Celebrating San Diego Museum Month 2013

The time has come! My favorite month of the year: February.

Why is it my favorite month? Well because February is Museum Month. And that means that we get to explore San Diego County’s latest exhibits at some of San Diego’s best museums all at half off!

That’s right. With a Museum Month Pass, picked up at Macy’s, participants get to explore 42 museums with half-off admission fees through February 2013. Guests with a pass may bring up to three people with them to any participating museum to receive half-off admission, too.

San Diego Museum Month 2013

Museum Month was created in 1989 to promote awareness of the region’s museums, historical sites, educational institutions, and cultural offerings. The promotion has grown to become a cultural tradition on a level witnessed by very few cities in the country.

Last year more than 35,000 visitors used the Museum Month Pass to visit museums at half-price. From San Diego explorers and nature lovers to culture-seekers, art enthusiasts and more, there is something for everyone at participating museums and historical sites during Museum Month.

When: February 1-28, 2013

Where: Museum Month Passes may be picked up at any of Macy’s fourteen locations in the San Diego area, Temecula and Imperial Valley.

Cost: Museum Month Passes are free. With a pass, up to four visitors can attend any of the 42 participating museums for half-off.

Fun Museums For Kids

One thing I absolutely love about Museum Month is the fact that I get to show the kids new and fun ways to explore. Some of our favorite museums are 1/2 off and that means we can afford to go to more than one museum a month! Plus, some of the museums listed in the 42 aren’t what my kids would consider museums.

Here are some great museums participating that would be perfect for kids in my opinion:

*Birch Aquarium at Scripps,

California Surf Museum,

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum,

Japanese Friendship Garden,

*Living Coast Discovery Center,

Maritime Museum of San Diego,

*Reuben H. Fleet Science Center,

*San Diego Air & Space Museum,

San Diego Botanic Garden,

*San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum,

*San Diego Model Railroad Museum,

San Diego Natural History Museum,

*The New Children’s Museum,

The Water Conservation Garden,

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve,

*USS Midway Museum,

Whaley House Museum

* Museums with asterisks have been approved preschooler-friendly in our home and are perfect for kids ages 2-5

For a full list of participating museums check out the San Diego Museum Council website.

Great Exhibits for Kids

The New Children’s Museum in downtown will continue to host its TRASH Exhibition filled with original, contemporary art designed and transformed by trash. In preparation for a new art and food-focused exhibition opening in Fall 2013, guests can visit the “Test Kitchen” to catch a peek at some of the developing artwork that will later be showcased.

Additionally, the museum will host a Valentine’s Day drop-in activity on Feb. 14 for guests to create and design heartwarming cards with custom stamping tools.

San Diego Air & Space Museum will host the widely popular “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” exhibit for the first time in San Diego since 1935. Opening on Feb 1., the exhibit will be filled with strange and bizarre items from around the world that inspired a franchise including books, comic books and television shows.

San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT) opens “Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders” on Feb. 22, featuring bizarre and unusual insects from around the world. Fashioned as a circus sideshow attraction, the exhibit will include a special San Diego-only section that highlights the remarkably odd insects that crawl around and inhabit San Diego County.

More information on Museum Month can be found by visiting www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org.

Disclaimer: I was a guest for the Museum Month Launch at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and received complimentary admission to the museum. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.