The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum will be open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 6-7 with free admission for December Nights. We will be closed during the day. Plan Your Visit
Included with your admission ticket:
California Tower Tours are not included with admission. To reserve a tour, please visit the ticket link below and add your desired tour date and time to your order. Learn more about California Tower Tours.
The Museum of Us is committed to making our exhibits and programs accessible to our community, regardless of your financial status. We offer a variety of free admission opportunities.
The Museum is thrilled to offer free admission on the fourth Tuesday of the month to residents of the City and County of San Diego, and to active military personnel and their dependents. To enjoy free admission, guests must show a valid photo ID or other proof of residency.
The Cannibals: Myth & Reality exhibition is closed on Residents Free Days.
California Tower tours are available on Residents Free Days and can be booked online ahead of time. Free admission does not include California Tower tours or annual membership to the Museum. Visitors can pay general admission to opt-in to the complimentary annual membership program.
School and adult groups who visit on Residents Free Days may experience unpredictable wait times and entry is not guaranteed. Reservations for groups are not available on Residents Free Days. Groups may register online for a visit during regular museum hours, and admissions scholarships are available for groups of all ages. Learn more
Children age 5 and younger do not need an admission ticket to enter the Museum of Us. They must be accompanied by an adult with admission access.
As part of our commitment to decolonizing, we offer free admission to Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples globally. Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples are granted free admission at the front desk – no questions asked.
Families or individuals that are experiencing financial hardship, would like to visit the Museum of Us, and become a member may either:
(a) Email membership@museumofus.org with the subject line “Entry On Us” and an associate will be in contact with you to establish your membership for a year of free admission, or
(b) State that you are seeking an admission financial scholarship at the front desk and an associate will assist you with free entry.
Balboa Park Explorer Pass holders do not pay general admission to the Museum of Us. Pre-paid cards grant Balboa Park Explorer Pass holders access to various Balboa Park museums. Learn more about the Balboa Park Explorer Pass.
February is San Diego Museum Month! Admission tickets are 50% off with the Museum Month pass or digital pass during February 1-29, 2024. This promotion is redeemable in-person only with the physical or digital passes. Learn more and claim the digital pass online through the San Diego Museum Council website.
This promotion does not apply to California Tower Tours and does not include Membership On Us enrollment. Discount is limited to four (4) per transaction. Museum Month discount cannot be combined with other offers, coupons, or discounts. Balboa Park Explorer Passes and Go San Diego passes not valid for this promotion.
San Diego residents age 16 and over with a San Diego Public Library card in good standing can reserve free passes to visit the Museum of Us and other participating museums. Passes can be reserved on the library website, in-person, or over the phone with a valid library card. Please note, these passes do not include California Tower Tours. Tours may be reserved and purchased ahead of your visit online.
If you are not able to physically visit the Museum of Us, check out our Virtual Resources page for virtual exhibits, programs, and resources available for free right from home!
To learn more about our offerings, please visit the Education & Group Visits page.
The Museum of Us is open every day except for select dates. California Tower Tours are offered daily when the Museum is open.
Click here to view or download a map of Balboa Park.
There are several parking options within and near Balboa Park. The closest place to park is on Balboa Drive or Sixth Avenue on the west side of the Cabrillo Bridge, just off of Laurel Street.
There is additional parking in other parts of Balboa Park, such as Inspiration Point, behind Spreckels Organ Pavilion, east of the Comic-Con Museum, and in front of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Those parking lots are accessible by entering the park via Park Boulevard.
Valet parking is sometimes offered in front of the House of Hospitality and The Prado restaurant in the Plaza de Panama.
The Metropolitan Transit System buses 3, 7, 120, and Rapid 215 serve stops on the east and west sides of Balboa Park. MTS routes to Balboa Park connect with all MTS Trolley Lines and most other MTS Bus and Rapid Routes. In downtown San Diego, Rapid 215 is an easy connection from Amtrak and COASTER trains at the Santa Fe Depot and the Cruise Ship Terminal. For MTS fare and schedule information visit www.sdmts.com.
Visitors can use the free Balboa Park tram to get around the Park. The tram picks up from the parking lots at Inspiration Point, behind Spreckels Organ Pavilion, east of the Comic-Con Museum, and in front of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. To get to the Museum of Us, ride the tram to the stop in front of the equestrian statue next to the House of Hospitality and The Prado Restaurant. The Museum is a short walk down El Prado, west toward the Cabrillo Bridge. The tram runs every eight minutes and travels in a loop through the Park.
The safety and enjoyment of our visitors is our top priority. Learn more about accessibility accommodations at the Museum of Us below.
Located on the northeast corner of the California Plaza, one ADA ramp allows access to the Museum’s main entrance, classroom, and East Door. Evernham Hall, which currently houses Cannibals: Myth & Reality, is also accessible via one of two ramps located under the Southern arcade of the California Plaza. Our administrative offices are accessible via a ramp on the east side of the Gill Administration Building.
An ADA lift is located inside the eastern wing of the Museum. This lift leads to the bridge that spans to the southern side of the Plaza, providing scenic views of El Prado.
Wheelchairs are available at no charge to assist those with limited mobility. Our exhibits are designed with ample space to allow wheelchair access. An elevator is located in the northwest corner of the Museum by the Monsters! Clubhouse.
The California Tower is not ADA-accessible. The architectural and historic nature of the building prevents an elevator from being installed. The only way to go up the Tower is to climb steps.
Visitors with limited mobility or fear of heights can see the Tower’s picturesque views from the ground floor of the Museum via a 78-inch curved screen streaming live, high-definition views from the top of the California Tower from all four compass points. A second, smaller screen gives historical and architectural information similar to what the tour guides share with California Tower climbers. This display is included with general admission tickets at no extra cost.
Some exhibits at the Museum of Us may contain noises, lights, or textures that visitors with sensory sensitivities may find disruptive or disturbing.
Visitors with sensitivity to sound may check out noise reducing earmuffs at the Museum ticket counter to use during their visit.
Sensory-friendly quiet mornings are held weekly on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Learn more.
We encourage visitors with sensory sensitivities to contact us in advance of your visit with any questions or concerns. Please email us at museum@museumofus.org.
We welcome service animals as defined by the American with Disabilities Act:
“Dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medication, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA” (Source).
The historic St. Francis Chapel is not currently open for public viewing.
The St. Francis Chapel is open for event bookings. Due to limited access to its lower level, the Museum reserves access to the balcony level for guests with mobility limitations. Access is gained through either of the two ramps leading to Evernham Hall’s front doors.
Exhibits at the Museum of Us may contain content that is difficult or disturbing to some visitors. Please see below for more information:
Visitors are welcome to take photos and videos to document their visit and share their experience at the Museum. Non-flash photography and video recording are allowed in the Museum’s exhibits and California Tower for personal only. Personal use includes photos/video taken during a general visit in normal business hours.
Photographs and video content may not be published, sold, reproduced, transferred, distributed, or commercially exploited. Flash photography and the use of tripods, or additional equipment, is prohibited. Please be aware of gallery areas designated with “No Photography Allowed” signs.
Commercial, scholarly, and professional photography, such as wedding photoshoots, are allowed only with preapproval by the Museum’s Marketing department. Fees, permits, insurance, and other restrictions apply. To arrange a commercial, scholarly, or formal photo or video recording session, please contact marketing@museumofus.org.
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