Every October, the San Diego Museum Council transforms the region into a playground of discovery for families. All month long, the Kids Free in October program offers free admission for children 12 and under (with a paid adult) to more than 70 incredible museums, historic sites, aquariums, gardens, and cultural centers.
How it works
There are a few guidelines to keep in mind before you pack up the family:
- Get your coupons: You must download the official Kids Free in October coupons from the San Diego Museum Council website.
- The deal: Kids 12 and under get free admission with a paid adult. (specific offers may vary slightly depending on the venue, so check the individual coupon).
- Restrictions: The coupons cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Passes like the Balboa Park Explorer Pass, City Pass, and Go San Diego Pass are not valid as a “paid adult admission” for this promotion.
- Museums & more: Beyond museums, families can score dozens of extra deals on hotels, restaurants, and massive attractions like SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park, LEGOLAND® California Resort, and Belmont Park.
2026 Kids Free in October participating locations
Whether your kids are aspiring astronauts, future marine biologists, or artists, there’s a destination for them. What’s more, the program has gone international this year, adding several amazing venues in Tijuana!
Here’s the complete list of participating museums for 2026:
San Diego & surrounding area
- Balboa Park Botanical Building and Gardens
- Barona Cultural Center & Museum
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- Bonita Museum & Cultural Center
- Cabrillo National Monument
- California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum
- California Surf Museum
- Centro Cultural de la Raza
- Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center
- Children’s Museum of Discovery
- Comic-Con Museum
- Coronado Historical Association
- Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum
- Encinitas Historical Society and 1883 Schoolhouse
- Fleet Science Center
- Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
- Green Dragon Tavern & Museum
- Heritage of the Americas Museum
- ICA San Diego North
- Ilan-Lael Foundation
- J.A. Cooley Museum
- Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
- Junipero Serra Museum
- La Mesa Depot Museum
- Lambda Archives of San Diego
- LEGOLAND® California Resort
- Lemon Grove Parsonage Museum
- Living Coast Discovery Center
- Maritime Museum of San Diego
- Marston House Museum
- MCRD Command Museum
- Mingei International Museum
- Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum
- Mission San Luis Rey Museum
- Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial
- Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
- Museum of History and Culture La Jolla
- Museum of Making Music
- MOPA @ SDMA
- Museum of Us
- Nautical History Gallery & Museum
- Navy SEAL Museum San Diego
- New Americans Museum
- New Children’s Museum
- Olaf Wieghorst Museum
- Old Town San Diego
- Pacific Southwest Railway Museum
- RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust
- San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- San Diego Automotive Museum
- San Diego Botanic Garden
- San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
- San Diego History Center
- San Diego International Airport
- San Diego Museum of Art
- San Diego Natural History Museum
- San Diego Police Museum
- San Diego Watercolor Society
- Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
- USS Midway Museum
- Visions Museum of Textile Art
- Warner-Carrillo Ranch House
- Water Conservation Garden
- We The People Virtual Museum
- WorldBeat Cultural Center
Tijuana locations
- CECUT – Tijuana Cultural Center
- Acuario Centro Cultural Tijuana (Tijuana Aquarium)
- Archivo Historico de Tijuana (Historical Archives Tijuana)
- Domo IMAX, Centro Cultural Tijuana
- El Cubo (The Cube)
- IMAC Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura / Municipal Institute of Art and Culture
- MUHTI, Museo de Historia de Tijuana / Tijuana History Museum
- Museo de las Californias
