Balboa Park Residents Free Days (multiple museums) is free tuesdays — for City and County of San Diego residents, plus active-duty military and their dependents — photo ID showing address required. Balboa Park's Residents Free Days rotate across Tuesdays of the month, with a different set of museums participating each week: 1st Tuesday — Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum; 2nd Tuesday — San Diego Air & Space Museum, Veterans Museum, Comic-Con Museum; 3rd Tuesday — San Diego Museum of Art, Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei International Museum, The Old Globe (free 1-hour behind-the-scenes tour); 4th Tuesday — San Diego Automotive Museum, Museum of Us. A 5th Tuesday (when the month has one) reverts to regular paid admission. Separately, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum's free day is the 2nd Thursday, not a Tuesday. Not stated as required, but some venues may limit group/stroller access Verified on Balboa Park Residents Free Days (multiple museums)'s own page, last checked 2026-09-04.
| Free day | Tuesdays |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | City and County of San Diego residents, plus active-duty military and their dependents — photo ID showing address required |
| Reservation | Not stated as required, but some venues may limit group/stroller access |
| What's included | Permanent-collection admission at participating venues; special exhibitions, films, attractions, and California Tower tours are typically excluded/separately charged |
| Regular adult price | Varies by venue |
| Source | balboapark.org · checked 2026-09-04 |
Regular tickets are on balboapark.org — skip third-party sellers, the official price is the floor. Planning a bigger San Diego itinerary? A CityPASS San Diego bundle can undercut separate tickets — just check the current lineup for Balboa Park Residents Free Days (multiple museums) before paying.
Fleet Science Center (1st tuesday monthly) · San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) (1st tuesday monthly) — or see the full free museum days in San Diego guide.
San Diego's free-day calendar, condensed to one email a month — verified dates and resident rules only.
↥ Check another museum → Browse all free museum & zoo days →
Balboa Park's Residents Free Days rotate across Tuesdays of the month, with a different set of museums participating each week: 1st Tuesday — Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum; 2nd Tuesday — San Diego Air & Space Museum, Veterans Museum, Comic-Con Museum; 3rd Tuesday — San Diego Museum of Art, Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei International Museum, The Old Globe (free 1-hour behind-the-scenes tour); 4th Tuesday — San Diego Automotive Museum, Museum of Us. A 5th Tuesday (when the month has one) reverts to regular paid admission. Separately, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum's free day is the 2nd Thursday, not a Tuesday.
Not stated as required, but some venues may limit group/stroller access
The free days are for City and County of San Diego residents, plus active-duty military and their dependents — photo ID showing address required — typically with ID or proof of residency. Visitors pay regular admission (Varies by venue).
Permanent-collection admission at participating venues; special exhibitions, films, attractions, and California Tower tours are typically excluded/separately charged
Varies by venue. That figure is the payoff for planning around the free day.