Your Visit

• Residents Free Days

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.

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 5 & Under

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.

• Native Americans & Indigenous Peoples

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.

• Financial Hardship Scholarships

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

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.

• San Diego Museum Month

February is San Diego Museum Month! Admission tickets are 50% off with the Museum Month pass or digital pass during February 1-28, 2025. 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 Public Library Discover & Go Pass

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.

• Virtual Access

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.

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.

Caretakers or aids receive complimentary admission with a paid guest. Please inquire at the Museum lobby for more information.