San Diego Museum of Man

The San Diego Museum of Man is a fun filled archeological adventure for the whole family—offering a wide variety of exhibits, hands-on learning activities and educational programs. The museum is located beneath the ornate 200-foot California Tower in Balboa Park. The Spanish colonial and mission style architecture is a San Diego landmark building that was originally constructed for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition. Today, the museum strives to provide the community with dynamic and educational anthropological exhibits.

In the Children's Discovery Center exhibit, visitors can learn about ancient Egyptian civilization and the roles that anthropologists and archaeologists play in the research of Egyptian culture. Interactive learning experiences include bartering in an Egyptian market, navigating a boat on the Nile River, and dressing up in the costumes of Egyptian royalty. Children can also listen to stories, decipher ancient hieroglyphics and explore for Egyptian artifacts.

Another exciting exhibit is called Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth. More than a thousand years ago, the Maya used hieroglyphic writing in stone monuments using the moon, sun and planet Venus cycles to identify past and future important dates, events and other information.

At the San Diego Museum of Man, visitors can get an up close view of casts made from some of the original Quirigua monument in Guatemala. One of the largest exhibit items is a 42-foot-wide mural of a rainforest scene reflecting many symbols of the Maya ceremonial symbols including a ceiba tree, monkeys, jaguars, birds and more.

Next, take a few steps over to the Footsteps Through Time: Four Million Years of Human Evolution exhibit. Explore 65 million years of human evolution in the exhibits five galleries that offer an in-depth look at human evolution. The Footsteps exhibit is filled with more than 100 replicas of early humans, primates and cyborgs of the future. See how far human kind has come as you compare your hands, feet, and brains to those of other primates. Then, enjoy a variety of dioramas, including a Neanderthal burial from more than 60,000 years ago. Next, step into the Time Tunnel to learn about more than 200 significant human technological breakthroughs. The final stop is the hands-on Dig Site, where visitors can roll up their sleeves and learn the proper methods for digging up prehistoric artifacts.

In addition to the museum’s many permanent and special exhibits, there are a variety of educational programs for visitors of all ages including a summer camp, courses for students, junior docent program and volunteer programs. On the third Thursday of every month, residents of San Diego County and military service men can visit the San Diego Museum of Man for free. For more information on discount pricing, special events and educational programs follow the museum on Twitter andFacebook.

HelloSanDiego Tip: The San Diego Museum of Man is located in close proximity to many other San Diego attractions including The Old Globe Theatre, the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Natural History Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art.

- by Jennifer Pruett, San Diego Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jennifer Pruett

A self proclaimed “queen of everything," Jennifer is a writer, planner and passionate lover of making exciting events extra special. As a creative mother of two she loves art, music, family, friends, exotic cuisine and exploring new areas of self improvement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma and has been writing restaurant and attraction reviews in the Phoenix Metro area since January, 2009.