Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Fun on free Tuesday (Balboa park)

Balboa park is a great place to walk around, but the real attraction for most folks is the zoo and many museums. As far as we know there's no way to get into the zoo for free (legally). But every Tuesday, a subset of the park museums are open to San Diego residents, on a rotating basis. See here a list of which museums will be free next. Unfortunately for non-SanDiegans, almost all museums require a photo ID (with address) to prove you really are local (local college IDs also count). 

We like to visit all the free museums when we go, but there are some which we are more enthusiastic about. Alan's favorite is the San Diego Museum of Art, followed closely by the Museum of Photographic Arts. Both have traveling exhibits with some frequency, so there is reason to visit multiple times a year. When you visit the SDMA, be sure to check out the humming bird exhibit, which can be seen halfway up the main stairs opposite the entrance. You'll need to look out the window, as the birds in question are live and wild. Actually, you can check them out any day of the week if you walk around the back of the building, (slowly).

Jymm especially likes the Mingei International Museum. This museum features folk artists from around the world who work in various mediums. The art featured there is always interesting and colorful, and there is the added interest of having to decide which benches are for sitting and which are for looking at! Second on her list is the museum of photographic arts -- oops, Alan already claimed that one... I mean the Museum of San Diego History, although this one might only appeal to those with an interest in history in general. There is one room that is set up to resemble an old school department store which is particularly cool. Her favorite part of the history museum is actually available for anyone to look at- there is a mural of the history of Balboa Park itself on the wall outside of the museum entrance (near the bathrooms). Keep an eye out for the picture of Queen Zorine being kidnapped by a robot.

Other notable museums include:
  • Reuben H. Fleet Science Center- where you can get a preview of what you would see if you went to the Exploratorium in San Fran
  • The Air and Space Museum - where they've mounted and stuffed all of your favorite birds of a (metal) feather.
  • The Natural History Museum - where science becomes art. Also, be sure to check out the giant fig tree outside the entrance.
  • The Automotive Museum - more fun than you'd think.