Museum News: Half-price Feb. admission

People who love a deal and want to check out three Escondido and other North County museums are in luck next month.

San Diego Museum Council’s Museum Month is back in its 30th year offering 1/2 priced admission to over 40+ museums throughout the month of February. Last year over 30,000 people used the promotion to explore the arts, history and culture in San Diego at a discounted price. SDMC has partnered with Hilton and San Diego libraries this year for even more opportunities to save with the Museum Month pass.

Some fun Escondido Museums participating in the promotion include: San Diego Archaeological Center, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum.

North County New Museum Exhibits:

North County Museums with 1/2 priced admission in February include: Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum (Carlsbad), Oceanside Museum of Art, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (Escondido), Museum of Making Music (Carlsbad), San Diego Botanic Garden (Encinitas), Lux Art Institute (Encinitas) San Diego Archaeological Center (Escondido), California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (Escondido)

NEW EXHIBIT IN FEB: The Kids Global Village India

Throughout the month of February, the Museum will be exploring and celebrating the country of India.

Visuals: The Kids Global Village will be transformed to feature Indian landmarks and traditional clothing, and storytimes and workshops will explore a different topic about the country each day. On Saturday, February 16, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, a special community event will celebrate through a traditional Odissi dance lesson, a yoga class for kids, interactive storytelling, and special peacock handprint art. All included with Museum Admission.

Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum (Carlsbad)

NEW EXHIBIT FEB.: 173mph electric radio control car & a miniature steam engine model built in the late 1800; their oldest model to date.

Visuals: Miniature engine demos, Petersen toys demos, miniature steam engines 

Oceanside Museum of Art 

NEW EXHIBIT IN FEB: San Diego Surreal: FEBRUARY  23–JUNE 16, 2019   

San Diego Surreal features over 50 works of art in a variety of media created over several decades, revealing the ways in which Surrealism’s range of artistic strategies and visual vocabulary have seeped into Southern California  culture, while probing the impact the movement has had on artists in San Diego. The exhibition focuses on the work of both contemporary artists and earlier 20th-century modernists who drew upon Surrealism.

More about Museum Month

Locals and visitors to San Diego area libraries are in for a special treat this February. Participating library locations across the region will serve as distribution locations for the coveted Museum Month Pass. With the free pass in-hand, patrons are invited to explore over 40 museums for half-price during the entire month of February. From Birch Aquarium in La Jolla to the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, Museum Month showcases the best in San Diego’s arts, culture and science destinations. 

Beginning Feb. 1, museum-goers can pick up their Museum Month pass, while supplies last, at branch locations or bookmobiles of the San Diego County Library, San Diego Public Library, Carlsbad City Library, Escondido Public Library, Oceanside Public Library, Coronado Public Library, Chula Vista Public Library, and National City Public Library. Learn more about participating libraries at sandiegomuseumcouncil.org.

“San Diego Museum Council celebrates this collaborative partnership with San Diego area libraries,” says Council Board President Rebecca Handelsman. “The partnership means that the Museum Month pass is even more accessible to San Diegans and visitors to our region, as it is available at more than 75 distribution points across the county. We are delighted to see support from new partners to make this program continue as a flagship San Diego experience.”

The pass offers half-price general admission for up to four people, and can be used at more than 40 museums throughout the area. Additional fees may apply for special exhibitions and events at select museums. 

This is the first year the San Diego Museum Council is partnering with local libraries. In past years, San Diego Museum Council was honored to have Macy’s support as title sponsor and distribution partner. Hilton is also partnering with San Diego Museum Council, offering Museum Month passes with stays booked in February at one of their 27 participating locations throughout San Diego. 

2019 San Diego Museum Month Participants:

• Adobe Chapel
• Barona Cultural Center & Museum
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps 
• California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum
• California Surf Museum
• Coronado Museum of History & Art
• Fleet Science Center, Galleries only
• Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
• Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
• Heritage of the Americas Museum
• Japanese Friendship Garden
• Junipero Serra Museum
• La Jolla Historical Society
• Living Coast Discovery Center
• Lux Art Institute
• Maritime Museum of San Diego
• Marston House Museum & Gardens
• Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown
• Museum of Making Music Museum of Photographic Arts
• New Americans Museum
• Oceanside Museum of Art
• San Diego Air & Space Museum
• San Diego Archaeological Center
• San Diego Art Institute
• San Diego Automotive Museum
• San Diego Botanic Garden
• San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
• San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
• San Diego History Center
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum
• San Diego Natural History Museum, The Nat
• The New Children’s Museum
• The San Diego Museum of Art
• The Water Conservation Garden
• Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
• Timken Museum of Art
• USS Midway Museum
• Veterans Museum at Balboa Park
• Visions Art Museum
• Warner-Carrillo Ranch House
• Whaley House Museum 

San Diego Museum Month was created in 1989 to promote awareness of the region’s museums, historical sites, educational institutions, and cultural offerings. For more information on the San Diego Museum Council and all the participating museums, visit sandiegomuseumcouncil.org.