MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM
The Mingei returns to its origins with a show exploring Japanese arts of daily life, featuring 19th-
century Shinto ema paintings, indigo-dyed bedclothes, doorway hangings, baskets, tea kettles and
pots, pottery, kimonos, toys and dolls. April–Oct.
1439 El Prado, Balboa Park
MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS (MOPA)
Set in the lovely Casa de Balboa building, MOPA has an outstanding permanent collection, from
19th-century daguerreotypes to modern-day photography, film and video. Look for the Beauty
and the Beast exhibition, which examines animals in photography in celebration
of the San Diego Zoo Centennial. May 28–Oct. 9
1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
Balboa Park
Referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West,” Balboa Park is a 1200-acre urban
oasis with gorgeous gardens, striking architecture, a world-famous zoo and 17
museums. Here is a sampling of not-to-miss exhibits at the park.
ARTS AND CULTURE
A HAVEN OF CULTURE
Stroll the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden with its koi pond, bonsai
trees, tea garden and cherry tree grove. Get inspired at the Spanish Village Art
Center, home to 37 studios and 200 San Diego County artists. Enjoy a free concert
at Spreckels Organ Pavilion, with (as of this April) the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ
(Sundays 2 to 3 p.m. and Mondays 7: 30 p.m. during summer). Catch The San Diego Youth
Symphony and Conservatory musicians rehearsing on Saturdays and Sundays in Casa del Prado
for free classical music (Feb.–early June). The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet transforms the park
into an enchanted forest during the eighth annual Fairy Tales in the Park, an interactive ballet
experience with dancing storybook characters, perfect for families (Aug. 20–21). balboapark.org
EXPLORING BALBOA PARK
Botanical Building
and Lily Pond
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Built in the early 1900s, the
Botanical Building houses
more than 2, 100 plants, like
orchids, ferns and palms.
SAN DIEGO AIR &
SPACE MUSEUM
The story of aviation unfolds at
this museum, which celebrates
flight, space exploration and
technology. A special exhibit,
Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator,
vividly brings to life the
renowned genius’s inventions,
artworks, machines and robotics,
revealing how his conceptual
designs for many technological
wonders we take for granted
today were centuries ahead of
their time. Through 2016
2001 Pan American Plaza,
Balboa Park
SAN DIEGO NATURAL
HISTORY MUSEUM (theNAT)
A portal into the natural
world, this museum explores
evolution, biodiversity and the
planet’s incredible species. Get
eye to eye with the leviathans
of the sea at the Whales: Giants of the Deep exhibit, an
amazing collection of rare
whale specimens from New
Zealand. March 19–Sept. 6
1788 El Prado, Balboa Park
THE SAN DIEGO
MUSEUM OF ART
Feast your eyes on some of the
finest still life and landscape
paintings from leading
Dutch, Flemish, Italian,
Spanish and German
artists of the 17th and 18th
centuries in the exhibition
Brueghel to Canaletto:
European Masterpieces from the
Grasset Collection (April 2–Aug. 2).
Quilts and Color: The Boston
Museum of Fine Arts (May 28–
Sept. 4) celebrates the vibrant
color palette and inventive
designs from the Pilgrim/Roy
quilt collection (May 28-Sept. 4).
1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
