In San Diego we kick off the New Year with the San Diego International Auto Show at the San Diego Convention Center!
Get your motors runnin’ as the 2025 San Diego International Auto Show roars into the San Diego Convention Center from Dec. 28 to Jan. 1. Attendees will also enjoy test drives, exotics, classics, automotive products and much more! It’s Where the Cars are the Stars™! For more detailed information click/tap here to find a digital show guide for this year’s show. Find tickets here. Plus, bring the kids for Family Day on Sunday, December 29. Kids 12 & under are free.
Keep the FUN going at San Diego’s world-famous car museums including the San Diego Automotive Museum, the JA Cooley Museum, and the Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum.
San Diego Automotive Museums
San Diego Automotive Museum
Balboa Park
San Diego’s premier transportation museum
Cruise into the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park for an experience that will take you on an amazing journey of design, styling, and horsepower! Rotating exhibitions plus a regular collection that includes Louie Mattar’s Fabulous 1947 Cadillac, as well as a large collection of motorcycles and memorabilia.
Current exhibits include Plank Road that explores the era of automobile transportation and the growing rivalry of two Southern California cities, San Diego and Los Angeles. It includes a 1914 Ford Model T 3-Door Touring Car and a 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Roadster.
And the museum’s Harley-Davidson exhibit showcases the brand’s rich history, its cultural significance, and its enduring legacy in American popular culture.
JA Cooley Museum
University Heights, San Diego
Kids will love the dozens of cars at JA Cooley Museum from vintage to modern, including a very cool DeLorean.
Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum
Escondido
For admirers of classic automobiles and all things vintage — the Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum is a FUN destination for the whole family to explore.
Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum boasts of having the largest convertible car collection in the world highlighted with classic neon signs. The museum has vehicles ranging from the 1800s to the 1980s, plus collections including vintage radios, televisions, neon signs, and an entire room devoted to Barbie (yes, Barbie prefers convertibles!). Discover more here!
Come for the vintage autos and stay for the wine. Or vice versa. Both are worth a visit. Deer Park produces such award-winning varietals as Merlots, Sangioveses and dinner-style reds. The tasting room is open at 10 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
Other Cool car Finds
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Balboa Park
San Diego’s premier transportation museum
You might think you’d find it in the San Diego Automotive Museum, but instead one very special car is found in the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. KPBS Reporter & Anchor John Carroll and Video Journalist Mike Damron give us a close-up look at the futuristic Avion Car here.
Coronado Historical Association
Coronado
One of the best ways to experience the history of Coronado is to go on a historic walking tour.
The sleek black cab contrasts the rest of the truck’s bright red coloring with lettering that reads “Hotel Del Laundry” etched in gold. This pristine image is a 1923 Ford Model T laundry truck that is very near and dear to the hearts of Coronado residents. Her name is Isabella, and the Coronado Historical Association celebrated her 100th birthday on Dec. 9. The Coronado Historical Association features a Coronado History Research Center and changing exhibition galleries about the unique history of the community of Coronado.
Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum
Carlsbad
The Craftsmanship Museum honors the individual builders of finely crafted miniature items in wood and metal.
Think SMALL and FUN this weekend! The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum is now open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit Carlsbad and check out the museum’s more than 200 functional miniature cars, miniature ships, autos, cranes, clocks, tools, and more on display. The exhibits are housed in 13,000 square feet of exhibit and working machine shop space. Find out more here.
