Natural History Museum
San Diego's Natural History Museum is located in Balboa Park. Founded by a group of citizen-naturalists in 1874, the museum continues to be an active research center and it is the second oldest scientific institution in Southern California.
The Natural History Museum has both permanent exhibits and temporary exhibits. The permanent exhibit "Fossil Mysteries" focuses on the ancient history in Southern California with real fossils that have been collected locally. The fossils from Southern California capture the history of plant life and animal life dating back 70 million years. Popular for Natural History Museum visitors are the life-size fully reconstructed exhibit of a giant shark, the complete fossil skeletons of whales and walruses, and the realistic reconstruction of a tropical forest that once existed in this area. Also worth seeing is the beautiful nature photography, fossils, and the cut-away dolphin. The information presented in the displays is written in both English and Spanish. The temporary exhibits are always interesting, like the recent ones on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pompeii and chocolate.
The Museums exterior blends in with the historic architecture of Balaboa Park dating back to the 1930's. The newly renovated interior provides plenty of space for museum patrons to enjoy the exhibits. There is a gift shop and a snack shop located inside the museum.
http://www.sdnhm.org
1788 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-3821
Open: 10am - 5:00pm daily
