The San Diego Museum Council will follow the lead of the San Diego Zoo and offer FREE ADMISSION in October at 24 museums for children ages 12 and under who attend with a paid adult! To participate, families can download and print a coupon available on the San Diego Museum Council Website and present it at participating museums to receive the offer. (The offer is limited to two children per paid adult admission ticket and not including special events or field trips.) Lots of our favorite San Diego museums are participating, as well as a few that we’ve been wanting to check out!

“The collaboration of member museums of the San Diego Museum Council allow us to create programs that bring us closer to residents and tourists,” said Danielle Susalla, Director of Exhibits and Communication at Oceanside Museum of Art and Marketing Committee Lead for San Diego Museum Council. “We’re expecting to see a bump in families heading to museums to check out a new or favorite exhibit.”

Research points to the role museums have in a child’s education making back-to-school season an ideal time for the Kids Free in October campaign. In fact, the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the American Association of Museums’ (AAM), Center for the Future of Museums recently published a discussion guide entitled “Tomorrow in the Golden State: Museums and the Future of California.” In the report, the relationship between museums and the education system is highlighted as students can gain valuable experiences by engaging with museums.

Roster of 24 Kids Free in October Participating Museums
• Barona Cultural Center & Museum
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps
• Coronado Museum of History & Art
• Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
• Heritage of the Americas Museum
• La Jolla Historical Society
• Lux Art Institute
• Marston House Museum & Gardens
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
• Oceanside Museum of Art
• Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (gallery only)
• San Diego Air & Space Museum
• San Diego Archaeological Center
• San Diego Botanic Garden
• San Diego History Center
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum
• San Diego Museum of Art
• San Diego Natural History Museum
• The New Children’s Museum (10/15-10/31)
• Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
• Timken Museum of Art
• Veterans Museum & Memorial Center
• Water Conservation Garden
• Women’s Museum of California

A spotlight on activities and exhibits at some of the San Diego Museum Council member museums are as follows:

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Birch Aquarium offers a mix of interactive exhibits and visually stunning tanks that will engage kids in learning about the undersea world. Visitors can tour more than 60 tanks of colorful marine life as well as an oceanographic museum that explores the science of our oceans and earth. The newest exhibit, Boundless Energy, is an outdoor interactive playground that showcases the ways to harness renewable energy from the sun, the wind and ocean motion. Other exhibits include “There’s Something About Seahorses,” featuring more than a dozen seahorse species and a special seahorse nursery.

Coronado Historical Association, Museum of History & Art
Take your children to discover the rich history behind beautiful and scenic Coronado at the Coronado Historical Association, Museum of History and Art. Tour the historic Hotel Del Coronado where children can learn about the interesting history behind this landmark, as well as experience an in-depth perspective on the hotel. Or together you can peruse their “Enchanted Island” exhibition full of art, artifacts and photographs of Coronado’s rich history.

La Jolla Historical Society
Are your kids addicted to computers, iPhones, and iPads? Take them to the La Jolla Historical Society and check out “La Jolla Then and Now.” This exhibition shows fabulous photos and presents artifacts of La Jolla’s past and present.

Oceanside Museum of Art
The Oceanside Museum of Art hosts special, kid-friendly “Family Art Days.” The next “Family Art Day” will take place on Sunday, October 2, 2011 with “Create a Character.” With this fun, hands-on workshop, kids will learn about character design through creating their own works with a mix of fabric, magazines and other mixed materials.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
A favorite of the young and the young at heart, The Museum is renown for its kid-friendly, interactive exhibits such as Kid City. Kid City gives infants to preschoolers a way to experience the everyday wonders of the world by working, playing, and creating. Older children will enjoy the traveling exhibition, “Geometry Playground”, where they can can physically explore the mathematical branch through games and playing.

San Diego History Center and Museum
Kids can learn history in a way that is educational and fun at the San Diego History Center and Museum. The popular “History for Half Pints” series takes kids on a journey through history. October’s “History for Half Pints” on October 17, 2011 has a spooky Halloween theme where kids can dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes and read Halloween storybooks, make Halloween crafts and celebrate “National Cookie Month” with some Halloween cookies.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum
A longtime family favorite, children will be mesmerized by the intricate scaled-down setups of actual train routes, with trains cruising down tracks. The latest display is of the Tehachapi Pass, which is the 70-mile route through the Mojave Desert and Bakersfield.

Water Conservation Garden
Your kids can learn a thing or two about sustainability and home gardens at the Water Conservation Garden. They will love the beautiful open gardens and exhibitions. With their interactive composting exhibit, kids can learn different ways to compost and will especially love the worm composting exhibit. The vegetable garden is a great way to teach children, and adults, about growing healthy food and keeping a water wise garden. Other exhibits like the Children’s Discovery Trail and the Bird and Butterfly Garden will give kids a great day out in nature.

When: October 2011

How: Kids are allowed free entry at all participating museums with the paid admission of at least one accompanying adult.

More information can be found by visiting www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org Perhaps we’ll see you at one or more of the museums!