San Diego Big Exchange May 2025: 50 Free Museums

The Big Exchange is back from May 1-18th! You can access 50 San Diego County Museums for free reciprocal admission from May first through 18th. Scroll to the bottom to see the full list of participating museums. The event is put on by the San Diego Museum Council Organizations. It’s big fun for all residents and visitors to San Diego. 

This year there are 50 participating local museums, special exhibitions, special events, historic sites, and new Big Exchange locations. This popular program is a great opportunity for museum lovers to check out free entry to as many museums as you can!

How It Works

Simply use your membership at any of the participating 50 museums and show that museum membership card to any of the other museums on the list. If you have a single membership to a museum, it will get you similar access to the other museums, or if you have a family membership it will allow complimentary reciprocal admission for the whole family. All you need is your current membership card.

If you don’t have a member card, then you can email your chosen museum or ask a guest services representative for a Big Exchange card to participate. By the way, if you are NOT a member of any museums yet, I would find the one closest to you and become a member of your favorite local museum!

Please note that kids ride free on public transit in San Diego. All you need is a youth pronto card. Many of the museums are accessible by public transit. 

What is NOT Included

Please note that The Balboa Park Explorer pass holders cannot participate in this program, you must have membership status to one museum. SeaWorld, LEGOLand, and San Diego Zoo passes also do NOT work. The Air and Space and The Botanic Garden are excluded as well for 2025 (boo).

We personally will be using our San Diego Children’s Discovery Family Pass for all our museum entries! That would be my top rec to grab a membership to. The next on my list would be The Fleet Science Center.

For the cheapest membership, check out The Water Conservation Garden! I have a post all about that here.

Top Museum Recs For Kids

1. Birch Aquarium in La Jolla
2. The Auto Museum in Balboa Park
3. The Maritime Museum of San Diego in Downtown San Diego
4. The California Surf Museum in Carlsbad
5. La Mesa Depot Museum
6. The Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista
7. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park
8. The New Children’s Museum
9. San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
10. The San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park
11. The Natural History Museum (The NAT in Balboa Park)

Birch Aquarium in La Jolla

This sweet little aquarium is high up on the cliffs above La Jolla. The aquarium isn’t huge, so it’s easy to see everything here in a few hours. You enter in the middle of the aquarium. There are two halls displaying fish on either side. Walk directly through the entry and you’ll reach the touch pool. The lunch area, leopard sharks, and seahorse exhibit are to the left. Turtles, jellies, and kelp forest to the right. 

The touch pool at the back of the aquarium overlooks the rolling waves of La Jolla Shores. We loved touching the stingray here! The shark tank is at the end of the aquarium outside. The tank is raised so you can see the sharks super clearly. My kids were mesmerized watching the leopard sharks swim about! This is also a good place for lunch.

Make sure you spend some time enjoying the view over La Jolla. All the fences are glass so it’s easy to find a spot to sit and soak it all in. If you have time, at the end of the parking lot there is a small hike that leads to a secret swing that overlooks La Jolla. The last I checked it was down for maintenance but it’s always worth a look to see if it’s up!

Kids are $20 and adults are $25. Kids under 3 are free. 

The Auto Museum in Balboa Park

This museum isn’t huge, but it’s GREAT for a kid who loves cars. My kids’ favorite part was sitting in the DeLorean from Back To The Future! The museum is right next to our favorite green parking tram that takes you all around Balboa Park. Sometimes that’s all my kids want to do, they don’t even care about the museum. They want to ride the green tram!

The cost for this museum is $16 for adults and $10 for kids. Kids under 3 are free.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego in Downtown San Diego

I do not see this museum come up when the library gives out free passes, so The Big Exchange is a brilliant time to go. USS Midway is another one that doesn’t come up in the library free pass system and they are right next to each other so you could make a day of it!

Don’t miss the B-39 Submarine, the HMS Surprise (used for filming Master and Commander!), the San Salvador, and of course The Star of India! You can climb all around the ships, touch everything, and even use the periscope in the submarine. Open 10-5 every day. Last entry is at 4 pm. I would expect to spend 2 plus hours there, more if you have a kid who is into boats. There are options for add-on pirate boat rides too!

Admission to this museum is normally $24/adult and $12/kid. Kids under three are free! Please note that admission does not include add-on experiences like boat rides and admission is limited to 4 tickets per family.

This museum is next to one of our favorite parks, Waterfront Park. They make a great combo visit. The park has excellent views of the boats. In the warmer months, the park has a splash pad. You can use the same parking spot for both! It’s easy to find metered street parking. 

California Surf Museum in Carlsbad

This museum up in Carlsbad is on our list for this year. You can explore the world of surfing by looking at the history of wave riding or viewing surf memorabilia through 40 years! The coolest thing they have there is the surfboard Bethany Hamilton was riding and the swimsuit she was wearing when she got her arm bit off by a shark in Hawaii! You can also explore the science of waves, the evolution of boogie boarding, and see Kelly Slater’s surfboard. 

Adults are normally $7 and kids under $11 are free! 

Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park

This museum always makes the top list of museums to visit, however, there is not a ton there for kids to see and do. They do have a Pac-Man exhibit in the basement that my kids enjoyed. The target audience for this museum is individuals who enjoy Comic-Con. They did have a traveling Spider-Man exhibit with memorabilia from the movie, but unfortunately, that exhibit has moved on. I would say visit it for Museum Month if you have a comic book superfan, otherwise you are ok to skip this one. 

This museum is $25 / adult $18 / teenager and $12/child. Under 6 are free. 

La Mesa Depot Museum

Got a train lover? This one is a great stop for them! Though the museum is free, so you might want to wait until after The Big Exchange to visit, it still is on the list for museum month so we are throwing it in here. Your kids can experience a real train and baggage waiting room!

Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista is a combo aquarium and zoo that is super cute! It is inside the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We loved taking the grasslands loop trail to explore the area. The are nine exhibits including a turtle lagoon, raptor row, native pollinator garden, shark and ray experience, hands-on pools, and daily animal encounters and presentations. We loved seeing the native wildlife AND riding the shuttle from the parking lot. 

If you’re in this area this museum is a good one to grab a membership to.

The cost to get in for adults is $20 and for children, it’s $15. Under 2 are free. 

Fleet Science Center

This science museum is a favorite in our family! We love Kid City upstairs, their new Survival exhibit, and their IMAX theater. There’s a push-button science area where you can touch a tornado or experiment with electricity! Don’t forget to make it back to Studio X where they have different science experiments for kids almost every day of the week. This museum is my favorite for San Diego fun!

Admission is $25 per adult and $20 per kid. For The Big Exchange participants, they are welcome to explore the exhibit gallery only at the Fleet. Films not included but can be added for $9.95 per person. 

USS Midway Museum

I highly recommend taking kids to this aircraft carrier turned museum. Here’s what you need to know when visiting with kids: Kids under 5 are free! There is an audio guide specifically for children. It was a big hit with our kids. This is a touch-everything museum meaning kids can sit in the control chairs and press all the buttons to their heart’s content.

All boat exits to the water are very well covered by thick glass and secure fences. My husband said I was nuts for even thinking about this, but I was legit nervous one of my crazy kids would fall off the boat, so these are the things I look for now.

There are elevators for strollers but you will have to park your stroller to explore the tunnels of the ships. There is an attendant to watch it.

Our favorite room was the miniature helicopter room with small-scale helicopter models right at toddler level. We had a few incidents where one child tried to break free and run back to that room. We also loved the anchor room where our kids had tons of fun climbing on the giant anchor chains. The docents were very kind and answered my children’s very specific questions about plane machinery. We spent two hours there but we could have easily spent three. 

The cost is $34/adult and $22/kid making this the most expensive museum on this list. It doesn’t have any free days or participate in promotions through the library, so this one would be at the top of my must-visit for the The Big Exchange free general admission. Kids under 4 are always free!

The New Children’s Museum in Downtown San Diego

You will love visiting The New Children’s Museum! Nestled in the heart of downtown San Diego, it’s a place that everybody who comes to the area loves. It has a unique blend of experiences that combine art, play, and just being a kid and moving their bodies! They also offer many fun events throughout the year. The downtown location allows for lots of opportunities to expand on the outing before or after visiting.

They also just opened a brand new fenced park next door! I wrote a whole blog on visiting and where to park, that’s here: 10 Things To Know Before Visiting The New Children’s Museum in Downtown San Diego

Admission is $24 for adults and $20 for kids. The Big Exchange admission excludes special events and cannot be combined with other offers. This one does come up for free tickets through the library frequently.

The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (SDCDM)

The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (SDCDM) in Escondido is a hidden gem. It’s amazing for babies, crawlers, toddlers, preschoolers, early elementary school-age kids, AND parents. It offers space for children to play and learn yet it’s small enough that it’s easy to supervise your children as they explore freely. I love that I can interact with my children as they learn through OR sit back and chat with a friend as we both observe our kids.

I have a whole post about this museum including info on parking, see that here: 7 Tips for Visiting The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido

Admission for children and adults is both $11.50. This is a good participating museum membership to grab.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park

We loved this sweet little museum in Balboa Park. There are a ton of train displays for kids with elevated areas for them to stand. At the end, there are model train enthusiasts who set up a huge village that changes with each season. Don’t miss the big cable car you can sit in out front. This museum was big enough to spend an hour or two exploring, yet small enough that I wasn’t nervous about losing anyone. It’s really close to the Fleet Science Center and Plaza Panama. It’s actually in the basement of a building, so it’s easy to miss.

Admission for the museum is $20/adult and kids under 12 are always free. This museum does come up for Free Tuesdays and free passes through the library frequently.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park

We loved this sweet little museum in Balboa Park. There are a ton of train displays for kids with elevated areas for them to stand. At the end, there are model train enthusiasts who set up a huge village that changes with each season. Don’t miss the big cable car you can sit in out front. This museum was big enough to spend an hour or two exploring, yet small enough that I wasn’t nervous about losing anyone. It’s really close to the Fleet Science Center and Plaza Panama. It’s actually in the basement of a building, so it’s easy to miss.

Admission for the museum is $20/adult and kids under 12 are always free. This museum does come up for Free Tuesdays and free passes through the library frequently.

The Natural History Museum (The NAT) in Balboa Park

The NAT is amazing! They have a great area for kids in the back on the first floor. We also liked the huge topographical map of San Diego. On the second level, you’ll find dinosaurs, whales, and other exhibits. I liked the gem exhibit the best!

Don’t forget to visit the live animal exhibit at the back. They have all sorts of spiders, snakes, and creepy crawlies that kids love looking at.

Admission for The NAT is $24/adult and $14/kid. Kids under 3 are free. The Big Exchange does not include films (available to add on for $5 a person.) This museum does come up for Free Tuesdays and free passes through the library frequently.

I put the museums I would recommend taking kids to in bold!

Here are all of the locations participating in The Big Exchange

(list from: https://sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/specials/the-big-exchange/):

Barona Cultural Center & Museum 

Birch Aquarium (Please note, reservations must be made online in advanced to visit Birch Aquarium during The Big Exchange. Capacity is limited, Big Exchange tickets are available on the Birch Aquarium website on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Bonita Museum & Cultural Center 

California Center for the Arts Museum (Museum only)

California Surf Museum

Centro Cultural de la Raza

Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center

Comic-Con Museum

Coronado Historical Association

Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum (Family memberships limited to 2 free admissions at Deer Park)

Fleet Science Center (Exhibit gallery only at the Fleet. Films not included but can be added for $9.95 per person).

Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House (Only for general admission self-guided tours Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

Heritage of the Americas Museum (Excludes special events and children must be accompanied by an adult at all times).

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Central

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) North

Japanese Friendship Garden

Junípero Serra Museum (The Junípero Serra Museum is part of the San Diego History Center)

La Jolla Historical Society

La Mesa Depot

Lemon Grove Parsonage Museum (Only open on Saturdays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Living Coast Discovery Center (Does not grant member discount for camps, tours, gift shop, or other member perks. Excludes special event pricing and member only events.)

Marine Corps Depot Command Museums (Membership is with the MCRD Museum Foundation, in support of MCRD Museum. Get 15% off when you become a member. All visitors must show valid government-issued identification that is REALID compliant. The MCRD Museum is located on a Federal Installation. Enter through gate 5. Limited base access, click here for details)

Maritime Museum of San Diego (Self-guided general admission tours only. On-the-water experiences do not apply.)

Marston House Museum and Gardens (SOHO) (Good for regular Marston House Museum Guided Tours only; not for Walking Tours or other special events. New members who join SOHO during The Big Exchange will receive a FREE Third Sunday Walking Tour (a $20 value)—an excellent way to dive into San Diego’s rich history.)

Mingei International Museum

Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum – Always Free

Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial

 Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla

Museum of Making Music

Museum of Photographic Arts at SDMA

Nautical History Gallery & Museum

New Americans Museum  (By appointment only)

New Children’s Museum (Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum – (Applies to museum admission only, NOT train ride tickets. Available in-person only).

RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust Exhibit

San Diego African American Museum of Fine Arts (Museum without Walls – watch the website/social media for upcoming exhibits and online programing).

San Diego Archaeological Center

San Diego Automotive Museum (Children must be accompanied by an adult).

San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum (Open on Saturdays & Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m.)

San Diego History Center

San Diego International Airport Arts Program (Terminal 2 / Access to some parts of the airport are for ticketed passengers only.)

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

San Diego Museum of Art (Museum closed on Wednesdays.)

San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) Does not include films (available to add on for $5 a person.)

The New Children’s Museum (Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).

Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center – Always Free Admission

Timken Museum of Art

 USS Midway Museum

Visions Museum of Textile Art

Water Conservation Garden

Warner Carrillo Ranch House (SOHO)

Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center

Women’s Museum of California

WorldBeat Cultural Center

Allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Camille! I am a San Diego stay-at-home mom who is never ever at home. I share a lot of fun things to do around San Diego including parks, restaurants, LEGOLAND, the zoo etc.

My goal with my Instagram account and blog is to make any mom feel prepared for any outing with her kids so that she doesn’t have to stay home unless she wants to. Getting out with my kids was key for me in overcoming postpartum depression so I try to pay it forward by sharing what we do to help other moms in a similar situation. Read more about my story here.

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