Eat & drinkWhere to staySan Diego guideExplore destinationsHomeBack to guide

See & do · Museums

San Diego Museum of Art

Balboa Park
Closedvia Google
Opening hours
  • Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: 12:00 – 5:00 PM

Venerable art museum with acclaimed works, plus a courtyard bar/bistro with sculpture garden views.via Google

The region's oldest and largest art museum, famous for its collection of Spanish old masters.

Good to know
€€, allow 2 hours.

Reviews from Google

Sarah Cordial3 weeks ago
San Diego Museum of Art is included in our Balboa park pass, but tickets are only $25 per adult and youth under 17 is free. We spent about 2 hours in the museum. We could have used more time, but they were closing. The museum offered room after room of a wide collection of art. Plenty to marvel and be inspired by. Highly recommend. One thing to note, please be mindful of posted signs and taped lines on the floor designed to keep viewers at a safe distance to prevent possible damages to the art piece. Get that needed selfie while minding the space.
Debisree Ray8 months ago
The San Diego Museum of Art is a lovely attraction in Balboa Park, especially if you enjoy art and galleries. While it’s not as large or extensive as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or the Met, it still offers a meaningful experience in a more compact setting. I spent about an hour exploring, which felt just right. Admission was $25, and since I visited on a weekday afternoon, I didn’t need to buy tickets in advance—there were no long lines, and the galleries weren’t crowded, which made it easy to enjoy the exhibits peacefully. The collection covers a variety of genres and periods, and I genuinely enjoyed walking through the exhibitions. Overall, it’s definitely worth a stop if you’re in San Diego and looking for a cultural highlight.
Lucy M5 months ago
Two story museum with diverse art. Really enjoyed it. One of my favorite art museums. NOT free. Not too crowded. Spacious. Bought tickets online same day. It took me about 2 hours to finish viewing all the collections (I didn’t rush). I recommend it for art lovers.
Scott4 months ago
A hefty ($25) entrance fee for a relatively small collection with a few nice treasures. The current Impressionist show is scattershot and includes artists, such as Diego Rivera, who are not Impressionists. Felt more like a marketing move than a cohesive exhibition.
Harry Bradley9 months ago
The San Diego Museum of Art was a lovely gallery. They have a good selection of modern paintings, Impressionists, and Asian sculptures. When I visited, there was a special exhibit of works by Eduardo Chillida that included a very cool VR tour of some of his sculptures. It was a very good retrospective.
See all reviews on Google Maps
San Diego Museum of Art — Museums in San Diego | Dealsrate