Take Flight at the San Diego Air and Space Museum

As soon as I learned that an Apollo space capsule was in a museum in southern California, I added the venue to my list. I recently had a trip to San Diego, so I made sure I allocated some time to visit the San Diego Air and Space Museum to see not only the capsule, but the other planes and exhibits they have inside.

Here’s a rundown on what you’ll find – and can experience – at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Directions and Tickets to the San Diego Air and Space Museum

The San Diego Air and Space Museum is located in the southwest area of Balboa Park. It’s easily accessible from the freeway (I-5) off of Park Boulevard and President’s Way. Follow the signs to the parking area for the museum. I had no trouble finding a place to park, and it was a short 1-2 minute walk to the entrance area. There is no cost for parking.

The best way to purchase tickets to the San Diego Air and Space Museum is on-site. There’s not an option to purchase them online in advance of your visit. Here’s a rundown on ticket prices, as of March 2023:

• Adults (ages 12+): $25
• Seniors 65+/Student/Retired Military w/ ID: $21
• Youth (ages 3-11): $15
• Active duty military and children under 3: Free

If you plan to explore some of the other museums or attractions at Balboa Park, you should consider purchasing Balboa Park Explorer Pass.

The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but it’s closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Explore the Wonders of Space Travel in Above and Beyond Exhibit

Since I knew the San Diego Air and Space Museum houses an Apollo space capsule, this was the area of the museum I started my visit. But before I reached the space capsule, there were some other engaging exhibits I was able to experience. The new Above and Beyond Exhibit allows visitors to test our different aspects of air and space travel.

One of my favorite exhibits was the opportunity to design and fly a fighter jet. After spending a few minutes at a computer console, I designed a plane using a selection of fuselage types, wing types and tail wing types. Then I named my jet and headed to the cockpit to take it on a test flight. After a brief tutorial, I took the stick and flew my jet through a series of gates before taking it beyond the speed of sound.

Apollo 9 Capsule and Space Flight Artifacts

There were several other exhibits to help you interact with the sciences that make flight possible, and even explore outer space. After checking out several of those, I entered the area dedicated to space flight and the Apollo 9 capsule.

RELATED POST: Visit the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to see other space capsules

Apollo 9 was the third manned mission of the Apollo program, which launched in March 1969. However, this mission wasn’t to the moon; rather it was in low earth orbit to test out the full Apollo spacecraft – the Command and Service Module (CSM) and the Lunar Module (LM). The purpose was to test the LM in spaceflight to ensure its ability to travel to the moon on future missions. Spend time reading about the crew and mission of Apollo 9 as you walk around and explore the actual capsule (pictured at the end of this article).

While the Apollo 9 capsule is the piece de resistance, there are several other artifacts from space that are worth exploring. This is where I spent most of my time during my visit.

Learn about the Planes and Pilots of World War I

After exploring space flight and the frontiers of flight, your journey jumps back to the early 1900s when flight was in its infancy. In fact, planes were relatively new when World War I began, but when a machine gun was added to the aircraft it changed the role of the airplane.

If you’re a fan of Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang, you’ll likely recognize the Red Baron – the nemesis of Snoopy’s imaginary air battles. And right next to the Red Baron’s aircraft sits Snoopy atop his doghouse. The aircraft on display cover the globe – meaning you’ll find French, American and German aircraft.

RELATED POST: Visit the National World War I Memorial and Museum in Kansas City

But there are several other aircraft and exhibits in this area to give you an idea of the early aircraft that flew over the skies of Europe in The Great War.

But not all of the planes in this area were dedicated to war. For example, the Deperdussin 1911 Type Militaire was the first plane to fly faster than 100 miles per hour.

See the Evolution of Commercial Aviation and More

The years between 1919 and 1939 are known as the Golden Age of Flight. During those two decades, pilots stunned audiences with aerobatics in airshows across the nation. You’ll find a few of those planes on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

You’ll see planes on the ground and planes hanging high above your head. One interesting exhibit shows a plane flying above a vintage car as a stuntman attempts to climb a ladder up to the plane.

One turning point in the public acceptance of aircraft as a mode of public transportation was the use of planes to deliver mail. You’ll be able to see and read about how the mail service was impacted with these faster methods of communicating vast distances in shorter periods of time.

One special exhibit is the one on Pacific Southwest Airlines – the world’s first low-fare airlines. PSA was founded in San Diego, so it’s only appropriate that the San Diego Air and Space Museum features artifacts from the 40-years of service from the airline.

While in this area of the museum, be sure and check out the gallery in the center of the museum – as pictured above.

3-D Theater and a Kids Play Area

The San Diego Air and Space Museum has activities for people of all ages. One section is dedicated specifically to allowing kids to explore their imagination through fun and games. As you can see from the photo above, they can race cars down the tracks, testing out different styles of tracks. If they want to pose as a fighter pilot, they can do that, too. There are several activities that are sure to engage them for a while.

Near the kids play area is a small theater where you can watch one of three short documentaries in 3-D. They actually consider it 4-D, since the seats move and depending on the film, there are other aspects that help you feel like you’re part of the action.

During my visit, there were three options for films:

• Legend of Apollo
• Fly Around the World
• Delta Zero

There’s no additional cost to check out these films – they’re included in museum admission. See which short films are playing during your visit.

For the older kids, check out the motion simulators located in the Jet Age & Beyond area near the museum gift shop.

Learn about Military Planes and Aircraft Carriers

As you continue around the outer loop of the museum, you’ll explore military aircraft of WWII from around the world. Walk through a British hangar as you check out the Eagle Squadron – a group of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States in the early days of WWII.

RELATED POST: Explore the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas

Throughout this area, you’ll find several types of aircraft from WWII, including:

• Boeing P-26A Peashooter
• B-24D Liberator (the type of plane my grandpa flew in WWII)
• P-51D Mustang
• Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless
• Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat

Following the area dedicated to WWII is an area dedicated to the jet age and beyond. There are model aircraft carriers, and other photos and artifacts on display from wars over the last several decades. One of the more iconic planes on display is the F/A-18 A Hornet “Blue Angel 1”.

The Details

Address: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 (Balboa Park)

How long to spend: 1-2 hours

Cost: Adults (12+) tickets are $25. Seniors (65+), Military (with ID) and students (with ID) are $21, while youth (3-11) are $15. Children under three, along with active military are free.

Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Website: https://sandiegoairandspace.org/

Phone: (619) 234-8291

DISCLOSURE: I received one complimentary admission ticket for the San Diego Air and Space Museum for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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