Explore Balboa Park

06/12/2026

Got plan(t)s Saturday, June 20? Join the Nat for their annual free Garden Fair from 10 AM–2 PM outside the museum.
Meet local conservation groups and garden experts, find out which plants attract our native pollinators, and participate in hands-on educational activities and giveaways (native milkweed!). Then, bee sure to head inside the Museum for a plant sale with , pollinator inspired drinks, and specialty bites from .

06/11/2026

City Hall heard us! Paid parking will be eliminated from Balboa Park!

This is a major victory for the thousands of San Diegans who fought to protect access to our City’s cultural heart.

With the City Council’s unanimous vote to rescind paid parking in Balboa Park by January 1, 2027, we can begin reversing months of declining visitation and focus once again on serving the millions of people who visit each year.

We are deeply grateful to Council President Joe LaCava, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, Mayor Todd Gloria, City Attorney Heather Ferbert, Michael Zucchet of the Municipal Employees Association, former Mayor Kevin Faulconer of the Lincoln Club, and everyone who helped find a path forward.

Most importantly, thank you to the thousands of San Diegans who spoke up. This victory belongs to you.

Today proves that when our community comes together, City Hall listens.

Until January, you can still take advantage of three hours of free parking at the Lower Inspiration Point parking lot and expanded tram service. Paid parking is not enforced in Balboa Park parking lots after 6 p.m.

06/09/2026

ICA San Diego / Central hosts the opening reception of “if only by the light of a new moon” by artist Cat Gunn from 4 – 7pm on Saturday, June 13.

This free art event in San Diego is part of ICA’s commitment to reduce barriers to contemporary art in our community.

Gunn’s first solo museum exhibition, “if only by the light of a new moon,” explores the complex terrain of inherited memory and the seemingly impossible nostalgia for a home that one has never known

This exhibit will be on view June 13- Sept. 13, 2026.

06/09/2026

3rd Sunday of the month, on June 21 with great music, home style food, and treats. 🎶🌮🧁🍴Come check out our amazing local vendors offering artesanias, natural medicine, art, and more... all crafted with love and care. 💖✨️ Treat yourself to an energetic clearing and give your body and mind a reset in our wonderful healing area. 🧚‍♀️🧘‍♀️🙌 Lots to see, do, and experience with our lovely Tianguis community. 💫💫
🗓‼️Sign up to become a vendor, email [email protected].
Enjoy a family Sunday with us at the beautiful Centro Cultural de la Raza in
See you there!🤸‍♀️🤸

Hey Raza bonita!

¡Aqui estamos y no nos vamos!

Here comes the Sunday of the month y’all be waiting for Summer Tianguis!

3rd Sunday of the month, on June 21st🗓‼️sign up to become a vendo, LINK in Bio or email [email protected].

Enjoy a family Sunday with us at the beautiful in
With great music, home style food, and treats. 🎶🌮🧁🍴Come check out our amazing local vendors offering artesanias, natural medicine, art, and more... all crafted with love and care. 💖✨️ Treat yourself to an energetic clearing and give your body and mind a reset in our wonderful healing area. 🧚‍♀️🧘‍♀️🙌 Lots to see, do, and experience with our lovely Tianguis community. 💫💫
See you there!🤸‍♀️🤸
........

¡Hola, Raza Bonita!
¡Aquí estamos y no nos vamos!

¡Llega el domingo del mes que tanto esperan! Tianguis de Verano!!

Nos reunimos el tercer domingo del mes, el 21 de Junio 🗓‼️ gusta ser un vendedor, el formulario en el BIO LINK, o mandar un email [email protected].

Disfruten de un domingo en familia con nosotros en el hermoso en con buena música, comida casera y chuchulucos 🎶🌮🧁🍴Vengan a conocer a nuestrxs increíbles vendedores locales que ofrecen artesanías, medicina natural y arte y más... todo hecho con amor y cuidado. 💖✨️ Consiéntanse con una limpieza energética y renueven su cuerpo y mente en nuestra maravillosa área de sanación. 🧚‍♀️🧘‍♀️🙌 Mucho que ver, hacer y experimentar con nuestra magnifica comunidad de Tianguis. 💫💫
¡Nos vemos allí! 🤸‍♀️🤸
....

❤️ traditions familyfun balboapark mercadoartesanal pocartisanmarket communitymarket

06/07/2026

The San Diego Museum of Art invites artists of all ages to their Community Art Workshop on every second Thursday of the month. Enjoy hands-on art making experiences inspired by the thinking and creating processes of artists on view at the Museum.

Next Session: Thursday, June 11, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
May S. Marcy Sculpture Garden
Free with Museum admission. No reservation is required. All materials are provided.

Artists under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop.

06/04/2026

Enjoy a sneak peek of the installation and gain insight into the artists’s creative process behind the Timken’s summer exhibit, “Drift.”

Curator Conversations: Drift
with Margaret Noble, conceptual artist and
Derrick Cartwright, Ph.D., Timken Museum of Art Director of Curatorial Affairs

Monday, July 13, 2026 • 10 – 11 a.m.
Timken Museum of Art

“Drift” brings together sculpture, sound, and moving images to explore the ways in which space and perception are experienced. Drawing inspiration from François Boucher's “Lovers in a Park” (1758), Noble reinterprets Rococo ideals by introducing motion and layered context through reverse glass animation, revealing and disrupting the painting's serene, ornamental narrative.

$15 Non-Members | FREE for Members & Docents

Register at https://pro.gofundme.com/event/curator-conversations-drift/e805683

Drift will be on view July 15–Sept. 6, 2026.

06/03/2026

🌿🎨 Celebrate the creativity of San Diego's young artists at the premiere of Rooted in Wonder!

Join Centro Cultural de la Raza on Saturday, June 6, from 2–5 PM for a special youth art exhibition featuring inspiring works by Monarch School Project K–12 students. Through color, texture, and imagination, these artists explore the beauty and magic of the natural world.

Enjoy live music, complimentary coffee, and a community celebration while supporting the next generation of creators.

This event is included with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass.

📍 Centro Cultural de la Raza

🗓 Saturday, June 6 | 2 PM–5 PM

06/02/2026

Looking for ways to keep your Junior Explorers entertained this June? 🌞
Museums across Balboa Park are serving up a full lineup of kid-friendly events—from hands-on art and science activities to story times, performances and cultural celebrations. It’s the perfect excuse to turn a regular day into an unforgettable family adventure.
Explore the full list and start planning your next outing: https://explorer.balboapark.org/kid-picks-events/

05/28/2026

All for One and FUN for All with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass! Save on admission to 16 museums in the Balboa Park Cultural District. Choose from our annual, one-day, or multi-day Explorer Pass options. ⁠
Learn more at BuyMyExplorer.com.

Participating Museums:
• Centro Cultural de la Raza
• Fleet Science Center
• ICA San Diego, Central Campus
• Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
• Mingei International Museum
• Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art
• Museum of Us
• San Diego Air & Space Museum
• San Diego Automotive Museum
• San Diego History Center
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum
• San Diego Natural History Museum
• The San Diego Museum of Art
• Timken Museum of Art
• The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park
• WorldBeat Center