San Diego Natural History Museum

The San Diego Natural History Museum helps nature thrive through research, education, and collaboration. We focus on Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula, and as the oldest and pre-eminent natural science organization in the country’s most biodiverse region, our work has global implications and impact. Together with our partners, we advance our understanding of the natural world—informing our own conservation efforts and inspiring others to love, appreciate, and conserve it too.

Founded as—and still officially named—the San Diego Society of Natural History, the organization traces its roots to an enthusiastic group of amateur naturalists who came together in 1874 to study the unique flora and fauna of our region. Now known as the San Diego Natural History Museum (and affectionately referred to as The Nat), the organization focuses on the natural history and unique biodiversity of our binational region. We welcome nearly 400,000 people into the Museum each year, host environmental education programs in the community, and are engaged in scientific research throughout Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula.

While many people know The Nat as a flagship institution in Balboa Park, we are much bigger than our building. The world we live in is an amazing place. We want everyone to understand it better, enjoy it more, and love it as much as we do, so we’ll all protect it for the future. Because we believe that nature is the biggest exhibition of all.