Culture and History

Cars are so ubiquitous that they`ve become part of the landscape of our lives. It takes a lot of "wow factor" to get us to notice any certain car. But that will change once you visit the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park because every single car there has the "wow factor" in abundance! Always on exhibit in Louis Matter`s Fabulous Car. In 1952, Louis and two other men established a cross-country endurance record by driving the 1947 Cadillac from San Diego to New York and back without stopping. The comforts of home in the back seat include an electric stove, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a chemical toilet, and ironing board, a medicine cabinet, and a kitchen sink! Other Permanent displays include the Harley Davidson collection, the Show Stoppers, Steve McQueen and others. Learn the intriguing history behind Americas love affair with the automobile. Come to the San Diego Automotive Museum - its all here! (619) 231-2886

With such a full and colorful history stretching back over 200 years, it is littler wonder San Diego has a reputation as, well, a bit haunted. People say that the departed love San Diego so much that they simply don`t want to leave! The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego is reputed to be among the most haunted in the entire city. People report seeing ghostly figures, feeling cool puffs of air on the back of their necks, and hearing low voices that seem to be calling out to them. So, if you`re truly brave - or, just curious - you`ll want to take a trip to the Whaley House Museum for an experience you will never forget. Trolley Sycuan Green Line Bus Routes 8,9,10,28,30,35,44,84,105,150 WHALEY HOUSE MUSEUM (619) 297-7511

Discover a burgeoning hub for life and culture in San Diego at ARTS DICTRICT Liberty Station. A unique destination filled with nearly 120 galleries, museums, artists, studios, makers, creators, and distinctive dining experiences. This new gathering place within 360 waterfront acres of the former Naval Training Center features historic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, vast landscaped open spaces and plenty of free parking. ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station is a destination where visitors and locals can stroll the 25 park-like acres, discover something new and collect beautiful moments. Many of the 38 historic buildings are now bursting with authenticity, creativity, heritage, and innovation. Always changing and evolving, ARTS DISTRICT is a place to create, connect, learn, shop, dine meet explore and buy local art.

Chicano Park is a 7.9-acre park located beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan, a predominantly Mexican American and Mexican-immigrant community. The park is home to the country`s largest collection of outdoor murals as well as various sculptures, earthworks, and an architectural piece dedicated to the cultural heritage of the community. Because of the magnitude and historical significance of the murals, the park was designated an official historic site in 1980, and its murals were officially recognized as public art in 1987. Chicano Park, like Berkeley`s Peoples Park, was the result of a militant (but nonviolent) peoples land takeover. Every year on April 22 (or the nearest Saturday), the community celebrates the anniversary of the parks takeover with a celebration called Chicano Park Day.

Artists need space and freedom to create. And right here in Balboa Park, the Spanish Village Art Center gives artists exactly that. The Village is filled with art studios, each one home to a creative soul. As a visitor to the Village, you can see real artists creating real pieces of art, right before your very eyes! It is remarkable to witness the focus and concentration they invest in each unique piece. Take a stroll through the historic working studios featuring over 200 local artists of all different mediums. If you`re looking for a hands-on art experience, the artists at the Spanish Village provide classes as well. As an art lover or an artist, yourself, you simply cannot miss a visit to the Spanish Village in Balboa Park. Free admission, priceless experience. Bus Route 7 and Rapid 215

At the San Diego Air & Space Museum, you`ll learn about the hair-raising antics of the pioneers of flight, whose moxie made air travel possible. The museum is divided into several galleries, each emphasizing the contributions San Diego has made to aviation. The galleries include the Theodore Gildred Rotunda, Special Exhibit Area, World War l, Golden Age of Flight, World War ll, Modern Jet & Space Age, and the Edwin D. McKellar Pavilion of Flight. Now open, is SPEED: Science in Motion - a fun, interactive special exhibition exploring the technology behind the fastest vehicles known to man. Time for lunch? Head over to the Flight Path Grill, which in addition to serving great food, also offers one of the most unique views of downtown San Diego. Aviation history is truly a remarkable story, and it all unfolds at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. SAN DIEGO AIR & SPACE MUSEUM (619) 234-8291

The Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park connect people of all ages to the possibilities and power of science. You can explore and investigate more than 100 interactive exhibits that pique your curiosity or become immersed in an IMAX film adventure that shows the wonders of the planer - and beyond - in the Checkoff Giant Dome Theater. The Fleet hosts school field trips, science workshops and educational camps for young people, and events like Fleet Night of Science and Two Scientists Walk into a Bar for adults. Visitors will find unique educational toys, games, books and more in the North Star Science Store, and pizzas, sandwiches, and healthy treats in Craveology. Science starts here and opens a world of possibility. Bus Route 3,7,12 and Rapid 215 THE FLEET SCIENCE CENTER (619) 238-1233

Explore the history and innovation of American music products at The Museum of Making Music, founded in 1998. Offering an unusual perspective, the museum showcases a side of the music industry where very little is known. Instruments take center stage at the Museum of Making Music! The core exhibitions explore how and why these instruments develop - who makes them, how we gain access to them, what they sound like in the hands of masters, and how they feel in your own hands! On permanent display are hundreds of vintage instruments, audio and video clips, and a vibrant interactive area. Organized chronologically, each gallery features the historic milestones, popular music, and instruments of those eras. Don`t miss a beat! Visit the Museum of Making Music today and discover a world of music and music making. MUSEUM OF MAKING MUSIC (760) 438-5996

Balboas Parks Museum of Man is located in the iconic California Building. A symbol of San Diego, the California Building served as a magnificent entry to 1915 Exposition. Visit the Museum of Mad and explore a variety of unique, interactive exhibits that cover a vast range of human history and culture. From monsters and beer history to California Tower tours, to our relationships with animals and the truth about cannibalism - there`s something for everyone at the San Diego Museum of Man. For a limited time: Cannibals: Myth & Reality is on exhibit. Discover that cannibals aren`t who you think they are. They`re warriors from many cultures, European kings and queens, American and European sailors, American colonists, accident survivors, the sick, and more.

It said that to understand the present, you have to know the past. When you and your family visit the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park, you`ll have a change to get up close and personal with both. The San Diego History Center Museum showcases the San Diego`s unique, colorful and diverse history with dynamic, changing exhibitions - past, present and future. Currently on exhibit is LGBTQ+San Diego: Stories of Struggles and Triumphs, this will be the History Centers major exhibition of 2018 and will run to January 2020. Spend an afternoon at the San Diego History Center and you`ll understand the present because you know the past. SAN DIEGO HISTORIC CENTER (619) 232-6203

One of California`s finest examples of the Arts and Crafts movement, the Marston House was constructed in 1905 for George W. Marston and his wife, Anna. Surrounded by five acres of rolling lawns, manicured formal gardens, and rustic canyon gardens, this 8,500 square-foot home became a house museum in 1987 after the Marston family gifted it to the City of San Diego for the enjoyment of the public. Spend some time exploring the grounds, formal gardens and canyon pathways in the shade of towering pine, eucalyptus and oak trees. Learn about one of San Diego`s most prominent families and the master architects and landscape designers who worked with the family to create one of the region`s most important estates. Bus Routes 1,3,120

The Timken museum of Art in Balboa Park is home to a world-class collection of European and American masterpieces and Russian icons. The collection features masterworks that cover over 700 years of history and a tour de force of artists that include Rembrandt, Jacques-Louis David, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Petrus Christus, and John Singleton Copley. Ranging from 14th-century altarpieces through 18th-century portraits and landscapes to 19th-century still life paintings, the collection is superb. Visitors are treated to art without barriers and are encouraged to take their time and explore centuries of artistic genius. The Timken is considered one of the finest small museums in the world. Admission is always free.

In Carlsbad, there is a beautiful 27-acre canyon where nestled within, you`ll discover the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park. Gorgeous agave, bougainvillea, Birds of Paradise, and plentiful trees surround you as you drive through the unique entry gate. This former working ranch once owned by actor Leo Carrillo, contains and protects adobe buildings, windmills, a reflecting pool, and many other historic structures. There are dozens of brilliant peacocks that call the ranch home. Volunteer tour guides are available to share the history of the ranchero and the surrounding grounds.

Take a walking tour and discover The Gaslamp Quarters`150 years of history. Learn about the 92 beautiful Victorian buildings, hear the great stories of the past, and see why the Gaslamp is the Historic Heart of San Diego! Enjoy stories of Willian Heath Davis, who first attempted the building of "New Town", to Alonzo Horton who came here in 1867 and finished the job. The cultural heritage of San Diego speaks through the buildings of a by-gone era that stand as testimony to its richness. The Gaslamp Quarter is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Deep down you always wanted to be a cowboy. You see yourself rustling` up cattle, sitting tall in the saddle, fighting off varmints (both the animal and human variety), and riding into the sunset. When you visit the 1857 Warner-Carrillo adobe ranch house near Warner Springs, you`ll get a look-see into what the Western frontier was really like. The Warner-Carrillo ranch house played important roles in the Western frontier as a Butterfield Overland Stage Station, stopover for itinerant gold prospectors, Civil War trading post, and longtime cattle ranch. Many settlers` diaries recorded the relief of arriving at the adobe outpost after a long desert journey. It`s a house museum alive with the lifestyle and lore that you won`t want to miss!