The San Diego Air & Space Museum at Balboa Park

The San Diego Air & Space Museum

The San Diego Air & Space Museum

I’ve been trying to take the kiddos on a new adventure once a week. We’ve had some new fun experiences and two weeks ago we visited one of the coolest museums in So Cal. A good friend of mine was going to take her kiddos to the San Diego Air & Space Museum and asked if I wanted to tag along. How could I not tag along? I said of course, packed some goodies and embarked on a little adventure down South.

The Air & Space Museum is a must visit!

The Air & Space Museum is a must visit!

I was impressed from the moment we parked. There is a parking lot located right next to the museum and it is free of charge. We visited on a Friday morning and we easily found a spot. We were oohing and ahhing from the moment we set foot inside. The museum has every type of aircraft imaginable and does an amazing job educating the public about aviation’s history. Not to mention it is just pretty darn cool to be able to be around so many amazing airplanes.  The kiddos were equally impressed!

Checking out a helicopter.

Checking out a helicopter.

We spent about two hours at the museum, but we could have easily stayed for three. The place is amazing!  The museum has dozens and dozens of aircraft. It was interesting to learn all about the advances in technology in a fun environment.

You can check out every kind of aircraft imaginable!

You can check out every kind of aircraft imaginable!

The Kids Aviation Action Hangar is a must stop when you visit. The kiddos loved being able to play with a simulator , pretend they were bouncing on the moon, and even partake in some arts and crafts. They absolutely loved every bit of our visit!

Bouncing around the moon!

Bouncing around the moon!

The Kids Hanger.

The Kids Hanger.

If you’re looking for something to do that is a little different with the kiddos, make sure to visit the San Diego Air & Space Museum.  You guys will have a great time! Oh and I would highly recommend grabbing lunch at their Flight Path Cafe. I wish I would have taken a picture of this charming cafe. The Flight Path Cafe is called that, because it literally is on the San Diego’s Airport flight path. About every minute or two you will have a full size jetliner roar by as it makes its descent onto the runway. It was soooooooooo fun! The kiddos(moms too!) were giddy with excitement as each one roared by. It felt like they were going to land right on top of us! I can’t wait to do it again!

The girls couldn't help themselves. They all stood in front of their favorite flight attendant uniform.

The girls couldn’t help themselves. They all stood in front of their favorite flight attendant uniform.

Can't wait to visit again!

Can’t wait to visit again!

 

The Museum is open seven days a week and is located inside of Balboa Park. The museum offers free admission to San Diego County Residents on the fourth Tuesday of the month. For additional information head here.

Halloween Family Day at Balboa Park

There are so many fun Halloween Events taking place that I honestly think I might not be able to cover them all. This is going to be one fun filled month! Here is one more event that you will not want to miss!

Balboa Park is celebrating it’s 4th annual Halloween Family Day on Saturday, October 27th. Kiddos will be admitted free with paying adult. Participating museums/attractions will present a spooktacular array of hands-on activities, crafts, costume parades,tours, storytelling, and other free goodies from 11am to 3pm.

Participating Museums/Attractions and Events

  • Japanese Friendship Garden: Garden scavenger hunt and crafts for kids, as well as a miniature Japanese dry gardening workshop. Free gift for kids in costume.
  • Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre: Free puppet-making activity for children  accompanied by an adult at 11:45am and 1:45pm; show ticket not required.
  • Mingei International Museum: Children 12 and under free with paid adult
  • Reuben H. Fleet Science Center:Toddlers can get crafty and create Halloween decorations featuring skeletons and jack-o-lanterns in the Kid City activity Pasta Skeletons and Pumpkin Guts (ages 5 and under).
  • San Diego Air & Space Museum: Make Great Pumpkinparachutes in preparation for the pumpkin drop off the museum roof at 2:30pm; enjoy kid-friendly 3-D films. Special admission price of $4 to see the How Things Fly exhibition
  • San Diego Hall of Champions:Children 12 and under free with paid adult.
  • San Diego History Center:Tombstone Trivia tests your knowledge of notorious people and legendary ghosts from San Diego’s past in a simulated graveyard setting. The Make-n-Take Pumpkin Treat Bag for the little ones will be filled with treats to take home to eat later.
  • San Diego Model Railroad Museum: Take a spooky ride down the Haunted Tracks to learn what an engineer does, hear stories about haunted railroads, and make a Halloween mask
  • San Diego Natural History Museum:Grab a flashlight and visit the Critter Cavern to learn about bats and other nocturnal creatures, then join in a costume parade led by Ms. Frizzle at 2:30pm following her 1:30pm performance. Also, hands-on activities to create crafts to take home
  • San Diego Museum of Man: Learn about Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, and sugar skulls; make a calavera mask or a paper flower to honor friendly spirits, then take a spooky tour of the museum’s mummy collection, presented in ghostly rhyme!
  • San Diego Zoo: Free admission to all children through 11 years of age, regardless of adult ticket purchase. Part of “Kids Free Month” (October) promotion.
  • Timken Museum of Art: Revel in ghostly giggles at a Family Storytelling at 11:00am that will give ages five and up “just the teeniest bit of shiver”.

For additional info, head here.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

 

I’m excited to introduce the first of our new contributors Syreeta! She recently had  the opportunity to head down for a fun day with the family in San Diego and shares all about it.

Credit: S Morales

I’m always looking for new and exciting things to do with my little buddies, and this weekend was no exception.  We jumped in the mommy mobile and headed south to visit the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.  The museum is located in historic Balboa Park which is chock full of beauty, art, and culture.  Parking is free, but it’s a bit of a nightmare, so wear your most comfortable shoes, leave your car out on the street and walk into the park.

Credit: S Morales

The SDMRM is located on El Prado Street between the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Museum of Photographic Art.  The cost to enter the museum is $8.00 for adults, and the best part is that kids under 14 are FREE with a paid adult admission.  Luckily, I found a great deal on Living Social to get our tickets for $4.00 each.  If you live in San Diego County, the first Tuesday of the month is free.

Credit: S Morales

When we first entered the museum, my kids ran straight for a small replica of an American steam engine train from the 1830’s.  And that was just the beginning of their intense amazement at this awesome place.  The models were built using several different scales, with their descriptions printed in the windows.  One awesome thing is that they allow you to go upstairs where you can watch some creators painting and working to complete new models.  It’s pretty cool to see them in unfinished status.  The intricate detail that goes into these model towns is amazing.  One model town even had an old school McDonald’s and kids sledding down a snow covered hill.

After spending quite some time marveling over every billboard and cop car with flashing lights, we made our way down to the star of the museum since Thanksgiving: the Holiday Lego Train Exhibit brought for our enjoyment by the Southern California Lego Train Club.  If you’ve ever been to Legoland, you will immediately recognize the outstanding level of creativity in every piece of work in the Lego display.  There was a train track and real moving train surrounding a town filled with busy occupants.  The club created a list of Lego items for you to search for in the town, and my kids had an absolute blast looking for things like a cat burglar and a porta potty.

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a great place to spend a couple hours with your kids exploring these impressive models.  To learn more about the museum, head here

Syreeta is  mom to two very busy boys, ages 3 and 10.  She works full time as a loan processor at a local credit union, and part time as a finder of fun!  She loves to take her  family out on new adventures all over Southern California.  Disneyland is her  favorite place to make memories, but she  also enjoys other amusement parks, museums, zoos, exhibits, and anywhere else there are good times to be found.