Your Kid-Friendly Guide to The BIG Exchange in San Diego (May 2025)
- Fam Diego
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Time to flash your memberships...The BIG Exchange is back!! From May 1-18, use your current museum membership to "exchange" it for FREE "Reciprocal" admission into 50+ other participating museums, gardens, historic sites, and more!
Contents:
What Is The BIG Exchange?
From May 1-18, you'll get FREE Reciprocal Admission into 50+ museums, gardens & historical sites when you show your membership from any one of them.
So if you have a family membership from one of the participating museums, your family will get in free to another. This program has a max. of 4 people per membership and is hosted by the San Diego Museum Council.
*Note: The Balboa Park Explorer Pass does not qualify as one of the "participating" museums for exchange.
Here's Our Strategy to Make the Most of The BIG Exchange
Some museums are normally free or cheap, so skip these and save them for another day.
Go to the ones that are a bit more expensive OR that you wouldn’t normally go to.
Avoid going to the ones at Balboa Park on a Resident Free Tuesday. 👍
If you don't have a membership, get a less expensive one that you can use to get into the more expensive ones and then you'll have that free admission membership to use all year.
Least Expensive Memberships
If you don't have a membership, it's time to get one. Our favorite cheapest family memberships as of 2025, are: 🚗 Auto Museum ($80), 🌸 Japanese Friendship Garden ($80), 🚂 Model Railroad Museum ($85), and 💧 Water Conservation Garden ($74).
👉 TIPS: Keep in mind that kids are FREE under certain ages at different museums, so you may only need to get an Individual or Dual membership.
You'll find membership prices listed for each museum below. Now is a great time to snag one that you'd love to go back to again and again.
Participating Kid-Friendly Museums
See below for a list of our favorite kid-friendly participating museums that mine always love going to. ✨👬✨
All The Rest
These are all of the museums that participate in The BIG Exchange. Although my kids personally haven't taken an interest in most of these places, it doesn't mean that your kiddos won't enjoy them. Or stop in here on a day when you don't have the kids with you if you're curious about these.
(Please note, reservations must be made online in advanced to visit Birch Aquarium during The Big Exchange. Capacity is limited, Big Exchange tickets are available on the Birch Aquarium website on a first-come, first-served basis.)
(Family memberships limited to 2 free admissions at Deer Park)
(Exhibit gallery only at the Fleet. Films not included but can be added for $9.95 per person. Up to 4 guest maximum admitted on a family membership).
(Only for general admission self-guided tours Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
(Excludes special events and children must be accompanied by an adult at all times).
(The Junípero Serra Museum is part of the San Diego History Center)
(Only open on Saturdays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
(Does not grant member discount for camps, tours, gift shop, or other member perks. Excludes special event pricing and member only events.)
(Membership is with the MCRD Museum Foundation, in support of MCRD Museum. Get 15% off when you become a member. All visitors must show valid government-issued identification that is REALID compliant. The MCRD Museum is located on a Federal Installation. Enter through gate 5. Limited base access, click here for details)
(Self-guided general admission tours only. On-the-water experiences do not apply.)
(Good for regular Marston House Museum Guided Tours only; not for Walking Tours or other special events. New members who join SOHO during The Big Exchange will receive a FREE Third Sunday Walking Tour (a $20 value)—an excellent way to dive into San Diego’s rich history.)
Always Free
(By appointment only)
(Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).
(Applies to museum admission only, NOT train ride tickets. Available in-person only).
(Museum without Walls – watch the website/social media for upcoming exhibits and online programing).
(Children must be accompanied by an adult).
(Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).
(Open on Saturdays & Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m.)
(Terminal 2 / Access to some parts of the airport are for ticketed passengers only.)
(Museum closed on Wednesdays.)
Does not include films (available to add on for $5 a person.)
(Excludes special events. Cannot be combined with other offers).
Always Free Admission