What's more fun than visiting the San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) during the day? Visiting the Museum at night, of course. The Nat hosts Nat at Night every third Friday of the month and every Friday during summer (from May 23 to August 22). During this fun-filled event, the Museum stays open until 10 PM, so you can kick off your weekend with extra perks that aren't available during the daytime. To make it even better, admission is half-price from 5–10 PM. As usual, members of The Nat and Explorer pass holders enter for free.
Here are five activities you can look forward to during Nat at Night next time you visit!
There's something extra exciting about exploring our Museum during the night, where you can become a nighttime naturalist. Study our awe-inspiring dinosaur bones in Fossil Mysteries, witness our Living Lab frogs become active after dusk, and listen to the nighttime sounds of the desert in Coast to Cactus. Alongside our four floors of natural history, our gorgeous rooftop is one of the biggest attractions during Nat at Night. You can enjoy food or a drink while admiring the sunset and the best views of Balboa Park.
Get ready, nature nerds! Something else exciting is coming your way this summer. In June, you will be able to explore our newest exhibit, Amazement in the Basement. In this new experience, you will be able to marvel at our vast natural history specimen collection, get a glimpse of behind-the-scenes research, and see our brand-new Paleontology Center. Once open, the basement level will also be accessible during Nat at Night, giving you five floors to explore.
On the second floor of the Museum, you'll find multiple tables, each with a specimen on display from our specimen library. Thanks to the local art community, Sketchparty, you can use the markers and pencils provided to have fun drawing on the sheets of paper covering tables throughout our galleries. Draw a depiction of our provided specimen models, an aspect of nature that stood out from one of our other exhibits, or whatever else inspires you that night! There is no pressure—just open creative expression. This experience is only offered during Nat at Night.
Has exploring our multilevel museum made you hungry? Are you craving a burrito or maybe some fries? We'll make sure your tummy is full with our two delicious and unique restaurant selections: The Craft Taco and Wolf in the Woods.
Starting as a food truck in 2020, then moving to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Sorrento Valley, and now occupying the first floor of our Atrium daily, The Craft Taco is a delicious choice for a meal during our regular museum hours and at Nat at Night. Located in the Atrium, The Craft Taco is a delicious and unique artisanal restaurant serving flavor-packed tacos, burritos, and bowls, all drizzled with house-made sauces and salsas. Vegan and vegetarian options are available.
If you journey to our rooftop (entrance on the fourth floor), you'll discover our pop-up restaurant partner, Wolf in the Woods—named 2024 Restaurant of the Year by San Diego Magazine. You can watch the sunset from the beautiful rooftop view while enjoying tapas from their menu, which fuses Hispanic, Native American, and European flavors to create a truly unique dining experience.
During Nat at Night only, we offer multiple bars on our first floor in the Atrium, the second floor, and the rooftop, serving a selection of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages for Museum visitors 21 and over. Our selection changes with the seasons, but we always offer a variety of craft cocktails and mocktails, as well as white and red wines, and craft beers. Enjoy a drink with your meal while taking in the rooftop view, or take it with you as you explore our exhibits.
Before you retire from learning for the night, make sure to stop at our museum store! Gold Leaf at The Nat is a sister store to Gold Leaf South Park and is an independently owned gift shop devoted to representing small businesses, sustainability, and natural history. Open during all Museum hours, you can stop by Gold Leaf during your Nat at Night experience to shop for nature-related home goods, gifts, and toys for kids and adults alike. Check out our Museum merch at the store—we have exclusive Nat t-shirts, magnets, keychains, hats, and more to rep your favorite natural history museum in San Diego.
We know you're excited to join in on our festivities every Friday night of summer. Add Nat at Night to your summer bucket list, for the love of nature!
Posted by Janae Pabon.
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