Help provide access to arts, creativity and play to children and families throughout San Diego! Proceeds from Circus Spectacular help fund our access programs, which help to bring over 25% of our annual visitors the opportunity to visit at little to no cost to them. At Circus Spectacular you’ll have the opportunity to pay to play at six different carnival games along our midway on Island Avenue! Each game supports one of the access programs below – the more you play, the more funds we raise!
Fund a Need
Accessibility Mornings
Accessibility Mornings takes place on the second Saturday of each month and provides free access for families in need of a sensory-friendly experience, including children on the autism spectrum.
Military Access
We provide free admission to active-duty military families through the Blue Star Museum program during the summer (from Armed Forces Day to Labor Day) as well as discounts on daily admission and annual memberships.
Museums for All + Access for All Membership
Museums for All provides deeply discounted admission ($2/person for up to four people) for those receiving government assistance (EBT, SNAP, WIC benefits). Museums for All families are also eligible for the Access for All Membership, a deeply-discounted Family membership to the Museum.
Title 1 School Visits
Thousands of students visit the Museum through school field trips. Our school visits provide guided or self-guided tours and standards-based art making activities, including a virtual option. Over 60% of visiting school groups have Title 1 status and visit the Museum free of charge. At Title 1 schools, at least 40% of the students are from low-income families.
pARTners in Creativity
Through pARTners in Creativity, we offer free visits to the Museum and/or provide art kits for low-to-moderate income families and children served by partner organizations, including Autism Tree Foundation, Camp Hope, Monarch School, Sensory Friendly San Diego, San Diego Center for Children, STEP (Support the Enlisted Project), Voices for Children, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Words Alive, and USO San Diego.
Mass Creativity
Our signature outreach program Mass Creativity provides free art making workshops at local community centers throughout San Diego. These workshops culminate on Mass Creativity Day, a free annual festival celebrating art, community and creativity with our partners at the Museum. Community partners include Barrio Logan College Institute, Casa Familiar, City Heights Weingart Library, Skyline Hills Library, The San Diego LGBT Center, Solutions for Change, and SBCS.