Museum of Man in San Diego (San Diego, USA) – expositions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.
This anthropological museum in San Diego is remarkable in every way. Firstly, with its richest collection, the main focus of which is on the history of the pre-Columbian Americas. Secondly, the museum occupies the historic California Building, part of the “California Quadrangle”, which is absolutely impossible to ignore – even if you do not intend to go inside. See anycountyprivateschools for Hawaii state information and business schools.
This is a magnificent building, reminiscent of its dome, painted in blue and gold, and adjoining it with a high, richly decorated tower, a magnificent church. Several styles can be traced in the design and decoration of this pair: Gothic, Plateresque, Baroque, Rococo, Spanish Colonial. Most impressive is the stone carving that adorns the facade and tiers of the tower, as well as the abundance of stone sculptures on them. The figures depict Unipero Serra, Philip III of Spain, George Vancouver, Carlos III of Spain, etc.
The museum occupies the historic California Building, part of the “California Quadrangle”, which is absolutely impossible to ignore – even if you do not intend to go inside.
In fact, the Quadrangle consists of four museum-owned buildings (California Building and California Tower on the north side, Everham Hall and St. Francis Chapel on the south). The first two were built for the exhibition of 1915-1916. and were used as the main front entrance to it. The 60m tall California Tower opened to the public with a guided tour in early 2015. Both buildings and courtyard were designed by renowned architect Bertram Goode and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The California Building and its tower were used by Orson Welles as the principal features of the fictional Xanadu in the cult utopian film Citizen Kane.
The museum’s funds include more than 100,000 documented ethnographic treasures, as well as more than 30,000 books and periodicals, and about 25,000 photographs. The collection contains materials that were obtained from various Indian tribes in the Southern California region, as well as artifacts from Middle American civilizations such as the Maya. In addition, the museum has one of the most significant collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the United States. It includes real mummies, funeral masks, figurines and seven painted wooden sarcophagi.
The biggest rarity in the Egyptian exposition is the incredibly rare children’s sarcophagus of the Ptolemaic dynasty: there are only seven of them in the world.
On the first floor of the museum there is an exhibition “Birology” (a special exhibition dedicated to the 10,000-year history of brewing in the world and the technology of making a foamy drink, which was practiced by the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Amazonian bounty hunters and other cultures around the world), the exhibition “Maya: heart of the sky, heart of the Earth”, where you can see several monuments (steles) of the Maya – copies of the steles from Guatemala, and the exhibition “Monsters!”, specially designed for children (there are interactive stands where folk and other artifacts are presented, one way or another connected with monsters and mythological creatures – more than 50 monsters from all over the world, including dragons, yetis, krakens, unicorns, etc.).
One of the most remarkable exhibits of Birology is the golden beer goblet of the Inca king (1250-1533 BC)
On the second floor, there are expositions “From the Underground” (a collection of unusual and interesting items from the museum’s storerooms, including samurai armor and an ancient skull with traces of trepanation), “Steps through Time” (replicas of skulls and reconstructions of famous prehistoric people found in different parts of the world, illustrating the evolution of our race), the Kumeyaay: Native Californians exhibition (traditional art, tableware and baskets, dresses and ornaments, games and ceremonies of the Kumeyaay Indians), the Ancient Egypt exhibition (the history and science of this civilization, as well as examples of mummification from around the world) and the exhibition “Adventures for Children in Ancient Egypt” (a family exhibition with an interactive and exciting story in the form of action about the Egyptian civilization and the role of anthropologists in its study).
In another building of the museum – Everham Hall – there are temporary exhibitions.
Three to five times a year, the museum hosts an “After the Clock Tower” event dedicated to the life of the San Diego community. It takes place in the museum’s rotunda and includes music, dance, food and other aspects of local culture.
Practical Information
Address: 1350 El Prado.
The museum is located on the central boulevard of Balboa Park, on the left hand, if you move from the main entrance, approximately in the middle of the boulevard.
Opening hours: from Sunday to Wednesday from 10:00 to 17:00, from Thursday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:30.
Entrance: for adults (over 18 years old): museum only – 13 USD, museum + Instruments of Torture – 20 USD, museum + tour of the tower – 23 USD, all of the above together – 25 USD.
For pensioners (over 62 years old), students and children and children: only the museum – 10 USD, the museum + “Instruments of Torture” – 17 USD, the museum + tour of the tower – 20 USD, all of the above together – 22 USD.
Children (3-5 years old): Free, but children of this age are not allowed on the tower.
