San Diego Automotive Museum
The San Diego Automotive Museum stands as a living tribute to the automobile and what it has meant to our culture. Since opening its doors in December of 1988 millions of local auto enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world have visited this world-class collection.
The fabulous collection of exhibits includes Louis Mattar’s Fabulous Car, a 1947 Cadillac which he equipped with an electric stove, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a chemical toilet, an ironing board, a medicine cabinet, and, believe it or not, a kitchen sink.
The Museum offers guided tours, too—you’ll learn the intriguing history behind America’s love affair with the automobile. Come to the San Diego Automotive Museum— it’s all here! You won’t want to miss all the cool cars and bikes the museum has! Spend the day at Balboa Park and find some of the best museums San Diego has to offer.
The original idea of creating an automotive museum in Balboa Park came from Briggs Cunningham. He was a renowned automobile collector and racer. The idea circulated for many years until an inspired group of local automotive enthusiasts propelled the idea forward. In 1979, the San Diego City Council first considered the issue. A year later they gave unanimous approval to the museum and granted the museum a long-term lease for one of the historic buildings in the jewel of San Diego – Balboa Park.
After spending approximately $1 million renovating and upgrading the building, the San Diego Automotive Museum opened in December of 1988. Since then millions of local auto enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world have visited our world-class collection. Today the museum stands as a living tribute to the automobile and what it has meant to our culture.
Alan Krahenbuhl
19:45 26 May 22
I love this Place! The Vehicles are simply amazing. Such a rich history of autos on display. I highly recommend take the time took visit.
Jessica M.
13:47 17 Apr 22
This was an on the spot decision for our family and we’re pretty happy! The museum wasn’t as big as I had hoped/expected, but ALL of the cars and motorcycles were super amazing! I wish there were more to see! The young man who was very professional and friendly. He gave us some interesting facts about the cars which helped with the visit.
Tiffany Cantor
22:05 02 Apr 22
My son asked to stop in this museum when we were at Balboa Park. We had the Go City pass, so we went for it. He had a wonderful time. They have a lot of amazing cars and the staff are fantastic and very knowledgeable.
Mark Kollar
16:08 17 Mar 22
Had a good visit. Overall, a bit small, but they were able to fit a nice variety in the space. Some really great history and stories behind most of the vehicles. If you're an automotive enthusiast, it's a nice stop in for about an hour.
Brian Keenan
14:34 07 Mar 22
An awesome experience. They have a whole lot of cars and old motorcycles. They even allowed the visitors to sit inside a DeLorean. With the information and the cars on display, this is a great stop to do for an hour or two.
Crystal Lefoy
15:47 17 Feb 22
Glad I was able to attend for 50% during the month of February. Museum is very small and not interactive (other than the DeLorean car that you can sit in). This museum does not give off family friendly vibes IMO. The cars on exhibit are nice, but would like to see more things to interact with & do while here.
Ronald W.
02:46 23 Dec 21
Too much great stuff to see in on day. Plan on coming back multiple times and maybe you might see it all. Cool building in the winter and hot during the summer according to ticket people. Can't wait to see more of this museum.
Karina Pushko
04:34 25 Nov 21
Too small exhibition for 15$/adult. Spent around 30 min to look all the exhibits. Nice and clean but nothing too special
L Wang
15:33 03 Oct 21
Went on an early morning; place was quiet and well-kept, and the staff were very pleasant. The museum itself was a nice collection of cars and motorcycles. I echo every other visitor who said sitting in the DeLorean is an absolute joy.
Tina Townsend
00:58 02 Oct 21
One of the few places in Balboa Park requiring a mask even if you're fully vaccinated. This is the only reason I've downgraded. You can walk in the open courtyard without a mask, but to enter any of the little display areas, masks were required. After 5 days of visiting the park, just didn't feel motivated enough to put the mask on. Maybe we'll come back when masks aren't required. Would have liked seeing some of the artwork.
Jimmy Vee
19:04 21 Sep 21
Great eye-opening walk through history's automotive creations. You get a sense of the style and quality of the era each car was produced. There's a plaque for each engineered work of art which includes a brief detailed short. Lots of history here.
Janell Eidson
18:51 03 Sep 21
This place rocks 😊 So many fascinating autos! I had a blast with my boyfriend checking out the hot rods. Loved it
Denis LeClair
13:35 25 Aug 21
Certainly best for car enthusiasts and free to residents on specific Tuesdays...and that is why I went.
The volunteers are very knowledgeable which made the outing more interesting.
The volunteers are very knowledgeable which made the outing more interesting.
Amy Beck
23:07 24 Aug 21
I would give zero stars but that wasn't an option. Due to the Automotive Museums lack of communication, they closed hours early and didn't update their website. They had a paper posted on their door stating the updated hours (very helpful 🙄) Then when I informed their staff, They argued that it was updated though I can see right now it is not.
Joshua Utley
00:46 22 Aug 21
A great activity. It is a diverse collection with some vehicles rotating in and out. So be sure to come back often. It's always a treat.
D F
23:51 14 Aug 21
You can likely see better cars in any parking lot. Especially not worth the inconvenience of going all the way to where it is just for that museum. It's not near the main Balboa park area and museums. it's a hike and/or drive to get there. Not worth the time money in my opinion.
Seth Southern
22:56 14 Aug 21
Great museum with all sorts of explanations about science. Many of the exhibits are interactive, it's great fun for little kids and even late teenagers like we had with us. If you are in Balboa Park do not miss the science center.
Joe Jung
15:56 09 Aug 21
Don't expect a huge collection of cars. There are around 30 cars in the museum and about a dozen motorcycles. Simple clean museum to visit.
m k
22:09 29 Jul 21
Not very interactive, not particularly inspired display or storytelling. But cool cars.
Sharon
03:07 23 Jul 21
The cruise was nice, I recommend sitting on starboard side of ship, and they sell snacks and drinks. The lost star is because their hours of operation are not very clear. The cruise is not actually 90 minutes. Thirty-forty minutes for boarding, and then the rest is cruising. I enjoyed the narration during the cruise. Make a reservation...even with the GO City pass.
Rob Baresel
20:56 14 Jul 21
The collection is impressive. The old Indians, Harleys and motorcycles are very nice. The Lamborghini Countach is always awesome to see up close.
J adams
13:05 13 Jul 21
Nice display, but far smaller than anticipated. Bugatti Veyron was not on display ;-(
Oscar Rey
16:02 18 Jun 21
Was expecting more. They had beautiful cars but you don't get what you paid for imo. This is my fourth automotive museum I've been to and it's definitely in last place compared to the rest. For comparison two of the ones I've been to are The NHRA Motorsports Museum and the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento.
Ralph Shelton
19:08 17 Jun 21
Excellent collection with a couple of special surprises. Appeals to more than just gearheads (although gearheads will especially love it)
Jason Kinman
04:00 11 Jun 21
Some cars. Some motorcycles. Not too much history. It's a good time waster between museums if you purchased the explorer pass.
Elayne Bendel
02:58 05 Jun 21
Fun experience and friendly staff. Great destination for car club events.
Haydee Hernandez
02:27 30 May 21
The kids and I really enjoyed visiting the automotive museum today. Price to enter is $7 for kids, $10 senior, and $14 adults. Place is small but they have really cool cars and motorcycles.
Ben Koonse
00:27 23 May 21
Love going and seeing vintage autos and motorcycles. Reading there history and learning something new.
Walter Brealey
19:57 05 Jan 21
History on display at one of America's aviation manufacturing cities. From the Spirit of St. Louis to the birthplace of naval aviation, Consolidated Aircraft, Ruben H. Fleet, Ryan Aeronautical, General Dynamics. One of America's finest targets. Don't miss it.
Mohammad Qutaishat
21:59 28 Dec 20
An excellent museum
San Diego Automotive Museum is in the amazing Balboa Park next to the Air and Space Museum. It is a nice museum with a big collection of awesome vintage cars and motorcycles, the museum is small but packed, the staff was helpful and nice, overall it was an excellent experience.
San Diego Automotive Museum is in the amazing Balboa Park next to the Air and Space Museum. It is a nice museum with a big collection of awesome vintage cars and motorcycles, the museum is small but packed, the staff was helpful and nice, overall it was an excellent experience.
Cody Blackledge
18:14 02 Nov 20
A very impressive collection. The era-specific exhibits were really detailed and not just automotive. Excited to go back when the next set of exhibits rotates in!
Jim r
21:51 07 Aug 20
Cool place to clean out the car until the sprinklers come on as you have everything outside and you have to scramble to gather it all up real quick like...
Christopher Fetros
05:52 26 Jun 20
Honestly a letdown. I thought this would be a great museum and all but I have seen so many of the cars that were there and even have one more valuable then some of them. Also, the Plank Road display has so little information that I have read websites that had more info so it made that one pointless. The cars were in nice condition though.
Alex Adams
22:15 24 Jun 20
Quiet low stress place to visit during COVID-19. Good visual exhibits and information.
BOBBEE BISHOP
16:44 02 Jun 20
MY FATHER STARTED IT ALL BACK IN THE BEGGINING WHEN HE MOVED THE CLOGGERS OUT AND THE CARS IN. I ORGANIZED THE BIKES AND SPENT OVER 20 YEARS IN AND OUT OF HER.
Andy Stepney
17:19 10 Mar 20
Great selection of vehicles. Some iconic tv and film vehicles and other significant models and customisation. Friendly and informative staff. Can get up and close to see the vehicles.
Dan Cary
15:08 28 Feb 20
Parts of the museum were free on Tuesday so my friend and I went down to see the advertised cars. When we approached the advertised section of cars they wanted $2.00. The small amount of money was not a problem but advertising deceptively was a problem. I call it lying. Next time you advertise be honest. Just charge $5.00 for adults to see everything. That would be a deal.
Rev Terry Scott
21:55 25 Feb 20
Small eclectic assembly of cars, many motorcycles. We went on the "free" Tues. Guess what? It's not ENTIRELY free! They have a special section with an exhibit for $2.00. Now I know $2 is not much.But if they say it's free, it should be FREE.
The reason for 4 stars. The cars on show are wonderful.
The International harvester is the quintessential Horseless carriage. The Reo is early sophistication. The Cord is Glamorous and the Cadillac is substantial even back then.
Nice way to spend the morning.
The reason for 4 stars. The cars on show are wonderful.
The International harvester is the quintessential Horseless carriage. The Reo is early sophistication. The Cord is Glamorous and the Cadillac is substantial even back then.
Nice way to spend the morning.
Roberto Madrigal
04:55 22 Feb 20
A car and motorcycle fan's dream. They recently had a low rider exhibit that I really enjoyed. The mainstays are great, historical and interesting. Love the three eyed Tucker and the old Indian and Harley bikes.
Trey
20:47 17 Feb 20
Definitely worth a stop if you are seeing some of the other museums in the area and want to kill some time. This is not a huge museum but they do have a great collection of cars to see and they rotate most of the cars out every 4 months, so you might end up seeing something new and unique the next time you stop by. There are cars, motorcycles, and few old vintage cars. The museum has a collection that closely resembles some of the automotives that are shown on the History channel show American Pickers. If you're into older automotives then this is definitely a good place to check out.
Zack M
02:20 21 Jan 20
The automotive isn’t the best that I have ever been to, but it is actually a pretty good museum.
They have a really nice selection of classic and rare automobiles, and they do have a good amount of motorcycles. Most of these pieces are standard at the museum and don’t change. They are always there when we visit.
This season they are featuring low riders and they have an impressive collection of exquisitely painted and detailed low riders. Most of them are Chevy Impalas, which are a staple of the low rider crowd. There was also a Lincoln Continental and an old school Buick Riviera.
All in all it’s a pretty good Car museum for the $12 admission fee. I recommend going at least once.
They have a really nice selection of classic and rare automobiles, and they do have a good amount of motorcycles. Most of these pieces are standard at the museum and don’t change. They are always there when we visit.
This season they are featuring low riders and they have an impressive collection of exquisitely painted and detailed low riders. Most of them are Chevy Impalas, which are a staple of the low rider crowd. There was also a Lincoln Continental and an old school Buick Riviera.
All in all it’s a pretty good Car museum for the $12 admission fee. I recommend going at least once.
Shannon Gardner
14:55 17 Jan 20
What a unique and fun experience. I have been here several times and always enjoy walking around to see all of the cool cars and motorcycles they have on display. Some of the display stays the same month to month but they also bring in different themes for variety. Such as movie star cars was really a fun display to see!
Emily Goldstein
13:08 29 Nov 19
This museum was worth the money! Look for the 2 for 1 admission coupon on the counter of the International Gift Shop - just $12 for 2 people. They had the Low-Rider event going on with amazing detail of cars and art. The displays were very informative and choice of cars were superb. The gentleman who was there was so interesting with details & stories. This is a smaller museum but packed with good displays!
