Collections

Access to Collections and the Museum Library

Priceless and Irreplaceable

 On June 20, 1916, the directors of the Panama-California Exposition sold the exhibits in archaeology, ethnology, and anthropology to the San Diego Museum Association for $1.00. This original collection included about 5,000 items.

Today, SDMoM's collections include more than 100,000 documented ethnographic items, more than 30,000 books and journals, and 25,000 photographic images. The primary ethnographic collections focus on the Western Hemisphere, with strengths in California, the Southwest, Mexico, and western South America. Important ancillary collections include Alaska, the Northwest Coast, the Plains, Central America, and lowland South America. Significant comparative collections feature ancient Egypt, Polynesia, and a worldwide assemblage of early weapons. Physical anthropology is represented with skeletal collections of ancient and modern bone diseases, as well as casts documenting human variations and evolution.

Ethnographic Collections

Physical Anthropology Collections

Scientific Library