San Diego Natural History Museum

About

The San Diego Natural History Museum—affectionately known as The Nat—is one of the oldest scientific institutions on the West Coast, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024. Located in the heart of Balboa Park, San Diego's 1,200-acre urban cultural park housing 17 museums and performing arts venues, The Nat serves as Southern California's leading natural history research and education center. The museum's collections span over 8 million specimens representing the natural heritage of the Californias and the broader Pacific Rim region, from fossil marine reptiles and Pleistocene megafauna to living plants, birds, and invertebrates catalogued over 150 years of field work. Research scientists and community naturalists alike contribute to these collections through active fieldwork programs. Four floors of exhibit galleries explore topics ranging from dinosaurs and ancient oceans to desert ecosystems and the geology of Baja California. The museum's giant screen theater presents nature documentaries and science films to audiences of all ages. Nat at Night on Fridays opens the museum from 5pm to 11pm at half-price admission, creating an adult-friendly evening science experience. The Nat's Canyoneers program organizes guided hikes through San Diego's remarkable urban and natural canyon system, connecting visitors with the living natural history just outside the museum's doors. Community science programs engage citizen naturalists in ongoing biodiversity research, while the museum's conservation science work focuses on imperiled species and habitats throughout the binational California-Baja region.

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