The displays at this San Diego history museum are not your typical chronological progression from by-gone days to the present. Instead, each exhibit focuses on a specific aspect of San Diego’s growth as told through the eyes of an individual or a community.
It is a creative approach that can encourage children and adults to connect with the past.
Exhibits that have been retired include: Her-Story: Pioneers of San Diego, I’m Not Like You: Notes from the San Diego Underground, The Path of the Mystic: Art & Theosophy at Lomaland, and LBGTQ+SD.
Check out these current exhibits during your next visit!
Utopia at the San Diego History Center
San Diego’s New Deal Renaissance: An Artist’s Experience
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the New Deal and Belle Baranceanu’s arrival in San Diego, this exhibit traces Baranceanu’s experiences as an artist working for the federal government and the impact of the New Deal on work and art in San Diego and the rest of America.
The Sensuous Environment - Sim Bruce Richards, Architect
Curated by Keith York, The Sensuous Environment chronicles the career, architecture, art, and design of Sim Bruce Richards–an architect who created a design aesthetic unique to the San Diego region.
Taste San Diego Craft Community and Culture
An ongoing exhibit every Friday through Sunday, Taste San Diego Craft Community and Culture will help you get a sampling of why San Diego is one of the great craft beer regions in the world while also learning about its unique history.
If you’re interested in learning more about San Diego and beer culture, plus perhaps having a tasting, I recommend the San Diego Craft Brewery Tour or the Brothels, Bites and Booze: San Diego Gaslamp Walking Tour.
I must say that the Brothels, Bites and Booze: San Diego Gaslamp Walking Tour is one of my favorite tours in San Diego!
Women Law and Society at the San Diego History Center
To Advance the Status of Women in Law and Society: Lawyers Club of San Diego at 50 Years
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Lawyers Club, this exhibit tells the story of the six women lawyers that challenged barriers and elevated women to a new and equal status as lawyers and people during the American women’s rights movement of the 60s and 70s.
Photos of Nathan Harrison at the San Diego History Center
Celebrate San Diego: Black History & Heritage
New to the San Diego History Center, Celebrate San Diego: Black History & Heritage is an ongoing, dynamic, and ever-evolving project that relies on collaboration and partnerships with the community to gather insights, information, and items to showcase a previously uncollected community’s history.
Art and History at the San Diego History Center
Be Here Now
Anew visual arts exhibit, Be Here Now features San Diego natives or artists who have spent a significant amount of time in the area.
The exhibit explores questions in both English and Spanish on the connection between community and place with the goal of creating dialogue among one another.
Painting of Balboa Park California Tower at the San Diego History Center
Balboa Park: The Jewel of San Diego
This 30-minute film serves as an introduction to this beloved city park and its many attractions that are frequented by both residents and visitors.
Inside|OUT
Located in the central atrium, this permanent exhibit presents items from the extensive archives of the museum. The artifacts, photos, and documents are rotated every quarter to share some of the over 17,000 curated pieces with the public.
Replica of Nathan Harrisons San Diego Home at the San Diego History Center
Nathan Harrison: Born a Slave, Died a San Diego Legend
Focusing on a former slave and homesteader, this exhibit is a snapshot into hardships of the early African American settlement.
Marston’s History Emporium
This hands-on learning lab gives child visitors a glimpse at the city’s history in an experiential way.