San Diego History Center

Create a collage, share your hopes for the future for the country on our Wish Wall, and explore our newest exhibition, "America at 250: San Diego 1776–2026." All ages are welcome, and all art supplies are provided—just bring your imagination.

Plus, enjoy free pizza from Pizza to the Polls while supplies last! 🍕

📅 June 20
⏰ Drop in anytime from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
📍 San Diego History Center

This special event is part of Civic Season, a nationwide movement connecting history to civic engagement between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July.

Admission is free, but registration is required due to limited capacity. Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/SDHC_SliceOfHistory

Exhibition Call for Entry: Changing Terrain
Submit by June 10, 2026

Calling all Southern California and Baja-based artists! Submit your entries for Changing Terrain: Regional Artists Interpret Our Landscape, a joint contemporary landscape exhibition exploring new interpretations of Southern California and Baja landscapes.

The exhibition will present a region in flux, reflecting its changing environment, communities, history, and evolving sense of place. This exhibition will take place concurrently at San Diego History Center (SDHC) and Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA).

Submit your work now at bit.ly/OMAterrain

On May 30th, we’re teaming up with the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation for an afternoon of robotics, creativity, and hands-on STEAM. Families are invited to explore the San Diego Women in STEM exhibit, then jump into free RoboBattles workshops where kids design, build, and battle their own LEGO® robots.

Equipment provided! Xbox controllers for steering. No two bots are ever the same. It’s creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, all wrapped into one action-packed afternoon.

📍 San Diego History Center
🗓️ May 30th | 12:00–4:00 PM
🎉 Free for all ages

See you there!

As we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor the individuals, families, and institutions that have helped shape San Diego’s cultural and civic history—including Congregation Beth Israel, the city’s oldest Jewish congregation, founded in 1861.

Temple Beth Israel, originally dedicated in 1889, remains one of the oldest synagogue structures in the American West and stands today in Heritage Park as a lasting symbol of San Diego’s diverse heritage and community history.

Explore more through the Journal of San Diego History article regarding the Temple: https://bit.ly/SDHC_TempleBethIsrael

Find additional historic photographs documenting San Diego’s Jewish history through our Digital Collections website: https://collections.sandiegohistory.org/

This AAPI Heritage Month, the San Diego History Center highlights stories from San Diego’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities preserved through "Welcome To The Mix," an ongoing oral history collection documenting the voices and experiences that shape our region.

Several oral histories in the collection share personal reflections, family histories, cultural traditions, and community experiences from local AAPI residents, including Aurora Cudal, Walter Redondo, Rita Andrews, Ofelia Dirige, and JoAnn Fields, whose stories help illuminate San Diego’s diverse cultural history. By preserving these firsthand accounts, "Welcome To The Mix," helps ensure the voices and experiences of our communities continue to be remembered and shared with future generations.

Listen Here: https://bit.ly/SDHC_AAPI

Ready to explore San Diego's best cultural spots for FREE? 🏛️

✨Now through May 18, your San Diego History Center membership grants you complimentary admission to dozens of museums across the county for The Big Exchange.

Discover new exhibitions, revisit your favorite spots, and connect with the stories that shape our region.

🗺️Not a member yet? Join today to claim your passport to the city: https://bit.ly/SDHC_Membership_TBE

Learn More about The Big Exchange, presented by the San Diego Museum Council: https://sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/specials/the-big-exchange/

🎟️

☎️ San Diego was connecting communities long before smartphones and Wi-Fi.

In May 1882, the San Diego Telephone Company began operations with just 13 subscribers and a belief that telephone technology might only be “experimental.” Within a few years, lines stretched from Downtown San Diego to communities across the region—including Julian, Oceanside, Coronado, La Jolla, Chula Vista, and beyond.

By 1897, San Diego was connected by long-distance telephone service to more than 700 cities and towns across California, transforming how people communicated, conducted business, and experienced daily life.

From hand-connected switchboards to a growing regional network, these early telephone lines helped shape the modern San Diego we know today.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/SDHC_TelephoneHistory

Unleash your inner engineer at a high-energy day of building and discovery! 🤖✨

Join us on May 30 from 1:00–4:00 PM at the San Diego History Center for a family-friendly celebration of innovation. Start by exploring the "San Diego Women in STEM: Creativity and Curiosity" exhibit, then dive into the action with free RoboBattles workshops hosted by the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation.

In this hands-on environment, young builders will design and customize their own LEGO® robots before putting them to the test in friendly arena battles. It’s an immersive experience designed to show kids that curiosity and collaboration are the heart of science and technology.

Date & Time: May 30 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Venue: San Diego History Center, In the heart of Balboa Park
Cost: FREE (donations are appreciated)

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this event. 📸 Image courtesy of the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation.

Take a journey through time with our extensive collection of historic images from our Research Archives! 📷🕰️

Whether you're looking for high-quality prints or digital downloads, see what history awaits you!
Visit our Photo Collection by clicking the link in bio ☝🏻