Members

The Balboa Park Online Collaborative’s mission is to facilitate and execute a fundamental change in the way museums, cultural arts and science institutions in Balboa Park approach the use of online technology by making online technology an integral part of the way the institutions fulfill their missions, interact with patrons, and collaborate; to improve their technology capabilities while reducing costs by bringing organizations with similar needs together on mutually beneficial projects; and to allow smaller institutions the benefit of having technology systems of the same quality as larger organizations, who in turn benefit from streamlined expenditures.

The House of Pacific Relations is a consortium of “houses” representing 31 countries that promotes multicultural goodwill and understanding through educational and cultural programs. The houses are located in historic cottages from the 1935-36 California-Pacific Exposition plus 4 new cottages where House of Pacific Relations’ member countries can offer visitors a window to their culture, history and traditions.

Dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of art of the people (mingei), Mingei International Museum exhibits folk art, craft and design from all eras and cultures of the world. Its two museums – located in Balboa Park and downtown Escondido – feature Southern California’s largest and richest collection of mingei. This art shares a direct simplicity and reflects a joy in making, by hand, useful objects of timeless beauty that are satisfying to the human spirit.  In 2008, the museum’s website was honored with a Webby Award for Cultural Institutions by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

As San Diego's only museum dedicated to science and technology, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center inspires life-long learning by furthering the public's understanding and enjoyment of science and technology. With hands-on exhibits, IMAX® films to watch and motion simulator rides to experience, the Fleet offers an educational, entertaining experience for over 500,000 visitors of all ages each year. The Fleet opened in 1973 and features the world’s first IMAX Dome Theater, which is about to undergo renovation. Among other awards, the Fleet has been honored by the City of San Diego as “2008 Recycler of the Year” and by the Center for Sustainable Energy as runner up for the 2007 Special Achievement by a Non-Profit for Excellence in Energy.

The San Diego Art Institute's "Museum of the Living Artist" is a Center for the Visual Arts for the Southern California/Bahia California region. It promotes San Diego as a living arts community that fully integrates visual arts into everyday life through a three-fold mission of Education, Exhibition, and Outreach. SDAI's most visible activity focuses on showcasing the work of San Diego emerging area visual artists through a program of over 30 juried shows per year, featuring more than 3,000 works of painting, sculpture, prints, drawings, and mixed media. SDAI maintains a separate facility for education. Classes in life drawing, painting, water color, children's art, and various photography classes are a sampling of the SDAI art educational programs offered.

The San Diego Hall Of Champions Sports Museum was founded in 1946 to promote, preserve and recognize athletic achievement for the purpose of inspiring individuals of all ages to reach their full potential. Today the museum is the nation's largest multi-sport museum, boasting three levels of memorabilia and 68,000 square feet. The museum offers a state-of-the-art theatre, an interactive media center and fascinating displays on the nation's favorite sports in recognition of San Diego's outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions.

The San Diego Junior Theatre originally began as a program of San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in 1948. Today, it is the oldest continuing children’s theatre program in the country and has entertained over a million theatergoers. With classes at Balboa Park’s Casa del Prado and in North County at the La Jolla YMCA Firehouse, the Theatre is committed to providing engaging, innovative, high-quality theatre education and productions for children of all cultural heritages, ages, abilities and levels of interest. Although notable alumni include celebrities such as Dennis Hopper, Raquel Welch, and Annette Bening, the program’s dedication to providing quality education and building self-esteem has helped produce capable citizens in many fields of endeavor.

Established in 1926, the San Diego Museum of Art is the region’s oldest and largest arts museum. It is dedicated to the enrichment of the community and the individual through the acquisition, preservation, presentation, and interpretation of works of art that demonstrate the enduring achievements of the human experience. The museum’s collections include Spanish and Italian old masters, a vast Asian collection, 19th and 20th century American paintings and sculpture, and an international selection of contemporary art in all media. SDMA offers educational and inspiring exhibitions, programs, and bilingual texts to more than 400,000 annual visitors.

First established in 1874, the San Diego Natural History Museum is the second oldest scientific institution in Southern California and third west of the Mississippi. Its mission is to interpret the natural world through research, education and exhibits; promote understanding of the evolution and diversity of southern California and the peninsula of Baja California; and inspire in all a respect for nature and the environment. In addition to blockbuster exhibitions such as the 2007 Dead Sea Scrolls, the museum houses the highly acclaimed, binational Biodiversity Research Center of the Californias and the Environmental Science Education Center. SDNHM has played a pivotal role in regional initiatives, such as the establishment of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Torrey Pines State Park, and Anza Borrego State Park.

The Spanish Village Art Center’s quaint buildings and courtyards were built in 1935 to depict a charming old village in Spain for the second California Pacific International Exposition. The popular and beautiful attraction was reopened in 1937 as an art center by a group of local artists. During World War II, the US Navy used the village for temporary barracks. In 1947, it was reclaimed and restored by the artists. Today Spanish Village is a thriving community of over 250 artists working in a variety of media.

The internationally acclaimed, Tony® Award-winning Old Globe is one of the most renowned regional theatres in the country. Its mission is to preserve, strengthen and advance American theatre by providing an environment for the growth and education of theatre professionals, audiences and the community at large. The Old Globe produces an annual season of 15 plays and musicals on 3 stages. Numerous Broadway-bound premieres and revivals, such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, and Damn Yankees have been developed at The Old Globe and gone on to enjoy highly successful runs in New York City and at regional theatres across the country. The theatre also offers education and outreach programs for over 50,000 students and adults in the San Diego region annually.

The Veterans Museum and Memorial Center honors the contributions of men and women who served in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and wartime Merchant Marine with programs, exhibits, and veterans' activities. Through its programs, the VMMC honors the memories of deceased veterans and comforts their survivors; promotes public awareness of the sacrifices and contributions of servicemen and women; offers a venue for services, meetings, and social and recreational activities for veterans, active duty personnel, and the general public; and presents permanent, rotating and visiting exhibits of patriotic, military and war-related memorabilia, artifacts, photographs, and other artwork.