest locations in Balboa Park and attracts 1000’s of holiday makers yearly.
It’s residence to dozens of plane and spacecraft recreations and restorations and the right place to spend a couple of hours in San Diego with children and even with out.
Whereas the Museum’s principal location is at Balboa Park, it has extra storage and a restoration workshop at Gillespie Discipline, a neighborhood airport in El Cajon. You’ll be able to go to this small annex to see some navy 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 Trendy Jet & House Age Gallery
There may be one other space devoted to particular reveals and visiting shows as properly (extra ticketing could apply).
Highlights & Issues to Do
These San Diego Air & House Museum highlights are ones that guests significantly get pleasure from:
- Authentic 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 aircraft): The Spirit of Saint Louis accomplished the primary single-passenger nonstop from New York to Paris flown by Charles Lindbergh in 1927.
- House exploration 3D/4D motion pictures: The museum has its personal 3D/4D theater, which reveals completely different motion pictures in both format. Examine the schedule for what’s taking part in throughout your go to.
- Wright Brothers 1902 glider (replica): Designed in 1902 and the third of a collection from the Wright Brothers, this glider was the primary totally controllable plane.
- Ryan Firebee II: The Ryan BQM-34F Firebee II is a part of a collection 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’ll be able to 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 & House Museum. It’s one of many solely aerospace museums to be an affiliate of the Smithsonian.
High 5 Issues to Know Concerning the San Diego Air & House
Earlier than visiting the San Diego Air & House Museum, some sensible data is useful to know. This contains any particular occasions occurring, what the costs are, and whether or not the museum is operating any specials that day.
Tickets and Hours
The primary campus of the San Diego Air & House Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m each day, aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ticket costs are as follows:
- Grownup (12+): $23
- Little one: (3-12): $13
- Senior (65+): $19
- Pupil (with ID): $19
- Retired navy (with ID): $19
- Energetic navy (with ID) $0
- Toddler (0-3): $0
The Gillespie Discipline Annex is far smaller however much less interactive. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday by Saturday. Tickets price $5 for adults over the age of 12, whereas kids are free. 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 Move Selections
Bundle admission to SDMRM with different points of interest throughout San Diego or simply in Balboa Park.
Go San Diego Move
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 LJM10SDO for 10% off by December 31, 2022.
Balboa Park Explorer Move
This move contains 16 taking part Balboa Park Museums.
Select certainly one of three move choices that embody a Parkwide Move good for seven consecutive days, an Annual Move (finest for residents), or a Restricted Move that features any 4 taking part venues good for sooner or later.
Interactive Actions
If you happen to’re bringing kids to the museum, understand it’s okay to the touch among the replicas, and the originals are normally roped off.
The spotlight for adventurous children (44″ tall and above) and adults is normally the state-of-the-art flight simulators. In pairs of two, passengers can expertise taking off and piloting a fighter aircraft. 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 children. 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 subject journeys, contests, and workshops for attendees who stay near San Diego.
Guests can benefit from rotating reveals and month-to-month specials. Previous rotating reveals embody an interactive Galileo exhibit, the Aerospace Corridor of Fame, and Legends of Engineering.
And, don’t neglect 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 children 12 and beneath can enter free with a paying grownup.
Examine 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’ll be able to 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 may get their ready meals on the museum’s retailer, too. The Grill gives scorching canine, salads, snacks, and different treats.
Present Store
From souvenirs to costumes and clothes, the San Diego Air & House 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 reward.
Why We Love the San Diego Air & House Museum
The San Diego Air & House Museum is without doubt one of the coolest museums in Balboa Park.
It’s modest in measurement, however filled with interactive reveals that train minds younger and previous about what they’re . So, you do take a look at neat planes and house objects, but it surely’s robust 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. Nevertheless, it’s fairly straightforward to achieve the remainder of Balboa Park on foot from right here, so park your automobile and head out for the day.
Closing Ideas
The San Diego Air & House Museum is residence to dozens of airplanes, a whole lot of replicas, and a number of other interactive reveals, multi function historic constructing. If you happen to go to Balboa Park, this museum is a must-stop for households with kids.