Always free

No tickets, no schedule. Go whenever.

Balboa Park gardens and the Timken Museum

Walk the Botanical Building, rose and desert gardens, and the Timken, the park's always-free art museum.

Bankers Hill · Best places nearby →

La Jolla Cove sea lions

Sea lions and seals on the rocks year-round, plus the Children's Pool viewing area. Go early for parking.

La Jolla · Best places nearby →

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

The best free sunset in the city. Bring a jacket; stay behind the fence.

Sunset Cliffs · Best places nearby →

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Eight miles of bluff trails over the Pacific. Free on foot; the lot charges, so park on the beach road or walk in.

La Jolla · Best places nearby →

Chicano Park murals

Dozens of murals under the Coronado Bridge, a National Historic Landmark and an open-air gallery.

Barrio Logan · Best places nearby →

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Free entry to the restored 1800s buildings, museums and plazas where the city began.

Old Town · Best places nearby →

The Embarcadero and Seaport Village

A bayfront walk past the Midway, the Kissing Statue and the harbor, with street performers on weekends.

Marina · Best places nearby →

Mission Trails Regional Park

Sixty miles of trails, Cowles Mountain and the Old Mission Dam, all free.

San Carlos · Best places nearby →

Coronado Beach

Wide, flat and glittering with mica, in front of the Hotel del Coronado.

Coronado · Best places nearby →

Fiesta Island

Off-leash beach loop on Mission Bay. Dogs run free; so do you.

Mission Beach · Best places nearby →

Spanish Village Art Center

Thirty-plus working artist studios in a 1935 courtyard in Balboa Park. Free to wander, daily.

Bankers Hill · Best places nearby →

Liberty Station and the Public Market

Walk the old Naval Training Center grounds, the arts district galleries and the bayfront park.

Point Loma · Best places nearby →

Every week

Farmers markets and the Sunday organ concert, by day.

• Sunday: Hillcrest Farmers Market, 9 AM – 2 PM Normal St between Lincoln and University · HillcrestOne of the biggest markets in the city: produce, prepared food, music and a crowd.
• Sunday: La Jolla Open Aire Market, 9 AM – 1 PM Girard Ave at Genter St · La JollaVillage market a few blocks from the Cove. Pair it with a sea-lion walk.
• Sunday: Spreckels Organ Pavilion concert, 2 PM Balboa Park · Bankers HillFree hour-long concert on one of the world's largest outdoor pipe organs, every Sunday of the year.
• Monday (summer): Summer Organ Festival at Spreckels Pavilion, 7:30 PM Balboa Park · Bankers HillFree Monday-night concerts under the stars, June through August.
• Tuesday: Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers Market, 2 – 6 PM Bayard St between Garnet and Hornblend · Pacific BeachAfter-work market two blocks from the sand.
• Wednesday: Little Italy Wednesday Market, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM W Date St, Piazza della Famiglia · Little ItalyThe smaller, calmer version of Saturday's Mercato.
• Wednesday: Ocean Beach Farmers Market, 4 – 8 PM (4 – 7 PM Oct – Mar) Newport Ave between Cable and Bacon · Ocean BeachNewport Avenue closes to cars: food stalls, live music and a sunset at the end.
• Thursday: North Park Thursday Market, 3 – 7:30 PM North Park Way at 30th St · North ParkProduce, street food and the neighborhood's coffee and beer scene a block away.
• Saturday: Little Italy Mercato, 8 AM – 2 PM W Date St from Kettner to Front · Little ItalySan Diego County's largest farmers market, six blocks long, every Saturday rain or shine.

Free museum days at Balboa Park

San Diego City and County residents (bring a photo ID with your address) and active military get free general admission on a rotating schedule. No free days in December. Some months have exceptions, so check balboapark.org before you go.

• First Tuesday: Fleet Science Center and The NatFree general admission for San Diego residents with ID (films extra).
• Second Tuesday: Air & Space Museum, Veterans Museum, Comic-Con MuseumFree for San Diego residents with ID; special exhibitions may cost extra.
• Second Thursday: San Diego Model Railroad MuseumFree for San Diego residents with ID on the second Thursday.
• Third Tuesday: Museum of Art, Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei, Old Globe toursFree for San Diego residents with ID; Old Globe backstage tours need a reservation.
• Fourth Tuesday: Automotive Museum and Museum of UsFree for San Diego residents with ID; California Tower climb is extra.
• Every day: Timken Museum of Art is free for everyone, always.

Seasonal

• October: Kids Free San Diego. Many attractions, including the Zoo, let kids in free with a paying adult all month. Details at sandiego.org.
• Early December: Balboa Park December Nights, the city's biggest free holiday festival, with free museum entry on Friday and Saturday evenings.
• June to August: Free Monday-night concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, 7:30 PM.