Kids Free October is back, and for the first time it crosses the border
More than 70 museums, aquariums, gardens, and historic sites are giving kids 12 and under free admission all month, and eight Tijuana venues have joined the roster for the first time. SeaWorld, the Zoo, LEGOLAND, and Belmont Park run parallel eat-stay-play deals.
SAN DIEGO: October in San Diego comes with a standing deal for families: all month long, children 12 and under get free admission with a paying adult at more than 70 museums, historic sites, aquariums, and gardens across the county, from the Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Natural History Museum to Birch Aquarium at Scripps and the USS Midway Museum. The San Diego Museum Council runs the coupons; the fine print is per venue, but the headline is the same every year. This year carries something new: the program has gone international, with eight Tijuana venues joining the roster for the first time.
The Tijuana addition puts the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT), the Tijuana Aquarium, the IMAX dome, El Cubo, the Museum of the Californias, the Tijuana History Museum, the Historical Archives of Tijuana, and the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture on the same coupon sheet as Balboa Park. The Council's roster also stretches from the Barona Cultural Center to the California Surf Museum, the Maritime Museum of San Diego, and LEGOLAND California Resort.
Eat, stay, play
The museums are the anchor, but the San Diego Tourism Authority's parallel Kids Free San Diego program folds in the eat-stay-play deals: SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, LEGOLAND California Resort, SEA LIFE Aquarium, and Belmont Park all run October offers, alongside dozens of hotel, restaurant, and activity deals countywide. One local guide counts more than 100 offers across the region in the program's 15th year.
The fine print
The coupons cannot be combined with other offers, and sightseeing passes do not count as the paying adult ticket: the Council's terms say Balboa Park Explorer Passes, City Pass, and Go San Diego passes are not valid for the promotion, with the Zoo and Safari Park as the notable exception. Some venues limit the offer to once per month per guest, special exhibitions may carry a separate fee, and offers and age groups vary by coupon. The offer runs October 1 through 31.
None to date. The Tribune corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
