Take heed, culture cravers.  Just a half-hour walk with your family through the halls of your favorite museum can put a massive dent in your wallet. Want to visit the natural beauty of botanic gardens, see the ancient artifacts of tribes and nations, or see what internationally-recognized local arts have been producing these days…without paying a penny? Then check out this comprehensive list of museums you can visit for FREE in San Diego during their free-admission days.

San Diego Botanic Gardens - FREE admission every 1st Tuesday
Located in Encinitas, these four miles of garden trails include botanic beauty from around the world. In addition to California native plantlife, they contain desert, tropical rain forest, and everything in between. You may enjoy the world’s larges bamboo collection, an extensive herb garden, brilliant flowers from around the world, as well as other rarities from Mediterranean climate landscape and more. Admission to this year-round natural  wonderland is free the first Tuesday of every month, and they’ll even waive the parking fee for carloads of four or more, so why not “go green” and carpool?

California Surf Museum - Flickr/VisitOceanside

California Surf Museum - FREE admission every Thursday
“Surfs up” doesn’t sum it up enough when it comes to this museum. This is more than just a collection of old boards, swimsuits, trophies, and other competition memorabilia. This museum tells the story of some of the greatest surfers of history and their accomplishments. Right now, their current exhibition is called WOW, Women on Waves. Check out the achievements of some of the more significant female wave warriors in documented history. CSM shows surfing as a lifestyle as well as a sport, and it’s guaranteed to be a treat for the dedicated surfing enthusiast, as well as the curious passer-through.  

New Children’s Museum – FREE admission every 2nd Sunday Ever second Sunday of the month, treat your family to the creative, hands-on experience of the New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego. Here, children can climb, explore, and create art instead of just see it hanging on a wall. Inside the mind of each child is a limitless creative engine, and the Museum works to tap that creativity. Admission is also FREE on the 1st weekend of each month for any Bank of America card holder, as part of the bank’s generous Museums on Us campaign. (Thanks to Marketing Melodie for that tip).

Museum of Contemporary Art – FREE admission every 3rd Thursday 5-7pm
At both the San Diego and La Jolla locations, you’ll find it all: paintings, sculpture, photography, video, and more, from both budding artists and major figures in the international contemporary art scene. You can take a gander at contemporary works from the San Diego/Tijuana region, as well as art from afar, like Latin America.  Plus, if you’re 25 years old or younger, your admission is forever FREE. (Thanks to Marketing Melodie for that tip).

Lux Art Institute – FREE Saturday every quarter
The Lux Art Institute, located in Encinitas, is much more than a museum. Instead of seeing polished, finished works of art hang lifelessly on the walls, at Lux you actually witness art in the making. In this working studio environment, you see the artistic process firsthand, as you interact with internationally recognized artists.  Here’s a tip: Ride your bike to the museum and you’ll get in free any day!

BALBOA PARK FREE TUESDAY PROGRAM
Balboa Park really stands up to it’s motto, “A landscape of Art and Culture.” Its collection of museums, theaters, gardens, and green space provide a place for fun and cultural exploration for the local and tourist alike. As a public service, they other free admission to different museums each of the first four Tuesdays of the month. Let’s look at what each Tuesday has to offer:

First Tuesdays

Centro Cultural de la Raza
Chicano, Mexican, Indigenous and Latino art and culture are featured in this multidisciplinary cultural arts center. You’ll find exhibits and performances with theater, dance, music, and film/video.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Not only is the San Diego Model Railroad Museum the only accredited railroad themed museum in the U.S., but its 27,000 square feet make it one of the largest indoor railroad displays in the world. Venture over to see the amazing detail and craftsmanship in the hundreds of intricate model railroad exhibits.

San Diego Natural History Museum Flickr/minkfink58

San Diego Natural History Museum
See the natural world of now and times past with a variety of exhibits, including the permanant exhibitions on the unique and fascinating natural biodiversity of the southern California region. This museum also features a giant-screenl 3D theater, which show films that focus on the natural world. Note: the theater still charges a fee.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (fee charged for theater)
Whether you’re interested in energy, space, or health and well-being, this center has something for you. These exciting exhibits show you how the world works from an innovative and hands-on perspective. Save on the admission, and you may have enough cash for one of the giant-screen films or planetarium programs.

Second Tuesdays

Museum of Photographic Arts
Come and marvel at this museum’s grand collection of  photographic works. These photographs tell the story of  photography, and showcase modern and contemporary work. They take special pride in their social documentary photography and photojournalism.

Museum of Photographic Arts Flickr/Laughlinc

Museum of San Diego History
History buffs and curious locals and visitors can explore one of the largest photograph collections in the western U.S., with more than 2.5 million images documenting local history. You’ll also find artifacts, costumes, textiles, and art, each display telling another piece of the region’s unique, colorful, and diverse story.

Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center
What better way to honor our veterans. This center is more than a memorial to the men and women of the Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and Wartime Merchant Marine. The museum’s collection, housed in the historic Old Navy Chapel, contains artifacts, documents, photographs, memorabilia, and artwork detailing this unique history from the Civil War to the present. You can even see local veterans’ stories in changing exhibitions.

Third Tuesdays

San Diego Art Institute
SDAI has the theme “Museum of the Living Artist” in its 10,000 spuare-foot gallery, where the crisp white walls display their collection with deserved elegance. The works come from about 450 artist members, and there’s even a young artists gallery, which highlights art from youths in San Diego schools.

San Diego Museum of Art by Joanne Dibona, SanDiegoScenicPhotos.org

San Diego Museum of Art
This museum is full of 19th and 20th century American works alongside contemporary Latin American art, European old masters, and an encyclopedic Asian collection. The San Diego Museum of Art is the oldest and largest art museum of the region.

San Diego Museum of Man
Learn about history of the human race in this museum featuring the people and places of the Americas and around the world. Focused completely of anthropology, the San Diego Museum of Man is located beneath the colonial and mission style architecture of the 200-foot California Tower.

Japanese Friendship Garden
Originally a teahouse during the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, this two-acre garden promises a truly Janpanese experience. Exploring the intricately accented winding paths, you’ll find a Fujidana (wisteria arbor), a Zen garden for meditation, an exhibit house, koi pond, and a bonsai exhibit.

Mingei International Museum

Mingei International Museum
This museum contains the art and crafts from all eras and cultures of the world, featuring dynamic exhibitions of historical and contemporary folk art. You’ll find wood carvings, textiles, orignal furniture designs, pottery and more in the museum dedicated to the art of the people (mingei).

Fourth Tuesdays

San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum
Come and see the skateboard Tony Hawk used to land the first “900” in prefessional competition, call play-by-play for Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams, and see other memorabilia documenting San Diego’s sport legacies. Some of the greatest athletes in modern history were San Diegans, and you can see their stories here, in this 70,000-square-foot, multi-sport museum.

San Diego Air and Space Museum
The story of science, space, and aviation is fascinating to tell, and such is the mission of the San Diego Air & Space Museum—California’s Official Air and Space Museum. Aircraft and spacecraft from all over the world, and different points in history are proudly on display in this Smithsonian Institution affiliate. Among the exhibits worth checking out are the flying replica of Lindbergh’s Spirit of the St. Louis, the real-life Apollo 9 Command Module, and a real GPS satellite—the only one on display in the world.

San Diego Automotive Museum - Flickr/Kim the Star Princess

San Diego Automotive Museum
Loue Mattar’s amazing 1947 Cadillac, equipped with everything—including the kitchen sink—is just one of more than 80 historic autos and motorcycles on display at the San Diego Automotive Museum. You can also see Frank Sinatra’s 1967 Austin Petrol Hire Car and many others, all shined up and ready to be experienced all over again.

House of Pacific Relations International Cottages
Go to these historic 1935 Exposition cottages and you’ll find some 32 groups working towards multicultural goodwill and and understanding. Each of the  houses offers a window into different cultural experience, representing a distinct country or region from around the world with costume, dance, food, crafts and performances.

The creative forces behind Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, known for producing powerful works by contemporary and master playwrights, are inviting Diego On a Dime readers to a complimentary performance of their latest production, Stick Fly in downtown San Diego!

I’ve always  been an enthusiastic fan of Mo’olelo’s productions, because I like how they present stories not seen elsewhere on San Diego stages and they always cast phenomenal talent. As of Feb. 13, they’ve sold 61 percent of the entire production’s run, with several sold out showings. In other words, grab your complimentary passes now!

See below to see how to get your FREE tickets and to learn more about the production.

Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company Invites Subscribers of Diego on a Dime

to be our guests at the Invited Dress Rehearsal of

STICK FLY

By Lydia R. Diamond

WHAT: Invited Dress Rehearsal of STICK FLY

WHEN: Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 7:30 PM

WHERE: The 10th Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Downtown San Diego, on 10th Ave between Broadway and E Street

HOW MUCH: Free!

CAN I BRING A FRIEND?: Certainly!

RESERVATIONS: RSVP by February 21 by emailing seema@moolelo.net or leave a message at 619-342-7395. Be sure to indicate that you’re a subscriber of Diego on a Dime, provide your name, number of tickets you need for Feb 23, email address and phone number. She will send you an email confirmation.

STORY: The LeVay Family, an affluent African American family, gathers in their summer home on Martha’s Vineyard. The adult sons, aspiring novelist Kent and golden boy plastic surgeon Flip, have each brought their respective ladies to meet the parents. Food, drink and Trivial Pursuit tangle with class, race and identity politics in this contemporary comedy of manners.

Many consider the playwright, Lydia Diamond, to be one of the most important new voices in American theater, particularly African American theater. You can read about her here.

WHAT’S AN INVITED DRESS REHEARSAL? The Invited Dress is our last rehearsal of the show before we open to paying audiences– it’s still the full production with lights, sound, costumes, etc., the only difference is that if there is a major problem that comes up during the run we’ll actually stop to fix it.  It’s also the very first run through of the show in front of an audience, so it’s a critical time in the development of the production, and your presence is extremely helpful to the artistic process.

PARKING: There is metered street parking (free after 6:00) and there is also a $6-surface lot at the NE corner of 11th Avenue and E Street – the machine takes Visa, Master Card and exact cash.

When the sun sets, the curtain rises at theaters throughout San Diego County. Their marquee lights are even brighter for savvy theatergoers like me, who usually strut in smug with a half-off ticket in hand. Want to get the same playtime without shelling out the big bucks? We’ve done the legwork for you to find the scoop on those hard-to-find cheap seats at major stages in town.

Photo credit: Old Globe/Craig Schwartz

AT THE BOX OFFICE

Old Globe Theatre
 As one of the country’s leading regional theatre complexes, the Tony® Award-winning Old Globe presents 15 productions annually on their three stages in Balboa Park: Old Globe Theatre, Arena Stage, and Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. They are also San Diego’s largest theatre organization, but don’t expect any pretense. They’ve got a few discounts up their sleeves for smart ticket shoppers like us who can’t stomach a heavy price tag.
 
 • For select performances, they set aside a limited amount of $29 tickets (average regular price for tickets are $60). But be quick about it!  We recommend calling the box office the day tickets go on sale for the show you want to see (you won’t find these prices online) and let them know you want the $29 tickets (they won’t offer these unless you mention them).

• The younger-than-30-crowd can purchase up to two tickets for only $20 each through the theatre’s $20 Under 30 program.  Sign up for the program online and they’ll update you on which performances accept the program’s discount price.

• The theatre sells Globe Tix, half-off tickets, to seniors (60 years old and better), students, and military with proper ID. The availability of these tickets are determined on a day-to-day basis, so call ahead. Globe Tix can only be purchased at the box office window (read: Don’t expect to find these half-off tickets online).

Lamb’s Players Theatre
Lamb’s Players Theatre produces timeless classics and lesser-known gems of the theatre year-round on their resident stage in Coronado and at the downtown Horton Grand Theatre.

• The Under 30 program allows 20-somethings to purchase up to two tickets at half off. The same discount is given to active military and students with valid ID. With some seats priced at $20, you’ll end up paying as much as you would for a movie.

• An hour before a show, they sell all remaining seats for just $25. Call ahead as the box office knows when the rush tickets will be available (it’s the director’s call).

Broadway San Diego
The secret to snagging the coveted discounts to any Broadway San Diego show at the Civic or Balboa Theatres is to…. wait.  Arrive an hour and a half before the show to purchase rush tickets for any remaining seats. Tickets can go for as little as half-off, but be prepared to pay in cash. Rush tickets are not available for every performance, so call ahead to save yourself the drive. Best times to try are Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

La Jolla Playhouse
San Diego’s other Tony® Award-winning theatre is a haven for cash-strapped theatre-lovers and presents bold and innovative productions May through November on UCSD’s campus.

• They offer Pay-What-You-Can performances that coincide with their ACCESS performances (American Sign Language interpretation). During these ACCESS performances (check their calendar for dates), 100 tickets are held for Pay-What-You-Can theatergoers and are only on sale 11am – 12pm that day. However, be smart about it. Some savvy PWYC veterans arrive hours beforehand to stand in line. Some rules: cash only basis, $1 minimum and you can purchase up to two tickets per patron.

• LPJ also sells rush tickets for seniors (ages 62 and older) and full-time students one hour before certain performances (call the box office ahead). These rush tickets are $20 for musicals and $15 for all other plays.  The rush line is available for the first six performances of all productions for seniors and is always available for full-time students; one rush ticket per student.

Check back for CHEAP SEATS PART II to find out how to snag discount play tickets at more San Diego theatres.

From a botanical museum dedicated to all things green and growing, to a hotel brimming of rock star memorabilia, here are 16 FREE museums and exhibits that’ll leave your arts and culture budget at ease

***These establishments may not collect admission fees, but donations are how many of them are able to stay open in the first place. So, if you like what you see, consider making one!

Timken Museum of Art – Balboa Park
Stuck in the office during Balboa Park’s Free Tuesdays? Don’t fret, you can still take advantage of Balboa Park attractions that are always admission-free. One of these include the Timken Museum of Art, which displays European and American masterworks, including Russian icons. Don’t be turned away by the museum’s dry and dated façade, compared to the Spanish Colonial Revival buildings that surround it. The Putnam Foundation Collection makes up the museum’s permanent display and spans nearly 600 years of Western art, from early Italian altarpieces to mid-19th century French landscape painting.

Photo credit: Joanne DiBona

Botanical Building – Balboa Park
Another forever-free, and spectacular, attraction in Balboa Park is the Botanical Building. Built for the 1915-16 Exposition, the Botanical Building is one of the largest lath structures in the world and most photographed scenes in Balboa Park. Be prepared to wander among 2,100 permanent plants, including collections of ferns, orchids and cycads. Whenever I visit, I make a beeline for their ‘scratch-and-sniff’ section, where I love lingering over the ‘chocolate’ mint leaves.

Barona Cultural Center and Museum – Lakeside
Next time you head over to Barona Valley Ranch Casino in Lakeside, don’t pass up the chance to check out one of East County’s coolest cultural attractions. The Barona Museum and Cultural Center uncovers the story of the local Barona Band of Mission Indians. Representing more than 10,000 years of history, the museum’s 2,000 artifacts, listening alcoves of California’s first music and diorama cases unfold many fascinating stories of the Native American experience.  You’ll leave brimming with newfound respect for an enterprising tribe that now owns one of the most successful gaming centers in California.

Photo credit: FrogMiller via Flickr

Seeley Stable Museum – Old Town State Historic Park
Giddy up! This huge, two-story barnlike structure was the Yuma/San Diego stop in the 1850’s for the stage coach carriages running between LA and San Diego. Stage coaches were deemed obsolete after the coming of the railroad in 1887. Today, Seeley Stable Museum houses an impressive collection of vintage carriages and transportation memorabilia.

La Casa de Estudillo – Old Town State Historic Park
Built in 1827 as the home of a Spanish aristocrat, this large adobe features 13 rooms, a garden courtyard, and was once considered one of the finest homes in Mexican California. Today, La Casa de Estudillo is one of the oldest surviving examples of Spanish architecture. Explore this piece of San Diego’s history – it is now a museum in the middle of Old Town’s main square and all rooms have been furnished with early 19th century finery.

San Diego Union Museum – Old Town State Historic Park
Hear ye, hear ye! Revisit the early days of San Diego journalism at the first office of the San Diego Union newspaper (now called San Diego Union-Tribune, of course).  This restored structure shows the newsroom as it was when the paper first printed on October 20, 1868, with the original Washington press and the editor’s office. You’ll leave pondering how far newspapers have come since then, with comprehensive Web sites and on-the-spot Twitter exclusives.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Museum – Old Town San Diego
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department has been around 160 years, longer than California has been a state.  The department’s long history of criminal activity, court trials and heroic saves is on display at the museum, where you’ll find guns, badges, handcuffs, uniforms, a patrol car, helicopter, motorcycle, jail cell and courtroom. The museum sits along San Diego Avenue, less than a block before you hit the bustling Café Coyote and Old Town Mexican Cafe, but it’s still easy to miss when driving into visit Old Town. Turn the car around, as this place, and the chance to honor local law enforcement, is worth the visit.

The Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum – Miramar
Aircraft aficionados should definitely not miss taking advantage of the always-free admission to the Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum at MCAS Miramar.  The museum features a collection of more than 30 vintage aircrafts, including jets and helicopters, that you can admire and climb into. Afterwards, check out artifacts that date back to the earliest days of Marine Corps Aviation. Interesting fact – the name Leathernecks comes from the U.S. Marines’ early uniforms that featured large leather collars to prevent injuries from sword slashing. This nickname was then popularized with the feature film, The Flying Leathernecks starring John Wayne.

Photo credit: Bob Perry via Flickr

The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Command Museum - Midway District
What makes a Marine? Guts, guile, and an ongoing homage to the fearless Marines that came before. Experience the legacy of the U.S. Marine Corp at the most extensive display of corps historical items in the nation at the MCRD Command Museum. The more than 5,000 artifacts include uniforms from the Spanish-American War to the present, edged weapons, a WWI ambulance, WWII-era jeep and cargo trailer, and medals.  Since you’re on base, you may also be lucky enough to witness Marines in the making during bootcamp drills.

Omni San Diego Baseball Memorabilia – Downtown San Diego
When a hotel’s next-door neighbor is a major league baseball stadium, it better step up to the plate with its own homage to the sport. When dressing the hotel’s interior, Omni definitely didn’t disappoint. Encased in glass throughout four floors of the property, you can feast your eyes on a private collection of baseball memorabilia from the San Diego Padres former owner, John Moores. Notable items include Babe Ruth’s 1932 contract, a vintage gray-flannel Negro League jersey, a baseball bat autographed by Mickey Mantle, and a pair of 1941 cleats that Joe DiMaggio sported during his famed 56-game hitting streak. Ask the hotel for a guide to the collection and relive winning moments in baseball history.

Hard Rock San Diego – Downtown San Diego
It’s all about the music at Hard Rock San Diego in downtown, obvious not just by the tunes rocking through its speakers. The property is filled to the rafters with music memorabilia including personal lyrics written by the Beatles, a bustier worn by Madonna, and a Walk of Fame lined with instruments and other collectables from legends such as Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Jerry Garcia. Don’t let the piped-in rock’n’roll rush you along. Stop in and linger over the memorabilia by these music legends, mostly found on the first floor lobby or second floor public space.

Rancho Guajome Adobe – Vista
This rambling, 20-room ranch in Vista is a example of Anglo-Hispanic architecture built on an original Mexican land grant. Distinguished as a National Historic Landmark, this hacienda was built with huge profits from the 1850’s, when it bustled with extravagant fiestas, lively rodeos and constant visitors. Today, it’s a lot less lively, and most likely you’ll be one of a few visitors there. That said, the adobe may not be a sole reason to drive up. However, if you’re already in Vista or San Marcos, it’s definitely worth a stop to explore a piece of San Diego history.

San Diego Archaeological Center – San Pasqual Valley
If you’re fascinated with what dusty remains of yesteryear can be found deep within San Diego soil, put down that shovel and pick and instead make a visit to the San Diego Archaeological Center. Located in San Pasqual Valley just 1.3 miles from Wild Animal Park, the center highlights 10,000 years of history in the San Diego region with 627 collections and 5,000 boxes of artifacts dug up in San Diego. Items include pottery used by Kumeyaay Indians, children’s toys and other household items from the early 19th century, and shells founds in areas of San Diego that were once underwater. Admission is free, but they suggest a $2 donation per person or $5 for one family.

Gem and Mineral Society Museum – Fallbrook
Treasure seekers and gem lovers alike can find  worthwhile eye candy at this small Fallbrook museum, located near one of the most productive tourmaline gem stone mines in the county. You’ll find specimens of the colorful semi-precious stone and other rare gems collected from these local mining operations, a fluorescent mineral display aglow with ultraviolet light, and even ancient fossils of ammonites and mammoths. For those itching to sift for their own gems, the mines are still open to visitors for about $60 per adult at the Oceanview Mine in Pala.
Classic Rotors: The Rare & Vintage Rotorcraft Museum – Ramona
Chopper chasers can find their own sky-high thrill at one of only three museums rotorcraft museums in the world. Located at the Ramona airport, Classic Rotors houses one of the largest collection of historic helicopters and vintage rotorcraft. Fill up on the various designs of rotor technology, including co-axial, convention and tip-powered. The museum is only open Friday, Saturday and Tuesdays, 10am – 4pm. Due to airport security measures, visitors should enter through the Chuck Hall Aviation entrance and dial 760-650-9257 on the gate keypad for access.

The Philippine Library and Museum – Downtown San Diego
I couldn’t end this list without mentioning the small museum dedicated to preserving my own culture!

Philippine's national hero - Jose Rizal

Tucked away, and easily unseen, between two Irish bars in a busy section of the Gaslamp Quarter, is a green door leading to the Philippine Library and Museum. Occupying the basement level of the Lincoln Hotel Building on Fifth Avenue, you’ll find wood carved furniture, old photographs of the PI (as us Filipinos call it) when it was a Spanish Colony; mountain tribal gear, old currency, stamps, and paintings of the Philippine landscape. A highlight of the museum is its impressive exhibit on Dr. Jose Rizal, a brilliant visionary and PI’s first national hero who was executed when he was 35 for his outspoken calls to end the violence and human rights violations under Spanish rule.  The quaint and well-kept museum has irregular opening hours, so take the moment to step in to explore if you’re in the Gaslamp Quarter and see their door open. Located on Fifth Avenue, between Market and Island.

What are your favorite free museums in the county? Oh, do tell us!