San Diego Natural History Museum

Jaci Cortez 3 months ago

We love museums so had to check it out! It is very educational and interactive (in some areas). The exhibits had a great and smooth flow. There was a lot of sitting options throughout the museum. Our favorite discovery was the… Giant Sloths… yes you read that right. You have to go to see what we mean! It was a hidden wow factor. If you love learning and exploring how to be part of the change supporting museums is essential. The gift shop was great as well. The staff member was friendly and knowledgeable. The merch was great and rare for the home, self-care, kids, and adults options.

Deborah Reichert 3 months ago

Wonderful museum in Balboa Park. When my kids were little they loved to come here. They especially loved the camper and listening and watching the nighttime camping recording. Recently I attended a teacher appreciation event hosted at The Nat. It was a beautiful event and made teachers feel very special. They opened the roof top up for us and that was beautiful and very special with great views.

Henry Chen 4 months ago

We absolutely loved this museum! I visited with my 10-year-old, and while we didn’t know quite what to expect going in, we were thoroughly impressed. The dinosaur exhibits are a major highlight—they are cleverly presented with a life-like exterior on one side and the corresponding fossils on the other. It was fascinating to see how the skeletal structure fits within the animal's body. Additionally, the museum does a wonderful job of showcasing the local flora and fauna unique to the San Diego region. If you are visiting the area, this is a must-see destination!"

Afa H. 7 months ago

Not a huge time commitment, and that’s a compliment! A quick visit that ends up lingering in your head. Fossils and ancient skulls are genuinely fascinating, and the museum has that quiet ‘deep time’ vibe. Not overwhelming, but definitely thought-provoking. A solid stop if you’re curious and short on time.

Lockie Hunter 7 months ago

This was a sweet museum. With two bars! I’ve been to many museums of natural history around the world, and, although this wasn’t the most impressive, it was clean and well organized and had the usual suspects in place. But what made this place enchanting was that they have a couple of bars, Including a rooftop bar! Many of these museums really cater to children, so it’s nice to have a little space for an adult beverage. I also thought it was wonderful that they open their doors for the annual December nights. Several of the museums that were open for December nights had limited areas that you could visit, whereas the history museum was wide open. And they had the regular “stuffed animals“ which is what someone in Vienna once called the animals on display. He said we were going to a ‘stuffed animal museum’, and I thought he meant a museum featuring elements like the origins of Winnie the Pooh, but he meant a natural history museum. So, now, every time I see taxidermy animals, I think of them as stuffed animals. It was lovely that the “stuffed animals“ at this museum had a nice explanation of the items on display. And the museum discussed preservation and how they came into their c