San Diego Museum Month returns this February and for the first time, the popular discount program is expanding to include sites in Tijuana and Baja California.
Officials are calling it “the biggest and most diverse San Diego Museum Month ever,” with more than 70 cultural sites offering half-off admission through February 29.
The program has grown to include more than just traditional museums, such as the San Diego Museum of Art, but also aquariums, such as the Birch Aquarium, nature and wildlife centers, gardens, historic sites, state parks, and more.
New additions include Legoland California Resort and Sea Life Aquarium, the California Wolf Center, WNDR Museum and Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum.
See the San Diego Museum Council for the full list of participants.
But how do you get the discount? Go to your local library.
The free Museum Month pass is available at more than 80 libraries throughout San Diego County. Each pass can be used for up to four half-price admissions at any of the participating museums, though additional fees may apply for some special exhibitions and events.
The libraries include branches of the city and county of San Diego, along with those in Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Escondido, National City and Oceanside.
Passes also will be available at the San Diego Law Library and Oceanside Welcome Center.
A digital version of the pass was also available on the San Diego Museum Council website as of Thursday. Guests will be able to download passes for each museum they would like to visit directly to their phones.
Certain museums may only accept printed passes or require advance online reservations. Be sure to check online for any restrictions before visiting.
“With half-off admission to more than 70 museums and other sites this year, both in San Diego and in Baja, there really is something every family can enjoy together, while learning and connecting,” said Alethea Arguilez, executive director of First 5 San Diego, a Museum Month sponsor.
This year, Museum Month is also an officially endorsed project of World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024, an international showcase that recognizes cities for their effective use of design to enhance quality of life through unique experiences.
San Diego Tijuana is the first cross-border region to be designated World Design Capital and the first time a U.S. city has been selected.
Museum Month, created in 1989, attracted more than 110,000 people for half-off admission last year.