The Balboa Park Explorer Pass allows pass holders access to 16 institutions throughout all of Balboa Park for one year, including the History Center.
The value of the Balboa Park Explorer pass is the one-time price for year-round admission to 17 museums with no limits on visits
Is my donation tax-deductible?
All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by federal and state law.
Your donation helps us keep San Diego history alive and supports our mission to tell the diverse story of our region—past, present and future— educate and enrich our community, preserve our history and foster civic pride.
Contributions to the History Center support the conservation and display of our valuable historical collections and support educational programs for San Diego City and County schoolchildren.
The San Diego History Center is a 501 c(3) non-profit charitable corporation. Federal ID#: 95-1728991
What if I don’t want to donate? Do I have to?
No, but most visitors do give something. We understand there are various reasons why someone may not however, we just ask you to consider it and consider what the San Diego History Center, Archives, and Junípero Serra Museum provide to its visitors and our contributions to our community
Do you still charge for lectures, programs etc?
Most of our other experience enhancements like lectures, tours, and other events do have direct costs and require support
You are welcome to come back whenever you’d like (with the exception of posted museum closings). We hope with each new experience you find it within you to express the value of that experience in the form of a minimum $10 donation and that you Give Forward for other visitors in the future, however, we ask that you determine what value you place on the experience.
What about the Research Archives?
There is no required charge to access the Research Archives.
In an effort to be more accessible and available for our community, we invite visitors to access our Photograph and Document Collections in the Research Archives and ask that based on their experience , they make a donation to support the History Center. Our suggested donation is $10
We hope our visitors understand that the continued preservation of our collections requires resources and community support. There are still fees associated with group visits, copies and reproductions, and remote research assistance.
How will this affect my membership or memberships in general?
If you currently have a membership, you are already supporting the Give Forward program. If you decide to become a member, part of your annual dues will support this, and all of the other programs of the SDHC including: collections, education, exhibitions, and more.
There are additional benefits to your membership, like The Journal of San Diego History, The TIMES, member exclusive events, reciprocal admission opportunities, and third-party discounts throughout San Diego.
Why buy a membership?
People who buy memberships believe in our Mission: to tell the diverse story of our region – past, present and future – educate and enrich our community, preserve our history, and foster civic pride. By purchasing a membership you are helping our organization fulfill its commitment to the community.
I bought a membership so I could visit the Research Archives. What’s the value now for me who is only interested in the research Archives access?
Please consider this new policy a removal of that barrier
As the entity that cares for these community resources, we know that they belong to everyone and therefore access to those should be available.
These resources require preservation and conservation, however, and part of your membership supports that
We invite you to place a value on that access if you wish
