Finding the Universal in the Particular

Exhibits at the Museum of Us encourage visitors to challenge their assumptions, share their perspectives, and experience what it means to be human in immersive and interactive ways.

From showing how the power of secrets can make us feel less alone, to helping visitors better understand the science, history, and experience of race in our country; our exhibits and programs present diverse stories that help define all of us.

Current Exhibits

Purple infographic print of a timeline installed in the "Hostile Terrain 94" exhibit.
Decades of border policies, a humanitarian crisis unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Developed in collaboration with the Undocumented Migration Project.
Hostile Terrain 94
A note handwritten on a green piece of paper titled "Happy Note." The handwritten note reads, "Seven billion people experienced today in a different way."
Can you keep a secret? View thousands of anonymous secrets on display in PostSecret. You won’t leave a stranger.
PostSecret
Blue, detailed model of a wolf looking towards a blue model of a human with a beard.
Pest, pet, or food for our plate? Our relationship with animals has changed over time and across cultures. Learn about our complex and dynamic history together.
Living with Animals
A close up of the wood wall covered in the word "beer" in different languages.
Modern civilization is beer civilization! Experience thousands of years (and miles) of beer history, including the modern-day craft brewers of San Diego.
BEERology
Top of the California Tower against a bright blue sky
Experience remarkable history from breathtaking heights. Climb the California Tower and enjoy a tour about San Diego’s historic communities.
California Tower
Graphic installation of various movie posters and prints hung on an exhibition wall titled 'Cannibals: Myth & Reality'
A gore-free exhibit about the nuanced history of cannibalism, and how that differs from what's been depicted in popular fiction and culture.
Cannibals: Myth & Reality
Large-scale mural featuring Maya motifs and Maya people engaging in cultural practices.
A celebration of Maya continuity and the unbroken Maya spirit — whose languages, ceremonies, and connections to the land are founded on a common kinship.
Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
A blue arched, ceiling dome with white, Kumeyaay constellations painted in various locations over it.
Highlighting the traditional and contemporary culture and lifeways of Kumeyaay peoples – the Indigenous peoples of present-day Southern California.
Kumeyaay: Native Californians/ Iipai-Tipai
Person installing signage outside the museum announcing the museum's name change.
Evolve with “Us” on a trip through time. View the historic “San Diego Museum of Man,” sign while learning how the Museum of Us came to be.
Becoming "Us"
Two people look at each other before an illuminated image of an archway in Ancient Egypt.
Learn about the unique and complex peoples of ancient Egypt - focusing on everyday life, life after death, and the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten.
Ancient Egypt
Group of young adults wearing t-shirts that document the evolution of how their race is referred to.
Race is a short word with a long history. Learn about the origins of race and racism, and how to deal with them in productive, enlightening ways.
Race: Are We So Different?

Past Exhibits

They may not be on display, but these exhibits are part of our history. Check out the full list of past exhibits at the Museum of Us, from 1915 to the present.

Past Exhibits at the Museum of Us

We recognize that many of our past exhibits – including our foundational exhibits - are deeply colonial. In 2012, the Museum’s Board of Directors adopted a three-year strategic plan that identified our current mission and prompted a radical transformation in policy, structure, and programming. We seek to redress the harm caused by these exhibits by prioritizing community consent, anti-racism, and decolonization as part of our exhibition development process. Learn more about the Museum's History of Cultural Resources & Exhibits.

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 Wednesday-Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

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
Museum of Us California Tower logo