World of Flight
Among the numerous world-class museums in San Diego’s Balboa Park, groups will find the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which has one of the West Coast’s most impressive collections of military and civilian aircraft.
Upon entering the museum, visitors see a model of the Montgolfier hot-air balloon of 1783, the first vehicle to lift humans above the earth’s surface. From there, the museum galleries take them through various eras in flight. The World War I gallery has aircraft from the early days of military aviation, and the Golden Age of Flight gallery highlights the barnstormers of the 1920s. Among other famous aircraft on display throughout the museum are a Spitfire MK XVI, a Navy F6F Hellcat and an A-4K Skyhawk.
Groups can take advantage of several flight simulators and rides during their visit. Max Flight is a two-seat, full-motion aircraft simulator that re-creates sharp banks, sky loops and aerial combat for riders. The museum also has a Doron Transport 6 simulator and an F-35 fighter jet simulator.
Art of California
In the seaside town of Monterey, halfway up the state’s Pacific Coast, the Monterey Museum of Art has made a name for itself by showcasing the art of California in a pair of beautiful historic buildings.
The Monterey Museum of Art’s mission is to showcase American artwork with a special emphasis on California art, and it does so at two different facilities in Monterey. The Pacific Street museum is located inside a three-story historic landmark building in the heart of Old Monterey and features eight galleries with exhibits of early California painting, photography and contemporary art.
At the nearby La Mirada outpost, a historic estate houses the museum’s contemporary art galleries in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The home was built as a simple stone adobe in the Mexican period, then later expanded and remodeled to serve as a home for stars of silent films. This facility also plays host to the museum’s strong series of temporary and traveling exhibits.
Exploring the World
In San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is dedicated to exploring, explaining and sustaining the wonders of nature, both in California and around the world. The institution accomplishes that mission through an impressive array of exhibits and interactive programs.
Exhibits at the Academy of Sciences tend to be large and immersive, such as a four-story living rain forest, a coral reef ecosystem and an African hall complete with warm-weather penguins. Guests can enjoy displays about deep-sea whales, see 40,000 marine animals in the on-site aquarium and explore the night skies in the 75-foot-tall planetarium.
The museum has a diverse menu of educational activities available to groups. Behind-the-scenes tours offer a look inside artifact archives and reveal the technology and techniques used to care for the many animals that live in the exhibits. Groups can also book custom green-building and architecture tours or after-hours tours for exclusive experiences.
