arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter tiktok youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin
Discover San Diego's

Arts & Culture Scene

Creativity Around Every Corner

Photo By Eric Scire
Celebrate the Arts

Known as the Smithsonian of the West, Balboa Park hosts an incredible concentration of arts and culture offerings including 17 museums and performing arts venues. San Diego is also home to two Tony® Award-winning theaters, historic sites, public art, music venues, dance performances, film festivals, galleries, missions and much more to explore.

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert

Discover San Diego

What's Hot|
What's On|

San Diego's Rich and Diverse Culture

From Balboa Park to Chicano Park to Oceanside, San Diego is home to three state-designated cultural districts that embody the very best of the region.

Discover

Favorite Spots to Take Pictures in San Diego

Landmarks, City Scapes and Animals Make Great Subjects

Discover

Balboa Park, The Cultural Heart of San Diego

Just minutes from downtown, explore the history, legacy, and future of this ever changing, always amazing cultural park.

Discover

San Diego International Auto Show

Dec 28, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025

Where the cars are the stars! The San Diego International Auto Show features the widest variety of new vehicles under one roof.

Discover

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Nov 6 - Dec 31, 2024

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a wonderful, whimsical musical based upon the classic Dr. Seuss book. Back for another incredible year, the family favorite features the songs “Santa for a Day,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Welcome, Christmas (Fah Who Doraze),” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Celebrate the holidays as the Old Globe Theatre is once again transformed into the snow-covered Who-ville, right down to the last can of Who-hash.

Discover

BOARDED! Staged aboard a 16th-century ship!

Dec 28, 2024

Waterfront Playground Experience with Pirates. The perfect treat for out-of-town visitors and locals alike! These popular 90-minute performances are staged aboard the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s 16th-century Spanish galleon San Salvador. Guests will be fully engaged in pirate theatrics at the dock and underway on San Diego Bay. This hilarious interactive show puts visitors right in the middle of the pirate action. Participants will be sworn in as part of the ship crew, trained how to navigate, sword fight, bail water from a sinking ship, escape from the King’s Jail, swab the deck and other pirate skills. 

General admission included, making the experience an excellent value and opportunity to explore the waterfront museum fleet and exhibits before or after your Boarded experience. Choose from two shows at 10:30 a.m. or 12:45 p.m. 

Discover

San Diego Bird Festival

Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2025

The San Diego Bird Alliance invites you to the San Diego Bird Festival, which celebrates the birds and habitats of San Diego County. Our region truly offers some of the best birding in the United States.

In a world where social media and smart devices seem to be taking over, birds are a lovely reminder that the world is full of real experiences. All you need to do is Look Up! 

We hope you will join us for the celebration, and we'll give you plenty of opportunities to "look up" and see the birds of San Diego. Know that your experience is giving something back to the birds: The proceeds of this festival support the education, conservation and sanctuary programs of the San Diego Bird Alliance. We thank you for your support and hope to meet you at the festival.

Discover

What's Hot

View More

San Diego's Rich and Diverse Culture

Discover

Favorite Spots to Take Pictures in San Diego

Discover

Balboa Park, The Cultural Heart of San Diego

Discover

What's On

View More Events

San Diego International Auto Show

Dec 28, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025
Discover

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Nov 6 - Dec 31, 2024
Discover

BOARDED! Staged aboard a 16th-century ship!

Dec 28, 2024
Discover

San Diego Bird Festival

Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2025
Discover

Deals just for you

Galleries & Museums

Membership on Us

Museum of Us
Valid: Jul 22, 2024 - ongoing

At the Museum of Us, we believe community should include  all of us . With the purchase of an admission ticket, visitors can enjoy complimentary, annual membership and return to the...

Team Building

Convention Badge Discount: Haunted Ghost Tours

Haunted San Diego Ghost & History Tours
Valid: Dec 20, 2024 - ongoing

Calling all convention attendees! Unleash your inner ghost hunter with Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours. Show your convention badge and unlock exclusive discounts on our spine-chilling adventures. ...

Galleries & Museums

Gaslamp Museum: Show Your Badge & Save

Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
Valid: Jun 10 - ongoing

The Gaslamp Museum is a non-profit organization headquartered in the Davis-Horton House, the oldest standing structure in the Historic Gaslamp Quarter. From tales of espionage to Prohibition,...

Related Articles and Features

More from San Diego

Neighborhoods

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Georgian
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Yiddish