San Diego Archaeological Center

The San Diego Archaeological Center is a curation facility and museum where visitors can learn the story of how people have lived in San Diego County for the past 10,000 years. In addition to its role as a museum, the Center serves as an education and research facility and is the only local organization dedicated to the collection, study, curation and exhibition of San Diego County’s archaeological artifacts.

The Center Museum has changing exhibits and hands-on activities that explore 10,000 years of history of the San Diego region through the archaeological record. Learn about the life-ways of early Native American hunter-gatherers who lived in our region and the many groups and immigrants who have contributed to our region’s archaeological record.

Learn the basics of archaeology, discover how the first peoples arrived in the Americas or view our curatorial vaults and research area through the viewing portal. The Center actively curates archaeological collections and you may have a unique opportunity to see staff and interns cataloging and researching artifacts during your visit.

COVID-19 Update
We look forward to welcoming back museum guests starting Saturday, April 24. Reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-ins are welcome, but may experience a brief wait during peak hours. Priority will be given to guests with reservations. Visit https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/plan-your-visit for more information and to schedule your visit.

Current & Upcoming Exhibitions

By Land & By Sea

New information is challenging our worldview and causing us to rethink what we know about ancient peoples. Over the last 50 years, archaeologists thought they knew how the first humans arrived in the New World and spread out to different areas of the Americas. Recent finding have begun to dispute previously accepted theories and have sparked a surge of interest in New World archaeology. Who were the first people to come to the Americas? Where did they come from and how did they get here? What happened after their arrival? In this exhibit, explore these theories about who, when, and how these early peoples came into the New World.

Archaeology 101

Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. Archaeology is important because by knowing our past, we can understand where we came from. It widens our understanding of human culture, technology, and lifestyle beyond what is written in the history books. What is an artifact? How do archaeologists know where to dig? How are stone tools made? In this exhibit, learn the basics about archaeology through hands-on activities for children and adults.

The Life Story of a Pot

Explore how local pottery was made and used.

It’s a Crime

Every year thousands of artifacts and antiquities are stolen and wind up in private collections, unavailable to the public. Learn why keeping artifacts is against the law.