San Diego Natural History Museum

Overview

The San Diego Natural History Museum, known locally as The Nat, is a natural history museum and research institution in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Still officially named the San Diego Society of Natural History, it is one of the oldest scientific institutions in the western United States and welcomes nearly 400,000 visitors a year. Its stated mission is to interpret the natural world through research, education, and exhibits, to promote understanding of the evolution and diversity of Southern California and the Baja California peninsula, and to inspire respect for nature and the environment.

Public programs and exhibits

The Nat occupies four floors of exhibition space in Balboa Park, including Fossil Mysteries, which traces 75 million years of local fossil history; Coast to Cactus, covering the region's biodiversity hotspots; Living Lab, featuring regional wildlife; and the Nature Trail, a native-plant garden surrounding the building. The Museum also operates a 300-seat giant-screen theater and a Paleontology Center, opened in 2025, where visitors can observe scientists preparing fossils. Community programs include Nat at Night, half-price Friday evenings with rooftop access, free volunteer-led Canyoneers hikes, and binational environmental education through PROBEA (Proyecto Bioregional de Educación Ambiental), which trains educators in Baja California.

Science and research

The Nat's research collections hold more than eight million specimens spanning paleontology, entomology, herpetology, ornithology, mammalogy, marine invertebrates, botany, and mineralogy, along with a research library holding rare books, historical field notes, and botanical and wildlife artwork. In-house scientists conduct fieldwork throughout Southern California and the Baja California peninsula, with particular strength in herpetology (including one of the world's largest rattlesnake collections) and paleontology, curated in part by longtime staff paleontologist Tom Deméré. The institution was accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1974.

History

The museum traces its origin to 1874, when a small group of amateur naturalists in San Diego formed the San Diego Society of Natural History, making it the oldest scientific institution in Southern California. The Society's first public exhibits opened in a single room in 1912, curated by Kate and Frank Stephens; Frank Stephens's donation of more than 2,000 bird and mammal specimens that year formed the core of the Museum's ornithology and mammalogy holdings. The Society occupied three different buildings left over from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park before philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps helped fund a permanent, earthquake- and fire-resistant home; architect William Templeton Johnson designed the current building on the park's East Prado, dedicated January 14, 1933. During World War II the U.S. Navy occupied the building as a hospital, and the collection was dispersed to roughly 32 temporary locations before staff could return in 1949; the disruption led the Museum to formally narrow its scientific focus to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. A 2001 expansion doubled the Museum's gallery space and added a glass atrium, a postmodern-style entrance facade, and a giant-screen theater.

Funding and nonprofit status

The San Diego Natural History Museum is operated by the San Diego Society of Natural History, a private nonprofit organization that files IRS Form 990 disclosures and is a member of the 26-institution Balboa Park Cultural Partnership. The Museum holds a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar), and in 2009 it received LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification for sustainable building operations.

Leadership

Judy Gradwohl holds the endowed title of Christy Walton President and CEO of the San Diego Natural History Museum. The Board of Trustees is chaired by Andrew Garman, Managing Partner of New Venture Partners LLC, with Peter Cowhey, Dean Emeritus of UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, serving as Vice Chair.

Location and contact info

Address
1788 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101
Mailing Address
PO Box 121390
San Diego, CA 92112-1390
Phone
(619) 232-3821 (General Info: 877-946-7797)
Email
membership@sdnhm.org
Website
https://www.sdnhm.org