Museum of Man, San Diego

One of my favorite museums. The displays have changed many times over the fifty-some years I've been going there. Some things I've missed, like the room in the archway that connects to the building across the street, where we could choose music from a box, much like those miniature jukeboxes found at the booth of a malt shop, of various American Indian Tribes. We'd push the buttons, and once the drum beats began, we'd do our own rendition of an Indian rain dance. Now they have the Museum of Man's Children's Discovery Center which is interesting and geared toward a child's level of understanding.

On the third Tuesday of each month admission to the Museum of Man, Musuem of Art, Mingei International Museum, and the Japanese Frendship Garden is free.

Museum of Man is housed in the California Building, which is a symbol of San Diego, designed in the style of a Spanish-Colonial church. The grand tower and dome made an impressive entry to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition honoring the completion of the Panama Canal.

Maya glyphs were brought to the museum to exhibit during the 1915 Expo and became part of a major new permanent exhibition on human evolution. Periodically, new exhibits are on view which adds to the experience.

There is The Children's Discovery Center exhibit, focusing on Egypt. It is an interactive, sensory learning experience, fun for kids and adults.

Wedensday through Sunday it is sometimes possible to see real life demonstrations, such as how baskets were woven in ancient times and my favorite, the tortilla maker demonstrates her skill and for a nominal donation she'll give one of her creations to you.

The Museum Store is a great place to finish off the tour as it is possible to buy a replica of something you've seen or anything you'd like from an array of unique and exotic items.

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I haven't been to this anthropology museum in many years, so I can't really report on too many details. My mom took me here when I was in high school and I just remember that I was really bored then! Hey, anthropology just wasn't my thing. However, I'm sure I'd enjoy it a lot more now. The architecture is surely reminiscent of Spain and the tower of the museum is really one of the landmarks of the Balboa Park.

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If you are a science freak like me, the Museum of Man is a must see. It is one of the only museums which is open everyday. Inside you will find great exhibitions on the evolution of man and you can see a replica of Lucy, one of our famous ancestors. Also there are brilliant displays on Mayan totems, prehistoric animals native to California, and I especially enjoyed the display on mummification. Not only were there Egyptian mummies we are all acustom to seeing, there was also a display about mummies found in Peru that were naturally mummified from the cold in the Andes mountains as well as mummies found in peat moss pools in Scandanavia which I never heard about.

This was a pretty cool place. It wasn't quite what I expected, but the more I saw the more I liked. There are replicas of ancient artifacts, a very informative walk-through of evolution - complete with life-size relations, a machine that says "Hola! Hello there! Hallo! Aloha!" and so on. It's especially good for kids at about 3rd through 6th grade. It's definitely geared towards them.

Unfortunately, we left the morning of the Irish Festival...I would have loved to be there! :)

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One of Balboa Park's more intriguing museums, this is a must for any anthropologist. It traces the development of humanity. Of particular note is the exhibit of torture devices (sorry, no photos allowed).

What's that? Is it museum of human body? NO, it's San Diego's only anthropological museum. Hmm... we say just anthropological museum.

OK, if you are interested GO! What's inside?
Collection of artifacts, folk art, and archaeological finds. Maybe it will help you to unfold stories of the past — of hunters creating the first spears and arrows, potters molding fragile ceramic vessels, weavers patterning vibrantly colored textiles, and artisans blending forms and symbols.

Photo shows the California Tower at Balboa Park. Beneath the tower is the Museum of Man with interesting exhibits about ancient cultures, voodoo, the pyramids of Egypt. It was one of my favorite museums at Balboa Park.
If you go to Balboa Park do some checking first. On Mondays many of the museums are closed. On Tuesdays many of the museums have free admission. The park is very busy when they are having the free admission. You'll have to decide if you want to save money or fight the crowds.

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This is a nice museum but also relatively small for its admission cost. It hosts exhibits on Human evolution along with Mayan and Egyptian artifacts

HOURS
Daily: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Closed:
Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Year's Day

ADMISSION FEES:
Adults - $6.00
Seniors - $5.00
Ages 6-17 years - $3.00
Children under 6 - FREE
Members - FREE