As an Annual Passholder, not only do you save annually on regular admission to Balboa Park Cultural District museums, you also receive exclusive offers and discounts!

• Unlimited general admission to amazing Balboa Park museums and more for one year!
• Exclusive Explorer monthly newsletters featuring upcoming exhibitions, events, and activities.
• Explorer Experiences - exclusive events, behind-the-scenes access, tours, and more.
• Special prices for tickets to the Fleet Dome Theatre* for IMAX documentary films (Major motion picture releases not included) and the California Tower Tour at the Museum of Us! Plus discounted tickets at the Marston House Museum and 10% off purchases at the United Nations Gift Shop.
• Complimentary or discounted admission to select special events and exhibitions.*
• The knowledge that you are supporting the arts and culture organizations you love most!

*Special exhibition and film costs are determined by each individual museum.

New Annual Passholder Benefits:

• Access to the Fleet IMAX Documentary Film Pass Add-On! For $75 you'll receive 10 documentary film tickets (a savings of $25!) that can be used anytime during regular business hours (special engagements are not included). This add-on benefit is only available in person at the Fleet Science Center admissions desk. Annual Pass must be active to be eligible for this add-on benefit. Annual Pass will be checked and scanned to receive documentary film ticket(s) upon entry. All film tickets must be used prior to your Annual Pass expiration date. The Fleet IMAX Documentary Film Pass does not include any other Fleet Science Center member benefits. For specific questions regarding this offer, please contact the Fleet Membership Office Monday-Friday at 619-685-5713.
• Explorer Mornings at the San Diego Natural History Museum: Every first Sunday of the month, enjoy an entire hour of early access from 9 AM - 10 AM and explore the exhibits before The Nat opens to the general public! Annual Pass will be checked upon entry.

Buying a Gift Voucher

Give the gift of Balboa Park's Cultural District museums! For the museum lover in your life, the Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is a great way to gift the experience of arts and culture. Gift Vouchers for all regular Annual Pass types are available for purchase. The Annual Pass will not activate until the Gift Voucher is redeemed.

Redeeming a Gift Voucher

Congratulations! You received the best gift ever! Redeeming a Gift Voucher for an Annual Pass is easy. Click "Buy Passes" in the top right corner of this page, and click "Redeem Gift Voucher." Create an Explorer account, if you don't already have one, or log in to an existing account. Once your order is processed, you'll receive Temporary Passes via email so you can begin exploring right away!

Looking for more ways to get the most out of the Annual Pass and make a positive impact? Consider the VIP Patron Pass!

VIP Annual Pass - $1,500

• Admission for two named adults + up to three guests per visit.
• The same benefits of an Annual Pass (listed above).
• $1,000 tax-deductible.

In addition to these great benefits, the VIP Annual Pass helps make it possible for Explorer to enhance our community outreach. For each VIP Annual Pass purchased, ten families in our Community Access and/or Military Appreciation programs will be provided a complimentary Family Annual Pass. Learn more about our community initiatives and the positive impact of the VIP Annual Pass in the Community Engagement section below.

Interested in becoming a VIP? Email Director of Community Engagement, Theresa Wulf, at theresa.wulf@bpcp.org.

All Annual Pass purchases require an Account*, but we recommend all customers set up an account with us!

A Balboa Park Explorer account allows you to manage your contact information, check your Annual Pass status, manage Passholders, and gives you access to exclusive offers, news, and information!

*Please note that you may already have an account with us. Not sure if you have an account? Use the account lookup feature to confirm if you have an existing account and/or reset your password.

Existing Explorers: We recently implemented a new login system. As a security measure we are requiring all existing Explorer Passholders to reset their accounts.

Welcome to the Explorer crew! Your Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase.

Once your purchase is complete, you'll receive two emails from explorer@balboapark.org: your confirmation/receipt and Print-At-Home Temporary Pass(es).* You can print your Pass(es) or simply pull up the attachment on your smartphone at each museum entrance to be scanned. Your physical Pass(es) will arrive in the mail within 5-7 business days.

*Please allow 10 - 15 min for your Print-At-Home Pass(es) to arrive via email.

• Adult, Senior, and Student Passholders must present valid photo ID when entering venues.
• Additional fees apply for replacement Passes; see FAQ section below.

Get ready to Explore! Your Pass starts on the first day of use.

Once your purchase is complete, you'll receive two emails from explorer@balboapark.org: your confirmation/receipt and Print-At-Home Pass(es).* You can print your Pass(es) or simply pull up the attachment on your smartphone at each museum entrance to be scanned.

*Please allow 10 - 15 min for your Print-At-Home Pass(es) to arrive via email.

• Passes are not replaceable if lost, stolen, damaged, or expired.
• Unused Passes expire one year from order date.

The Explorer Limited, Parkwide, and Annual Pass provide admission to 16 participating museums in Balboa Park. See the list of Participating Museums above.

• All individual Annual Passholders must be named.
• Children under the age of three (3) do not require a ticket to enter any of the participating venues.
• Not valid for events, special exhibitions, and programs.
• Special exhibitions and film costs are determined by each individual museum.
• The Explorer Limited, Parkwide, and Annual Passes do not provide admission to the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, or Comic-Con Museum.

• All sales are final.
• Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable; not for resale.
• Not valid for select events, special exhibitions, and programs.
• Before visiting, please contact the participating museums or check their individual websites for more information on hours, closures, additional events, special exhibitions, and film costs.
• Annual Passes are valid for one year from the order date. Limited and Parkwide Passes must be used within one year of purchase.

Occasionally, a museum will feature a special exhibition that requires an additional fee. Often, special exhibitions are discounted for Balboa Park Explorer Passholders. Always contact a venue to verify their policy before visiting.

Here are some special exhibitions and experiences requiring an additional fee:

• Climb the California Tower at San Diego Museum of Us - Additional $10 per person. Tower Tour capacity may be limited.
• IMAX® documentary film and digital shows at Fleet Science Center - One documentary film screening is included with a Limited and/or Parkwide Pass; Annual Passholders receive a special rate for documentary films. Free or discounted IMAX tickets are not available for major theatrical releases.

The discount is already built into the price, with huge savings over purchasing tickets at each of the participating venues.

Only our VIP Annual Pass includes additional guest access, otherwise all individual Passholders must be named and Passes are non-transferable. For more information on the VIP Annual Pass, click here.

All Balboa Park Explorer Annual Passes are sold as non-transferable. If you have a Family Annual Pass and have not used all your Adult or Child spaces you may add them at any time. You're also able to add additional children, ages 3 - 17, to your Family Annual Pass any time for an additional $40 each.

Once you renew your Annual Pass, you have the option to swap or replace names as needed.

For the best visitor experience, we encourage you to always keep your Explorer Pass with you! However, if you have forgotten your Pass, you can stop by the Balboa Park Visitors Center, Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, or San Diego Air & Space Museum to pick up a Temporary Pass for the day.

If you lost your Pass(es) there is a $5 reprint fee per Pass. To request a new one:

• Call us: (619) 232-7502 and press 2 to speak with a representative
• In person: Fill out a reprint request form in the Balboa Park Visitors Center

Then pick up a Temporary Pass to continue enjoying the museums until your new Pass(es) arrive(s) in the mail.

Coming soon! Request a reprint and print a Temporary Pass for the day on an Explorer kiosk, found in participating museums.

San Diego Museum Month, the Big Exchange, and Kids Free in October are programs of the San Diego Museum Council and Balboa Park Explorer does not qualify or participate. Visit the Museum Council's website for more information.