Rediscover Balboa Park
If you live in San Diego, chances are you have fond memories from the Balboa Park Cultural District. Maybe it’s a childhood field trip to the Fleet Science Center, a weekend wandering with family through the San Diego Natural History Museum, or a peaceful afternoon stroll in the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum.
But even if you’ve been dozens of times, you’ve probably only scratched the surface.
Explore Something New with Every Visit
The Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass is perfect for locals who want to experience more of what’s right in their backyard. Instead of treating Balboa Park as a one-time outing, it turns it into an ongoing, year-round experience. Drop in, explore something new, and keep coming back without feeling like you have to “fit it all in” at once.
The Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass provides general admission to each of the 16 participating museums. PLUS enjoy exclusive benefits only for our Annual Passholders.
Choose the Best Pass Option for You
Family Annual Pass
- Includes up to 2 named adults and up to 4 named children
- Passholders do not have to live in the same household.
- Passholders can be added at any time, space permitting.
- Additional children can be added for $50 each.
$259
Individual Annual Pass
- Senior Annual Pass (ages 65+) – $109
- Adult Annual Pass (ages 18+) – $149
- College Student Annual Pass (with valid College/University ID) – $109
- Youth Annual Pass (ages 3-17) – $109
Explorer Plus Annual Pass
7-Day and 1-Day Passes
Only in town for a week? Or do you have loved ones visiting from out of town? Our Our 7-Day and 1-Day Pass options may be right for you!
Parkwide Pass
Includes one admission to each of the 16 participating museums. Valid for seven (7) consecutive days, from the day of first use.
- Adult Parkwide Pass (age 12+) - $75
- Youth Parkwide Pass (age 3-11) - $50
Limited Pass
Includes one admission to your choice of up to four (4) participating museums. Valid for one day only, on the day of first use.
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Adult Limited Pass (age 12+) - $63
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Youth Limited Pass (age 3-11) - $41
Benefits of the Explorer Annual Pass
One Pass, 16 Museums
Unlimited general admission to 16 amazing museums in the Balboa Park Cultural District for an entire year!
Explorer Experiences
Annual Passholders are invited to exclusive Explorer Experiences. These events provide a look into the world of our museum partners that the general public would not experience.
Previous experiences have included gallery tours with curators, behind-the-scenes looks of museum archives, artist demonstrations and workshop tours– to name a few.
Family Explorer Days are kid-focused events that will send you exploring throughout your favorite museums. Fill out the activity sheet and return it to the Explorer table to redeem a prize!
Exclusive Newsletters
Stay up to date with the latest exhibits, and upcoming events with our monthly exclusive Explorer Newsletter.
Special Prices and Discounts
Explorer Annual Passholders can take advantage of the following offers:
- Discounted Tickets to the Fleet Dome Theater*° for IMAX documentary films
- Discounted Tickets California Tower Tours at the Museum of Us
- Discounted Tickets Tickets for the Marston House Museum
- 10% off purchases at The United Nations Gift Shop
- Complimentary or discounted admission to select special events and special exhibitions.°
* Major motion picture releases are not included.
° Special exhibition and film costs are determined by each individual museum.
Supporting Arts and Culture
Our passholders are supporting arts and culture organizations with every scan of their Balboa Park Explorer Pass.
Participating Museums
The Explorer Pass does not include admission to the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Comic-Con Museum, or any of the performing arts venues in the Balboa Park Cultural District.
Featured Exhibits
Put your Pass to good use and check out these amazing exhibitions now on display.
Cafés & Cabarets: The Spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrec
The San Diego Museum of Art
This exhibition celebrates Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, whose vivid portraits and bold lithographic posters captured the energy of Montmartre’s cabaret culture and helped redefine modern visual art.
Open through Sept. 20, 2026
In the Garden of Earthly Delights: I Bend to Paradise
ICA San Diego
This exhibition features Ruben Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, whose sculptural installations blend mythology, science fiction, and salvaged materials to explore border culture, environmental collapse, and the resilience of communities of color.
Open through May 24, 2026
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
San Diego Air and Space Museum
Packed with mind-boggling oddities, rare artifacts, and unbelievable stories, this special exhibition promises to amaze, entertain, and spark curiosity for guests of all ages.
Open through Jan. 2027
