Fun fact: 2022 is recognized as the Centennial of United States Navy Aircraft Carriers. What better way to celebrate this impressive milestone than with a visit to the USS Midway, the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th Century and one of San Diego’s most popular attractions! The Museum’s docents bring the Midway’s history to life, with fascinating accounts of launching and landing naval aircraft aboard the ship, as well as their own stories of adventure on the high seas. Museum Month offers a great savings opportunity for one of the hottest museum tickets in town.
Gaslamp Quarter Museum at the Davis-Horton House
Local history buffs will enjoy a trip back in time at this San Diego landmark, built when the Gaslamp Quarter was still known as “New Town.” Museum Month admission includes a self-guided tour of the home. For an additional fee, you can also take a Historical Walking Tour of the Gaslamp with a Museum docent to learn the stories behind the beautiful Victorian buildings that adorn the district.
Check out the new Model Gallery exhibit Celebrating the Art of Model Making, located on the Victorian-era steam ferryboat Berkeley. The exhibit includes models of historic vessels and examples of fine art, such as the now retired fore-topsail of the Californian, the official tall ship of the state. Also on the Berkeley, you will find History of the Naval Presence in San Diego, which features hundreds of rare photos, artifacts and models to illustrate San Diego’s remarkable contribution to the nation’s defense and the Navy’s influence on this region. The Museum Month pass provides access to the Museum’s extensive collection of historic vessels, including indoor exhibits and below-deck galleries. If you’re looking to take your maritime adventure up a notch, you can add on a boat tour or sailing adventure on San Diego Bay for an additional fee.
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
You do not want to miss the opportunity to see Yolanda López: Portrait of the Artist at MCASD. This is the first solo museum presentation of the pathbreaking Chicano artist and activist (1941-2021) whose paintings, drawings and collages investigate and reimagine representations of women within Chicano/a/x culture and society at large. The exhibition includes her best-known work, Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (1978), which is one of most iconic artworks to emerge from the Chicano Movement. (Note: Through April 2022, admission is free for all visitors, courtesy of the Qualcomm Foundation. All visitors must reserve a timed-entry online ticket in advance.)
Because adults can’t be the only ones to enjoy all the Museum Month fun, a trip to The New Children’s Museum is a must for families with little ones. Check out the Museum’s newest installation, Teatro Piñata, featuring an immersive theatre world where children can play with props, dress up in costume, crawl through a secret tunnel and put on a show on the main stage. The Museum will host a Reading Two-Gether Author Visit on February 12 (10:00 AM – 11:00 AM) with a live reading of The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, read by the illustrator, Rafael López. After the reading, there will be a Q&A and book signing. This event is free and requires registration.
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
The Museum remains closed to the public, but a re-opening date should be announced soon (check their website for updates). In the meantime, the Museum team has been active with free virtual programs throughout the pandemic, including a monthly lecture series The Chinese American Experience & Beyond. On February 26 (10:00 AM), the topic will be “Red Bishop: The Epic Story of 20th Century China through the Life of Bishop Robin Chen.” When the Museum reopens, guests will be able to see the exhibition Ambassador & Mrs. E.F. Drumright’s Ink Diplomacy, which was originally planned for 2020 but was deferred due to the pandemic.
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