Free Museum Tuesday in Balboa Park: Nov 17 at SDMA, the Japanese Friendship Garden, Mingei, and the Old Globe
Posted November 11, 2026
Mark Tuesday, November 17, 2026. That is Balboa Park’s third-Tuesday free day, when the San Diego Museum of Art, the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum, Mingei International Museum, and Old Globe behind-the-scenes tours open general admission to City and County residents and to active military and their dependents.
Bring a photo ID with your address. Mingei is the easy one: it is free for everyone on the third Tuesday, with no ID check required, and its entry level is free every day. The Japanese Friendship Garden skips December, so November 17 is its last resident free Tuesday of the year; regular adult admission is $16. SDMA lists 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and notes the free day is not valid for special exhibitions.
Old Globe tours are one hour, ages 8 and up. Register on the Balboa Park Resident Free Days page. If the link is down, the tour is full; a standby list starts at 10 a.m., and tours begin promptly at 10:30.
Check the source for terms. Offers are set by the business and can change or end early, so confirm the details on the official page before you go. Diego Deals isn't paid for this post.
Surf Day collection
Change, lock up, paddle out.
