San Diego

Altamirano-Pedrorena House

Built in 1869, as a family residence, but is now the site of a rock, gem, and jewelry shop.

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

A nonprofit, membership library which sponsors art exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and art classes.

Tue Thu-Sat 10AM-5:30PM, Wed 10AM-8:30PM, closed Sundays and Mondays·Free

Bernardo Winery

A winery that dates back to 1889 on what was a Spanish land grant.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

The public center for the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography (of University of California, San Diego), this aquarium has many fantastic exhibits, with oceanic species from all over the Pacific Ocean displayed, as well as sharks, a tide pool, a large kelp tank, and a coral reef (with actual living coral). The museum also has some spectacular views of the ocean and La Jolla as well as some nifty tide pools where you can touch tide-pool animals.

Daily 9AM-5PM·$17 adults, $14 teens, $13 seniors, $12.50 children, $12 students, free for children age 2 and under

Black Hawk Smithy & Stable

Established in 1860. At the site, visitors can watch blacksmithing and other demonstrations.

Border Field State Park

Mainly within Imperial Beach, but only accessible from San Ysidro. It includes the International Friendship Park, which is just inland from the place where the border meets the ocean. The road in the park is only open to vehicles on weekends when there is no flooding, but the park is still open when the gates are closed.

Cabrillo National Monument

Located at the tip of Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument commemorates Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who led the first European exploration to what is now the west coast of the United States, in 1542. Point Loma was one of the places where he stopped, and the first contact Europeans made with what would one day be California. The monument has a statue of Cabrillo and exhibits on his expedition in the visitor center.

Open daily 9AM-5PM·$20/vehicle, $15/motorcycle, $10/person walking or bicycling in; national parks passes applicable

Casa de Estudillo

A beautiful historic adobe house that has been lovingly restored to its original appearance.

Centro Cultural de la Raza

A cultural arts center dedicated to promoting Chicano, Mexican, Indigenous and Latino art and culture. The gallery showcases rotating exhibits and performances regularly take place here.

Tue-Sun noon-4PM·Free; donations accepted

Children's Pool Beach

This beach is a favorite breeding spot for harbor seals. The beach is closed Dec 15-May 15 during breeding season, but you can still observe the seals from a safe distance. This beach used to be the children's beach, and there is an ongoing dispute between animal rights supporters and others who disagree about who should own the beach. Depending on the current turn of events, swimming may or may not be permitted. Occasionally, the seals vanish, but move a few hundred feet to the right, close to the cove itself.

Fort Rosecrans

A former World War II military outpost, situated on Point Loma to protect the Naval Base on Coronado from attack by sea. The fort contains bunkers, weapons emplacements and the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which holds a number of monuments including the USS Bennington Monument. An exhibit in Cabrillo National Monument displays some of the history of Fort Rosecrans.

Gaslamp Museum at the Davis Horton House

Previously called the William Heath Davis House, this museum is the headquarters of the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. The visitor center here offers information for self-guided tours of the district as well as a guided walking tour of the district that leaves every Saturday at 11AM, and Thursday at 1PM. Hosts a festival every St. Patrick's Day.

Tue-Sat 10AM-4:30PM, Sun noon-3:30PM·Museum $5/adult, children free; $8 combo ticket with San Diego Chinese History Museum; Walking tours $20/adult, $15/senior/military, $10/student, children free

Gaslamp Quarter

Home to a number of historic Victorian-era buildings, such as the Louis Bank of Commerce, the Backesto Building, the Old City Hall, the Yuma Building, and a whole bunch of other beautiful old structures.

Immaculate Conception Church

A historic Mission-style church in Old Town dating back to 1919.

Junipero Serra Museum

Take the time to visit the historic site of what used to be the first ever California Mission, located in Presidio Park on the hill above Old Town. The museum includes exhibits on the life of Old Town and a tower which offers magnificent views of the area.

Sat and Sun 10AM-4PM·by donation

Light-Freeman House

Built in 1830, the house was an adobe saloon and provision stores until it became the American Hotel around 1856.

MCRD Museum Foundation

Museum exhibits the history of this installation and the history of the Marine Corps. They are open to the public outside of the Thursday and Friday graduation visits. They also have current and past yearbooks of San Diego graduates only. You must have the platoon number, month and year of graduation to be able to order yearbooks which may or may not be available. They do not have individual portraits available.

Mon-Sat 8:30AM-4PM; Foundation office closes at 3PM on Fridays and closed on weekends.

MCRD San Diego

It is a military base located north of the airport, about 3 mi north of downtown San Diego and 2.5 mi around the runways from the airport terminals. Recruits from west of the Mississippi River are trained here while others from east of the Mississippi River are trained in Parris Island. Recruits graduate every Friday, and there is a Family Day, when the recruits' families can spend time with them on Thursday. This is also where Marines train to become recruiters and drill instructors. Travelers reporting to recruit training and arriving at the airport will proceed to and wait at the USO to be picked up.

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Home to a number of historic sea vessels, including the Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship, the Berkeley, an 1898 steam ferryboat, the Californian, a replica sailing ship, the Medea, a 1904 steam yacht, the HMS Surprise, another replica sailing ship, and a B-39 Soviet Attack Submarine.

Daily 9AM-8PM (open until 9PM in the summer)·$16 adults, $13 seniors/military/students, $8 children, free for children under 4 (packages which include sailing excursions are available)

Marston House

Operated by the San Diego Historical Society, this historic residence is open for guided tours.

Tours every half hour Fri-Mon 10AM-4PM·$15 adults, $12 seniors/students, $7 children, free for children under 6

Mason Street Schoolhouse

Established around 1865, this was the first public school house in San Diego. The school offers daily tours, and visitors can sit at the desk and examine the books on display.

Daily 10AM-4PM·Free

Mingei International Museum

A large folk art museum which is instantly recognizable from the outside by the large colorful mosaic sculptures out front, which are a delight for kids to climb on.

Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM·$10 adults, $7 seniors/youth ages 6-17/students/military, free for children under 6

Mission San Diego de Alcalá

The first of the Spanish California missions, founded in 1769 by Junipero Serra for the purposes of converting the native peoples who lived in the area at the time. In its long history, the mission has been the site of the first Christian burial and the first execution in California, saw bloodshed between the Spanish settlers and native peoples, and served as an armory in the years following U.S. annexation of California before being restored to an active church in 1941. Today, Mission San Diego is an active Catholic parish and a museum dedicated to the history of the mission. Tour the site, with its gardens, museum, and the original chapel.

Daily 9AM-4:30PM·$3 adults, $2 seniors, $1 children

Mormon Battalion Visitors' Center of San Diego

A monument to the hundreds of Mormons who fought in the US-Mexican War.

Daily 9AM-9PM·Free

Mount Soledad

A prominent landmark just to the east of La Jolla, overlooking much of San Diego. The top of the mountain is adorned by the Mount Soledad Easter Cross and Veterans Memorial. It is home to many rabbits and couples. Sunrise and sunset are the two favorite times to go here. The twisty roads leading to the hill are full of plant life and give access to multimillion dollar hobbit homes which look much smaller from the street than from down below, as they are on a sloping hill. There are a few hairpin turns and tight bridges that are worth finding.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

Just north of Santa Fe Depot, this museum holds a part of the museum's collection over 4,000 works.

Thu-Tue 11AM-5PM (closed Wednesdays)·$10 adults, $5 seniors/students, military/25 and under free (free admission the third Thursday of the month)

Museum of Photographic Arts

Dedicated to the art and history of photographic arts, with works from famous photographers such as Ansel Adams. The museum also holds changing exhibitions and a theater that plays art and cult films.

Tue-Sun 10AM–5PM (open Thursdays until 9PM)·$8 adults, $7 seniors/veterans, $6 students, free for children under 12/active military (theater admission separate)

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

This popular science museum is filled with dozens of interactive exhibits of interest to children, young adults and grown-ups too. There's also an IMAX theater in the building, one of the world's first.

Mon-Thu 10AM-5PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-6PM·$20 adults, $18 seniors, $17 children, free for children under 3 (theater admission separate)

Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center

To begin touring, the best place to start is the visitor’s center, which includes a model of what the area looked like in 1872, maps, information about touring, and information about the area’s history. Free guided walking tours of Old Town depart daily at 11AM and 2PM.

Free

Salk Institute of Biological Studies

Near UCSD is this architectural monolith; the structure for this noted institution is built out of unfinished concrete and perched atop the cliffs overlooking the ocean. It is one of famed modernist Louis Kahn's most important works. Two symmetrical buildings stare at each other across a courtyard, the length of which runs a wide river which reverses into a pool and, through a small waterfall, down towards the dining hall seating area. The building is surrounded by a moat, and sports orange trees in the courtyard. In addition, many doors are deliberately unlabeled to encourage scientific exploration. The Salk gives tours, but you must schedule them (they are early in the morning).