San Diego is a city of diversity, culture, beautiful beaches, and so many free things to do! If you’re planning to travel to San Diego soon, here are some Free Things to do in San Diego that you’ll love!
The Pearl offers a free weekly dive-in theatre special. Yep, you read that right: Dive. In. It’s free for hotel guests, and free for everyone else with a drink purchase. The Pearl boasts a 10 ft by 13ft projection screen with full sound, overlooking its vintage, oyster-shaped swimming pool. Showtime is 8PM.
The beaches. I mean, obviously the beaches! San Diego has over 17 miles of coastline and 4,600 acres around Mission Bay Park. Everyone has their favorite beach, but I’d say the top few worth checking out are: the La Jolla children’s pool, and Mission Beach. See the Top 10 Beaches in San Diego for more beach ratings!
San Diego Botanic Gardens, also known as the Quail Botanic Garden, offers free admission on the first Tuesday of each month. It’s a little hike from San Diego, but worth it. The gorgeous setting and beautifully blooming flowers make it the perfect spot for photos. Enjoy nature’s beauty by strolling around the gardens – allow a few hours for your visit so you don’t feel rushed.
Old Town San Diego is a historic gem right, full of so many things to do that you might as well make a day trip out of it! Visit the Whaley House, check out the first San Diego jail, and the El Campo Santo Cemetery is another place to stop by if you’re interested in learning about the history of San Diego. Everything is easily accessible in this walking district.
Hotel del Coronado is another great spot for photography. It’s got an amazing beach, and you don’t have to be a guest of the hotel to stroll around the property.
Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission to both the Downtown and La Jolla locations every third Thursday from 5PM til 7PM. This museum has more than 3,000 works of art, with the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
You can visit a different Farmers Market every day of the week! Whether you go for the free samples or the free entertainment, you’re sure to have a blast! This would also make a great educational trip for the kids!
Seaport Village has free Sunday concerts in the East Plaza Gazebo! With more than 50 places to shop for pretty much everything under the sun, I can’t guarantee your trip here will end up being completely free, but it will be full of fun! Don’t miss the lagoon, carousel, and marina.
Views from the downtown Embarcadero are quite impressive. Check out the public art works that celebrate San Diego’s cultural diversity.
The Reuben H Fleet Science Center, located in Balboa Park, offers free stargazing on the first Wednesday of every month. Members of the San Diego Astronomy Association set up telescopes, so you can see the moon, planets, and brighter stars.
You might want to make a day of it if you’re visiting Balboa Park. There’s tons of stuff to do, and much of it is free! They even have free concerts on Monday evenings from July through August.
And last but not least, don’t forget to check out the free concerts all over San Diego County!
Check out these other posts before you travel!
i will totally be saving this, in case i ever get there, lol. we just went to san francisco and napa/sonoma back in march.
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I have yet to go check out the Museum of Contemporary Art – i may just need to make that a date night with the hubby this summer!
I live in San Diego too! You have a great start here to all the free things there are to do in San Diego; I’ve written two posts myself and between the two of us..there’s a lot! We should meet sometime!
Hi Tami! That would be great! Heading over to your site now 🙂
I’m going to San Diego in two days it’s good to know what places actually beautiful places I can visit. Thank you for your help. I definitely want to visit Seaport Village ?