Exhibitions
The Exhibitions of the world-renowned Museum of Man are a major resource for the San Diego community. Permanent exhibits explore the Maya, ancient Egypt, the Kumeyaay Indians of San Diego County, Human Evolution, and the Human Life Cycle. These exhibits inform and entertain San Diegans and visitors alike, and are used extensively in the region's school curricula to study ancient history, local history, Indigenous cultures, and health sciences. These permanent exhibits are complemented by a series of changing exhibits on display throughout the Museum.
Special Exhibitions
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Rites of Passage April 6, 2013 - December 8, 2013 Our Journeys Through LifeBaptism and birth, marriage and graduation, a first job and retirement: these are just a few of the important events which mark life in the United States. But among the world's cultures which have found homes in San Diego County there is a rich profusion of other celebrations, honors, and rituals, from a Somali ceremony performed seven days after a woman weds, to the scarring of a young Sudanese man's forehead to show he has reached adulthood. Join us for a heartwarming look at just a few of our community's powerful life events, featuring items from Americans, Filipinos, Chinese, Samoans, Mexicans, Zimbabweans, Vietnamese, and many other nations, cultures, and religions.
See more photos from the exhibit. The exhibit features many compelling pieces: Zulu pregnancy apron • Dayak baby carrier • Chinese infant hats • images of a child’s first Shinto shrine visit • christening outfits • Hupa cradle board • European corn husk dolls • Oaxacan pregnancy statue • Ewe carved figure • Zimbabwean fertility doll • Jewish Kiddush cup • image of an African-American naming ceremony • Blackfoot war shirt • American boot camp yearbook • American military medals, uniforms, and discharge papers • Buddhist monk robes, alms bowl, and fan • Jewish tallit and kippah • Makonde circumcision stool • image of a Lao fisherman • Chamorro bowline with knot • Zulu ear jewelry • Kumeyaay practice rabbit-hunting stick • Zulu spear • Seri boy’s crown • Mexican corn maiden dress, skirt, ankle bracelets, crown, and hawk fan • Filipino debut gown • Miao fertility festival image • Miao festival crown • American prom dress • American high school cap and gown • American high school letterman’s jacket • American high school yearbook, ring, and diploma • Lao bride and groom wedding outfits • Ndebele married woman’s apron case • Somali wedding container • Zulu wedding basket • African-American wedding broom • Catholic wedding coins • Jewish marriage contract • Filipino wedding gown • American double wedding ring quilt • Somali shaash saar ceremony photograph • Somali perfume tray • Malay bride and groom photograph • Turkoman married woman’s pendant braid ornament • Chinese wedding headdress • Chamorro shell necklace • photograph of Maasai warriors • professional chef’s coat • Methodist elder’s robe and cross • doctor’s stethoscope • journeyman’s certificate • Samoan tattoo photograph • Somali shawl • refugee immigration bag and name tag • Dogon ancestral stool • Lao dance outfits • Samoan tattoo instruments • Filipino dance paintings • Kayan Lahwi photograph • Filipino dance poles • Buddhist cremation photograph • Chinese burial garment • Sulawesi Island burial door • memorial hair wreath • Vietnamese funerary figures • Mexican Día de los Muertos skull and skeleton • Christian funeral cross The Story Behind the Exhibit In early 2010, focus groups, made up of residents and artists from 10 southeastern San Diego neighborhoods, were held to discuss how to promote and support the arts. Participants expressed interest in a partnership with the cultural institutions in Balboa Park. The feedback was enthusiastic and the Center for Community & Cultural Arts Learning Partnership was born. The partnership includes the San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego Museum of Art, and Mingei International Museum, as well as southeastern San Diego residents. It honors the diverse cultures and traditions of southeastern San Diego by building a two-way bridge between Balboa Park cultural institutions and the community. Rites of Passage, the first exhibition developed through the partnership, opened August 2012 at the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. The special exhibition was created to share stories, artifacts, and photos of major life events as practiced around the world. Objects loaned from the community and Balboa Park museums are integrated into the exhibit, which affirms the importance of connecting our shared experiences and inspires us to build a stronger community. We welcome you to share these heart-warming mementos of what it means to be human.
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From the Vault: Rare Artifacts with Fascinating Stories December 1, 2012 - October 27, 2013 We’re Prying Open Our Vaults! SDMoM’s world-class collections are home to over 400,000 artifacts. We’ve carefully selected 20 of our most extraordinary items for our newest exhibit, From the Vault: Rare Artifacts with Fascinating Stories. Each featured piece reflects a tale as unique as the artifact itself. |
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access/ABILITY October 13, 2012 - June 30, 2013 Explore the Ability in Disability! This award-winning exhibit created by Boston Children’s Museum features hands-on activities and real, personal stories that inspire visitors of all ages. Learn phrases in American Sign Language, type your name in Braille, try a hand-pedaled bike and take part in a multi-sensory City Walk! Powerful and highly interactive, access/ABILITY teaches respect, understanding, and that people living with disabilities lead active, fulfilling, and meaningful lives. |
Core Exhibitions
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Ancient Egypt Now Open The culture of ancient Egypt holds a universal appeal and fascination for adults and children alike. The Museum of Man is fortunate to have one of the most important ancient Egyptian collections in the United States. |
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Children's Discovery Center Now Open The Children's Discovery Center (CDC) exhibit, Discover Egypt, gives Discovery Center visitors an opportunity for interactive, sensory learning about ancient Egyptian civilization, and about the role of anthropologists and archaeologists in the research and interpretation of the culture. |
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Footsteps Through Time Now Open The Museum's West Wing houses our fabulous anthropology exhibit, Footsteps Through Time: Four Million Years of Human Evolution. The permanent exhibit—covering 7,000 square feet and featuring five galleries and more than a hundred touchable replicas of early humans |
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Kumeyaay: Native Californians This ongoing exhibit is now open to the public. The Kumeyaay, or Diegueño (as they were later called by the Spanish), are the Native American people of present-day Southern California (San Diego and western Imperial Counties) and Northern Baja. For many generations before the arrival of the Spanish, they occupied the deserts, mountains, and coasts, developing sophisticated means of adapting to the diverse environments. |
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Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth Exhibit Now Open Daily The ancient Maya left behind evidence of a sophisticated and complex culture. Using cycles of the moon, sun, and planets, they were able to develop accurate calendar systems. More than a thousand years ago, they used unique hieroglyphic writing to carve important dates, names of their rulers, and ceremonial events on stone monuments in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. |