COMMUNITY CAFÉ: DISCUSSION SERIES THE LONG JOURNEY TO SUFFRAGE TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 202012:00PM - 1:00PM RESERVE YOUR VIRTUAL SEAT TODAY! Women began organizing to advance the cause for women’s rights long before the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, officially granting women the right to vote at the federal level. Women in California, including a group of notable San Diegans, were dedicated to the cause of suffrage, and helped get California women the right to vote as early as 1911.…

WE MADE SAN DIEGO:LATINO CONTRIBUTIONS IN OUR REGIONTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020 AT NOON ON ZOOM Join local historian Maria Garcia for a presentation on her forthcoming book We Made San Diego. In this wide-ranging talk, participants will hear about some of the Latino lives lived throughout San Diego County, including stories of Latino Vietnam veterans. Participants will also learn about notable people in neighborhoods we often do not hear too much about, such as Eden Gardens (La Colonia) in Solana…

Nathan Harrison: Discovering the Man behind the Legend SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020 AT 10:00AM ON ZOOM Nathan Harrison was San Diego’s first Black pioneer, homesteading in Palomar Mountain in the early 20th century. Modern archaeological insights have yielded fascinating details about Harrison’s life. Historical accounts tell us he was an important and significant figure in the Palomar Mountain community. While he had many friends on the mountain, he died alone in a county hospital in October 1920 and was buried…

RECOVERING AND RESTOR(Y)ING kumeyaay women's role, agency, and power from the oral traditionTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020 AT NOON ON ZOOM The stories we tell ourselves about how we came to be have important implications for identity and gender relations. For example, California Indian women, most well-known for basket making and ethnobotany, remain highly invisible in mainstream history. Colonial stereotypes about American Indian women creates the mythology that grandmothers and aunties lacked agency and power in Native communities and beyond. Dr.…

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL PREVIEW OF SAN DIEGO MEMORIES III: A TIME OF CHANGE - The 1960’s and 1970 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 AT 5:30PM ON ZOOM As part of the San Diego History Center’s GIVING TUESDAY presentation , Roger Showley, author, historian and former San Diego Union Tribune writer will reveal some of the key moments in this period of our community’s past, as America experienced the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, environmentalism and rock n’ roll.…

NATHAN HARRISON VIRTUAL EXHIBITION OPENING & TOUR THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021  |  5:00PM  |  ON ZOOM Few people in the history of the United States embody ideals of the American Dream more than Nathan Harrison. His is a story with prominent themes of overcoming staggering obstacles, forging something-from-nothing, and evincing gritty perseverance. In a lifetime of hard-won progress, Harrison survived the horrors of slavery in the Antebellum South, endured the mania of the California Gold Rush, and prospered in the…

Join author Bea Zamora for a reading of her bilingual children’s book is recounting the park’s founding history — from the first takeover of the land in the 1970s to the creation of the park. The program includes a workshop with artist and illustrator Maira Meza who will guide participants in a step-by-step process to create their own Chicano Park inspired art work.

This discussion shares the history of Japanese Americans in San Diego County, and their transition from farming, fishing, or running small businesses to living in internment camps during World War II

During World War I, San Diego emerged from its “sleepy little town” status to start the process of becoming a military city. World War II brought people, technology, and industries that forever changed the city. But what was going on here between those conflicts?

San Diego History Center will present a virtual discussion led by Dr. Damion Thomas, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. We are honored to present Dr. Thomas, who will provide insight into the route the Smithsonian is undertaking in regard to this history that is happening now.

Founded in 1907, learn how Hillcrest has changed, becoming a vibrant area with a rich past recognized with great pride.

This talk will address how the rapid expansion of both military and manufacturing jobs affected day to day life San Diego and whether the title “America’s Finest City” would have applied to the city during World War II.

This talk will address how the rapid expansion of both military and manufacturing jobs affected day to day life San Diego and whether the title “America’s Finest City” would have applied to the city during World War II.

Come hear stories of how the family members of the Scripps family faced personal challenges which ultimately affected where transportation lines were extended.

This talk will address how the rapid expansion of both military and manufacturing jobs affected day to day life San Diego and whether the title “America’s Finest City” would have applied to the city during World War II.

The earliest days of Balboa Park were filled with halting efforts to plant and improve it until a formal landscape plan was secured in 1902.

Calling all history buffs! Did you know that the San Diego History Center has a wealth of research resources online?

Join Dr. Susan Hector in this fascinating exploration of under-presented history to uncover the essential contribution of women to the frontier colony.

In this presentation, Linda will talk about the history of people of Japanese descent in San Diego County including how they lived and worked before World War II

This year, the San Diego History Center and Mesa College’s Fashion Program celebrate a 12-year collaboration for Fashion Redux 2022. Four garments from the History Center’s historic clothing collection were used by fashion design students as inspiration for designing their own contemporary designs.

Join Dr. Susan Hector in this fascinating exploration of under-presented history to uncover the essential contribution of women to the frontier colony.

Monthly family programming and activities Join us at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park for themed activities exploring touchable items and photos from our collections and crafts to stay and create, or take and make!

Across seven decades, widely acclaimed architectural photographer Julius Shulman captured a trajectory of growth and modernity as San Diego County’s built environment matured. This presentation draws from nearly two decades of research documenting over 200 projects by Shulman across San Diego County.

The earliest days of Balboa Park were filled with threats, uncertainties and indignities. Efforts to plant and improve the park were halting until a formal landscape plan was secured in 1902.

The heat, light and intense beauty of the Anza Borrego Desert has a profound effect on the architectural heritage of Borrego Springs.

This conversation explores the historical and contemporary experiences of San Diego’s Mexipino (Mexican and Filipino) communities across several generations.

This presentation will feature Shellie Baxter, a local San Diego woman, who is changing the way US history is taught, one female drone pilot at a time.

Artist Evan Apodaca will be discussing his conceptual framework, research method and technological process in the making of Secret City an ongoing multi-platform video series that critically analyzes the military’s shaping of San Diego and explores the history of the antiwar movement in the region.

Activities for the entire family that celebrate the Season.

Be sure to check out our holiday hours at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park and Junípero Serra Museum in Presidio Park.

A trusted leader in business and non-profits, a co-pastor in ministry and a dedicated mother of three, Wendy McKinney has mastered how to prioritize work, family and a life of service.
This event is free to attend, but RSVP is required.