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A photo of tule reeds collected for the tule boat
Learn about the important maritime traditions of Native Californian communities.
Tule Boats – A Native Californian Tradition
Photo of Jason Magabo Perez
Pop-up poetry-making labs with San Diego’s Poet Laureate, Jason Magabo Perez.
Pop-up Poetry-Making Labs with Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez
A photo of one of the cookie-decorating contest winners at the 2024 Pride Celebration event.
The summer of 2024 was an eventful one at the Museum of Us!
Summer 2024 at the Museum
Colorful graphic image with a collage of birds, stars, and clouds on a purple and orange background. Text in the center of the graphic says PostSecret Live with Frank Warren
Join Us for a special event and meet & greet with PostSecret creator, Frank Warren.
PostSecret Live
Blue graphic square featuring the Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling book cover art.
Meet anthropologist, Jason De León, and join us for a panel discussion, book reading and signing for his newly released book.
Soldiers and Kings: Book Discussion with Jason De León
A photo of one of the sections of border wall from Friendship Park being removed by an excavator. Photo by Maria Teresa Fernandez
San Diego, CA - Twenty sections of border wall recently dismantled at Friendship Park have been procured...
Press Release: Twenty Sections of Dismantled Border Wall Safeguarded
A graphic image on a dark blue background with light blue text that says READ WITH US Virtual Book Club
Celebrate the joy of reading with a virtual book club hosted by the Museum of Us.
Virtual Book Club
A graphic image on a light blue background with dark blue text that says READ WITH US Book Swap Surprise!
Calling all bookworms! Swap your gently loved book for a new-to-you book to take home.
Book Swap Surprise
Photo of the Hostile Terrain 94 installation
Sign up for complimentary workshops on select dates throughout October.
Complimentary "Hostile Terrain 94" Workshops
Image from the Crossings documentary featuring a group of several women walking together with their arms interlocked during a peaceful protest march.
Join us for a screening of "Crossings" and Q&A with director and filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem.
"Crossings" Film Screening and Q&A
A light green graphic image with dark text that says "Educator Week"
Educators enjoy free admission to the Museum on September 16-22.
Educator Week
A square with a progress pride flag as the background, and dark off-black text that reads "Party with Us Pride Edition" on top of an off-black California Tower logo.
Join us for a day of fun to celebrate and kick off San Diego Pride!
Party with Us
Graphically designed image with an orange speech bubble on top of a slightly lighter shade of orange background. Blue text in the speech bubble says "What is NAGPRA?"
NAGPRA, which stands for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, is a federal human rights law...
What is NAGPRA?
Graphically designed image that says, "FriPLAY Afternoons" with a white figure jumping rope.
Move, jump, and play with Us on Friday afternoons in the California Plaza.
FriPLAY
This image features a photo of the Race: Are We So Different? exhibition, with a small graphically design blue rectangle in the bottom left corner with white text that says "Educator Night at the Museum of Us" In the photo, we see exhibits that cover topics like types of mascots, the education system, and identity. On the left, there's an exhibit about school and sports mascots with examples. The other exhibits in the picture include two classroom desks facing each other with content on the tabletop of the desks, a school lunch table with a monitor that plays videos of people discussing race and identity.
Learn about the Museum's offerings and resources for educators.
Educator Night
In this graphic, we see six students in front of a large piece of white mural paper taped to the wall in the Museum's education center. The students are focusing on their project, each tracing their designs as they start their collaborative mural. There is a quote paired with this image. This anonymous quote is from one of the students' reflections from the week, and says "I want people to know that our community is very important to us because it is our home and our planet and their is no other planet that we can live in."
What do you want people to know about your generation, culture, or community? We ask our 7th and 8th grade School in the Park students this question as part of...
2023 School in the Park Murals
The first of two images in a set of graphics about cultural anthropology, with dark blue text on a green-to-orange gradient background. The text on this first image reads, "What is cultural anthropology?" and has a circular speech bubble with an image of the "Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" exhibit.
Celebrated on the third Thursday in February, Anthropology Day celebrates the field of anthropology and its many disciplines.
What is Cultural Anthropology?
The entry wall of the "Race: Are We So Different?" exhibit, with a large black and white image of several people on a public transit bus centered on the exhibit wall. A large sign next to a small digital kiosk sits right in front of the wall and black and white image. At the top of the large white sign reads, "Help Shape The New Exhibit on Race with Your Perspective!" above two columns of text explaining the exhibit surveys in both English and Spanish.
What do you want to see in an exhibit about race and identity?
Shaping the New “Race: Are We So Different?” Exhibit
A room with constellations on the ceiling and text panels on the walls describing the stars and constellations in the Kumeyaay Cosmology Dome exhibit.
The replacement of the longstanding exhibition, “Kumeyaay: Native Californians, Iipay/Tipay,” is another project underway at the Museum of Us.
Updating the "Kumeyaay: Native Californians/ Iipai-Tipai" Exhibit
An image inside the "Race: Are We So Different?" exhibit featuring a life-sized group portraits of diverse people on the left, and various tables and museum signage, one depicting a large image of a white children's doll, on the right.
Our exhibit, Race: Are We So Different?, first went on view at the Museum of Us in 2011 as a traveling exhibition developed by the American...
The “Race: Are We So Different?” Exhibit Project
Green hills surround a valley of native plants next to Kumeyaay Lake, with a wood post fence in the foreground, and buildings and dwellings far away on the distant hills.
In October 2022, our Museum of Us staff and Board of Trustees joined community consultants on a training retreat focused on cultural competency.
Learning about Land and Community
View of California Tower in the early evening, with palm trees in the foreground.
The Museum of Us was recently awarded a consultation and documentation grant...
2023 National NAGPRA Program Projects at the Museum of Us
Dark green graphic with a white icon of a person doing a yoga pose and orange text that says Move With Us, Yoga in the Rotunda
Join us for a uniquely grounding experience in our historic rotunda.
Move with Us
Light green graphic with dark green text that reads, "Morning Meditation in the California Tower at the Museum of Us, Breathe With Us" followed by a dark green icon of the California Tower
Join us on Friday mornings for a breath of fresh air!
Breathe with Us
Dark blue graphic with light green heart icon, and text within the heart reading A Space for All of Us Sensory-Friendly Quiet Mornings
A quieter, sensory-friendly experience for guests who prefer less audio-visual stimulation
A Space for All of Us
A graphic image on a dark green background with yellow text that says READ WITH US Book & A Blanket
Check-out books from our library and more ongoing reading programs.
Read with Us
Image of Balboa Park with California Tower in the distance, orange silhouette figures standing in the center of the Park, and orange text in the top right corner reading "2021-2022 Accountability Report"
Accountability means a lot at the Museum of Us. Our annual Accountability Reports are comprehensive recaps of the Museum’s programs and initiatives.
The 2021-2022 Accountability Report
A vintage, black and white photo of a group of individuals in a harbor or shipyard.
Today, we celebrate liberation and honor Black history.
Honoring Juneteenth
Picture of the exhibit entrance for "Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth"
“Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” is updated and open at the Museum of Us.
“Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” Exhibit Reopens
Picture of NYC Pride Parade with flag and balloons
Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month from the Museum of Us!
Celebrating Pride with the Smithsonian Institution
An image of Indigenous Peoples protesting for missing and murdered Indigenous Peoples. Above them, over the blue sky, white text reads, "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Organizations to Follow"
May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, girls, Two Spirits, and relatives. IllumiNative explains...
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples
Made by Us: What is environmental justice? is on a blue background with a smoking powerplant graphic at the bottom
This Earth Day, we recognize that climate change and environmental injustices disproportionately impact marginalized communities.
What is Environmental Justice?
A hand-drawn graphic depicting a stick figure surrounded by words with arrows pointing to it, such as, "Race, Education, Sexuality, Ability, Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Culture, Language, and Class."
So, what is “intersectional feminism?”
Intersectional Feminism: Defined
Muralist ALICIA MARÍA SIU on a scissor lift beginning to paint the purple background of the mural.
As part of the reframing of our “Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” exhibit, a new mural is coming to the exhibit space.
Mural Work in Progress in “Maya” Exhibit
A blue digital graphic. In the top left corner is the Museum of Us logo. White text reads, "What does anthropology mean to you?"
Today is Anthropology Day. In honor of the occasion, we asked our Cultural Resources team a simple, yet big, question, “What does anthropology mean to you?
“What Does Anthropology Mean to You?”
25,000 Visitors, Friends, Supporters, Advocates, Allies, Members
Since launching Membership On Us, over 25,000 visitors have joined our vibrant and inclusive community – and you can, too!
Celebrating 25,000 Members!
Museum of Us: A Year in Review. A white graphic of the California Tower with a heart on it is in the bottom right corner.
Let’s take a look back on what we’ve accomplished together.
2021: A Year in Review
A picture of the California Tower filtered to be orange and yellow with the words Looking Back across the bottom
Together, we can ensure equitable and inclusive learning is accessible to everyone.
Donate Today! Giving Tuesday 2021
[Google Arts & Culture]
Looking for a learning experience without having to leave the comfort of your home?
Museum of Us Joins Google Arts & Culture
The California Tower is lit up blue with the words "Thank you" projected on it. Accountability Report 2020-2021
We check-in on where we are at with our commitments in our first-ever “Accountability Report.”
Our First “Accountability Report”
The Maya Peoples exhibit is closed off with a sign that reads "Decolonizing Initiatives in Action" out front
If you’ve visited the Museum of Us recently, you may have noticed some changes underway in the “Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” exhibit...
Changes Underway in the “Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth” Exhibit
Dragon from the "Monsters" exhibit wall
After almost six years, our “Monsters!” exhibit is finally coming to a close.
Farewell “Monsters!”
Photo of Cudi, the corgi out front of the Museum of Us
Meet Cudi! Cudi is a Service Animal that sometimes comes to work with his human here at the Museum of Us.
Meet Cudi & Learn About Service Animals
Thank you! The Nissan Foundation awards $697,000 in grants to 28 nonprofits that inform, inspire and celebrate diversity. Behind this text is a picture of the Race: Are We So Different exhibit.
The Museum of Us is one of 28 nonprofit organizations awarded funding from the Nissan Foundation in support of unique cultural and racial diversity programming.
Nissan Foundation Awards Grant for Racial Diversity Programming
Aerial View of the Museum of Us
You are invited to a free, COVID-19 Vaccine clinic hosted by the Museum of Us!
Get Vaccinated at the Museum of Us!
A gray digital graphic promoting a webinar series titled, "Conversations - Reclaiming Wellness: Outdoors". Around 4 black and white photos of the speakers, white text reads, "Our connection to land, tradition, and art." The four speakers are, Marc Chavez of Native Like Water, Amath Diouf of Melanin Base Camp, Dr. Mellissa Linton-Villafranco of Latino Outdoors, and Arya Tenzin Namdol of Ronsbikes.com. The program was held on May 19, 2021 and sponsored by The California Endowment and City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.
Join us for a conversation on the joys and struggles QTBIPOC communities face in the outdoors...
Reclaiming Wellness: Outdoors
A blue digital graphic promoting a webinar series titled, "Conversations - Reclaiming Wellness: Birthwork". Above 3 black and white photos of the speakers, white text reads, "Our connection to land, tradition, and art." The three speakers are, Tema Mercado of La Matriz Birth, Rochelle Vincent of Lotus Birth & BodyWorks, and Rhonda Lee Grantham of Center for Indigenous Midwifery. The program was held on April 23, 2021 and sponsored by The California Endowment and City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.
This webinar is a part of the series Reclaiming Wellness...
Reclaiming Wellness: Birthwork
Membership on Us- Annual Access for All. With just one visit to the museum, every visitor qualifies for a year of free admission! Just give your email at the lobby to opt-in.
Annual Access for All
Introducing ‘Membership On Us’
Stop Asian Hate
We stand in solidarity with Asian and Asian American communities.
Stop Asian Hate
In Loving Memory of Larry Baza
Thank you, Larry, for everything. You made, and will continue to make, us all better.
In Loving Memory of Larry Baza
California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship
We are thrilled to be selected as a host organization for the California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship program!
Museum Selected as Host for California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship
Winter Reading Challenge 2021: Books Like Us - January 1-31; a yellow bird sits on the snowy ground singing next to the text
Start off the new year right by signing up for the 2021 Winter Reading Challenge and diving into a good book!
“Books Like Us” Winter Reading Challenge!
Charity Navigator logo of a compass
Museum Earns Sixth Consecutive 4-Star Charity Navigator Rating!
Museum Earns Sixth Consecutive 4-Star Charity Navigator Rating!
A light blue digital graphic promoting a webinar series titled, "Conversations - Reclaiming Wellness: Our connection to land, tradition, and art." Above a black and white photo of the speaker, red text reads, “Decolonizing Aerosol Art with Chor Boogie.” The program was held on November 11, 2020 and sponsored by The California Endowment and City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.
This webinar is a part of the series Reclaiming Wellness...
Decolonizing Aerosol Art
A light blue digital graphic promoting a webinar series titled, "Conversations - Reclaiming Wellness: Our connection to land, tradition, and art." Red text next to a silhouetted figure writing reads, “East Coast, West Coast: A Conversation Around Aerosol Art Misconceptions with Chor Boogie, COCO144, and Sake One.” The program was held on November 13, 2020 and sponsored by The California Endowment and City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.
This webinar is a part of the series Reclaiming Wellness...
East Coast, West Coast: A Conversation Around Aerosol Art Misconceptions
[Our Response to the Presidential Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping]
The Museum of Us stands with the American Alliance of Museums in their condemnation of a recently issued Presidential Executive Order that stifles essential DEAI training.
Our Response to the Presidential Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping
[Museum Awarded Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Museum Awarded Nearly $250,000 Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for Community-Driven Partnerships
Museum Awarded Nearly $250,000 Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
"All our silences in the face of racist assault are acts of complicity." - bell hooks
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Aerial picture of the California Quadrangle
We’re in this Together
We’re in this Together
Entrance to the Ancient Egypt Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man
Following a temporary closure due to the California Tower seismic retrofit, the Ancient Egypt exhibit is back open and has undergone a refresh!
Updates to the "Ancient Egypt" Exhibit (2020)
Erin Spiewak
The San Diego Museum of Man has selected Erin Spiewak as its new Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFO/COO)...
The San Diego Museum of Man Names Erin Spiewak as Chief Financial and Operations Officer
TEST
For the sixth year in a row, we’ve received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of nonprofits...
Museum Receives 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator
Entrance to the Kumeyaay: Native Californians / Iipai-Tipai Exhibit
The Kumeyaay: Native Californians/Iipai-Tipai exhibit recently underwent a refresh as part of our ongoing commitment to decolonizing initiatives...
Changes in the "Kumeyaay: Native Californians / Iipai-Tipai" Exhibit (2019)
Maasai Cultural Ambassador Ole Sankale examines and discusses a row of spears in a box on a table, as Museum staff listen.
Early last year, the Museum of Man was honored to welcome Cultural Ambassador Ole Sankale of the Maasai during a tour of Southern Californian cultural institutions...
Maasai Cultural Ambassador Ole Sankale Visits the Museum

The Museum of Us recognizes that it sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Museum extends its respect and gratitude to the Kumeyaay peoples who have lived here for millennia.

The Museum is open daily, Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

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Affiliations & Memberships:San Diego Museum Council logoCharity Navigator Four Star Charity logoBalboa Park Cultural Partnership Collaborative for Arts, Science and Culture logoAmerican Alliance of Museums logoSmithsonian Affiliate logoInternational Coalition of Sites of Conscience logo
Financial support provided by:San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture logo
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