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1350 El Prado San Diego, CA 92101 – Website
Update: After this posting, we have learned that in 2022 during the wave of name changes to many institutions due to the murder of George Floyd, the name was changed to the Museum of Us in the spirit of inclusiveness and decolorization.
The Museum of Man is located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California inside the historic buildings of the California Quadrangle and the main focus is Anthropology. The museum’s history can be traced to the Panama-California Exposition of 1915. There have been many changes over the years including many name changes.
The museum occupies four buildings. The museum is in the California building with the landmark tower, which closed for nearly 8o years and reopened in 2015. The administrative offices and an auditorium are on the west of the museum in the Gill Administration building, built in 1911. South of the museum is Everham Hall used for temporary exhibits and a banquet hall, originally known as the Fine Arts building. Adjacent to this building is the Saint Francis Chapel a non-denominational Spanish-style chapel for private events.
The museum’s main focus is on the pre-Columbian history of the Western Americas, drawn from the Native American cultures of Southern California and the Mesoamerican civilizations, like the Maya. There is also a wonderful collection of Egyptian antiques.
The museum is open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Museum of Man is included as one of the attractions with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. Regular admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children 13-17 years old, $4 for children 3-12 years old, and $6 for Seniors 62 years and older. They offer discounts for students with ID for $6, active military with ID for $6, children under 3 years old, and museum members are free.
