San Diego Museums
Titan Beach Rentals guarantees our guests first-class customer service, and one of the many ways we do this is by providing all our vacationers with a guide to help plan their vacation. Offering local tips and suggestions can make planning your activities less of a hassle and more enjoyable.
Our San Diego guide is meant to introduce our guests to the area by sharing all of our favorite San Diego museums. From a day on the USS Midway, to a trip to The Fleet Science Center at Balboa Park, we have you covered.
If you have any questions, or need us to help narrow down some of our recommendations, please feel free to contact us! Also, you might enjoy reading our recommendations for the best beaches in San Diego.
USS Midway
Quite possibly the most unique museum in San Diego, the USS Midway was the longest serving United States aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Decommissioned in 1992, it was the only carrier which served through the Cold War and further.
Included with admission is an audio tour, so you can walk the decks, halls, and more, freely as the tour is read to you via a headset. But the fun is just beginning. The USS Midway also houses over 30 restored aircraft and helicopters, displayed in the hangar and on the flight decks. There are also flight simulators, a virtual tour, remembrance tours, and even overnight adventures!
San Diego Natural History Museum
The oldest scientific institution in Southern California, the San Diego Natural History Museum lives up to the billing. The main attractions revolve around the fossils the museum displays, many of which are prehistoric dinosaurs, mastodons, whales, and more from the Southern California and Baja Mexico region.
Additionally, there is a beautiful mineralogy department, which displays hundred of gems and minerals, the interactive Baleen Whale exhibit, a living lab of lizards and insects, a life size replica of a Megalodon, Al the Allosaurus, and amazing behind the scenes events and sponsored nature hikes.
Fleet Science Center
If you, or the kids, enjoy interactive exhibits, The Fleet Science Center is the perfect spot! With more than 100 interactive exhibits, the world’s first IMAX Dome Theater, and a planetarium, there almost isn’t enough time in the day to see everything.
The IMAX movies are worth the price of admission alone. They typically revolve around following an animal, or group of animals, journey from migration, lifestyle within their environment, daily routine, and more. The permanent exhibitions are quite fun, such as the virtual reality transporter, an interactive display of electricity, and a space gallery.
Museum of Photographic Arts
One of three museums in the entire country strictly dedicated to the collection and preservation of photography, film and video.
Home to thousands of historical images, with some going back to the beginning of photography, the museum features collections from Lou Stoumen’s estate and Nagasaki Journey: The Photographs of Yosuke Yamahata, August 10, 1945. Additionally, the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Theater is renowned in the region, and hosts film festivals, documentaries, and more.
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Home to perhaps the finest collection of historic ships in the entire world, the Maritime Museum of San Diego prides itself on restoring and maintaining unique vessels throughout history.
Some of the highlights include exploring a B-39 Soviet attack submarine, a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s ship San Salvador, a steam yacht the Medea, and the crown jewel, the oldest active ship in the world, The Star of India.
San Diego Air and Space Museum
A true treasure, and one of the best Museums in San Diego, the Air and Space Museum has some amazing exhibits. Perhaps none more impressive than Gumdrop. the original Apollo 9 Command Module.
There are also a few mint condition aircraft on display, such as a Spitfire Mk. XVI, a Navy F6F Hellcat and an A-4 Skyhawk. Plus, kids will love the Max Flight® simulator and the 3D Zable Theater.
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
The largest indoor model railroad exhibit in North America, spanning 27,00 square feet, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is unlike any museum you’ve experienced previously.
Some of the featured exhibits include a freelance representation of the route from San Diego to Sacramento, titled The Cabrillo & Southwestern, a Toy Train Gallery with a 42 by 44 foot permanent layouts with realistic scenery and four separate main lines. There is also a kids layout where children can actually run the trains from a control area.