SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF MAN DBA MUSEUM OF US
Programs
Community Engagement and Equity Initiatives
Our 2020 name change represents a commitment to equity, access, and our decolonizing/anti-racism work a journey that has been ongoing since our mission shift and will continue into the future. This change means holding ourselves accountable to our colonial past and present, so that we can transform into a more equitable organization. We must do better for our community and future generations. Our organizational practices, policies, and culture are changing to reflect the requests and needs of our internal and external communities. These shifts result from the guidance of our partners: elders, artists, community members, ambassadors, and scholars within Black, Indigenous, and communities of color.When we reopened in 2021, after the pandemic closure, we did so with a five-day-a-week schedule, and welcomed approximately 100K visitors annually. Starting on July 15th 2024, we returned to daily openings and are now also opened for monthly San Diego Resident Free Tuesdays (on the 4th Tuesday). Almost 20% of FY24 admissions were free of charge or through scholarships. Our audience identifies as: (1) Average age 35.5, (2) Woman 69.4%, (3) Man 26.3%, (4) Other Gender/prefer not to answer 4.3%, (5) White/Caucasian 64.4%, (6) African American 3.9%, (7) Hispanic/Latino 20.5%, (8) Asian 9.4%, and (9) Other, including Native American 1.8%. Our virtual audience includes over 9K Instagram followers, over 25K Facebook followers, over 5.5K Twitter/X followers, and over 3.6K LinkedIn followers. Presently, the Museum has an extremely large membership base with 10K currently enrolled. The Museums current exhibits include Hostile Terrain 94, PostSecret, Living With Animals, BEERology, Cannibals: Myth & Reality, Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, Kumeyaay: Native Californians/Iipai-Tipai, Ancient Egypt, Race: Are We So Different, and California Tower tours. These exhibits, and complementary public programs, encourage visitors to challenge their assumptions, and world views.In November 2025, the Museum will open a new, reimagined Race exhibit titled, Race: Power, Resistance & Change; the culmination of a multi-year community led exhibit development effort that explores the complex layers of local racial history and the ongoing struggles for equality through moments of resistance and change.The Museums Department of Cultural Resources is tasked with caring for more than 150,000 documented ethnographic materials, more than 500,000 archaeological cultural resources, and over 100,000 photographic images; and, for stewarding them within a decolonized paradigm. To that end, the Museum passed policies in 2017 and 2018 that require documented consent from descendant communities to hold human remains or any Indigenous belongings at the Museum. These policies commit the Museum to repatriating any Indigenous item for which the Museum does not have such consent. Since 2017, weve been working with our Kumeyaay partners in meaningful ways to incorporate community voice in broad-based decisions about cultural resources, exhibits, and programs. Similar efforts are now ongoing with other local/national Native American communities and Indigenous communities world-wide. The Museum holds accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. In March 2024, for the second year in a row, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced that the Museum was a finalist for the National Medal for Museums and Libraries, the nations highest honor for museums and libraries who have shown exceptional service to their communities.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.6MProgram 1 [2025]
THE MUSEUMS ON-SITE EXHIBITS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS OCCUR AT OUR HISTORIC VENUE IN BALBOA PARK. WE ARE OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK; CLOSING ON CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING, AND FOR STAFF TRAININGS. OVER 100K VISITORS ARE WELCOMED ANNUALLY, INCLUDING GROUP SCHOOL VISITATIONS. EXHIBITS INCLUDE HOSTILE TERRAIN 94, POSTSECRET, LIVING WITH ANIMALS, BEEROLOGY, CANNIBALS: MYTH & REALITY, MAYA PEOPLES: HEART OF SKY, HEART OF EARTH, KUMEYAAY: NATIVE CALIFORNIANS/IIPAI-TIPAI, ANCIENT EGYPT, RACE: ARE WE SO DIFFERENT, HAPA.ME: 25 YEARS OF THE HAPA PROJECT, RACE: POWER, RESISTANCE & CHANGE, AND CALIFORNIA TOWER TOURS. THESE EXHIBITS, AND COMPLEMENTARY PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO CHALLENGE THEIR ASSUMPTIONS AND WORLD VIEWS. WE STEWARD 75,000+ ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, 300,000+ ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND 51,000+ PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH NATIVE AMERICANS /INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBALLY TO FACILITATE THE REPATRIATION OF ANCESTORS, SACRED OBJECTS, AND OTHER MATERIALS.THE MUSEUM IS COMMITTED TO REMOVING ACCESS BARRIERS SO THAT OUR PROGRAMS CAN BE ENJOYED BY ALL. OVER 4,800 STUDENTS (ADULT AND YOUTH), THEIR TEACHERS, AND CHAPERONES VISITED THE MUSEUM IN FY25 FOR BOTH GUIDED AND SELF-GUIDED EXPERIENCES. OF THAT TOTAL, 3,615 VISITED ON SCHOLARSHIP AND VIA OUR FREE EDUCATOR PROGRAMS. OUR LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH PRICE PHILANTHROPIES CONTINUED WITH THE MUSEUM WELCOMING 430 STUDENTS FROM CITY HEIGHTS SCHOOLS AS PART OF THE SCHOOL IN THE PARK PROGRAM. ALMOST 250 OF THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALSO JOINED US FOR THE THIRD GRADE OPEN HOUSE. OTHER ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDED:FREE ENTRY ON US FOR ANYONE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL NEED.DISCOVER & GO WEEK-LONG PASSES TO THOSE WITH A SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD.FREE COMMUNITY DAYS, SUCH AS THE DECEMBER NIGHTS AND MONTHLY FREE TUESDAYS.IN FY25, WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR LEAD ACCESS PARTNER THE US BANK FOUNDATION AND OTHER GENEROUS FUNDERS, THE MUSEUM OF US PROVIDED FREE ON-SITE ACCESS TO APPROXIMATELY 31,000 INDIVIDUALS. IN TOTAL, WE WELCOMED OVER 115,000 VISITORS THROUGH OUR DOORS. ALMOST 2,000 PARTICIPATED IN OUR FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING WHICH IS HOSTED ON THE GOOGLE ARTS & CULTURE APP.THE MUSEUM HOLDS ACCREDITATION BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS AND IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. CHARITY NAVIGATOR RATES THE MUSEUM AT FOUR OUT OF FOUR STARS, AND HAS DONE SO FOR NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. IN MARCH 2024, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES ANNOUNCED THAT THE MUSEUM WAS A FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL MEDAL FOR MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES, THE NATIONS HIGHEST HONOR FOR MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES WHO HAVE SHOWN EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.6M
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