Best Arts and Culture Places in Gaslamp Quarter

"Located in Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art is a must-see attraction when visiting the city. The exterior itself is a masterpiece, with an ornamented doorway consisting of life-sized sculptures of Spanish painters and heraldry. Inside you’ll find Spanish and Italian old masters, Asian paintings and sculptures, and a range of touring exhibits."

"Within Balboa Park stands the intricate facade of the San Diego Museum of Art, the region’s oldest and largest art museum visited by half a million people every year."

"Known for its Spanish baroque and Renaissance paintings, including works by El Greco, Goya, Rubens, and van Ruisdael, San Diego's most…"

"The Children’s Museum provides a dynamic, playful public space and community center for children and families—a place to experience exciting art exhibitions, hands-on studio projects, performances, birthday parties, in-depth classes, camps and educational programs. Across the street from the new building is a beautiful park, extending the museum visit outdoors with space for running, climbing, family picnics and a view of the trains and trolley going by."

"The New Children's Museum in San Diego is a great museum for families with children to visit. The museum's state of the art center is focused on creating a space where children can think, play and create through hands-on exhibitions, art creation, and educational opportunities. It has something for children of every age and parents will enjoy the learning nature of it as well."

"This museum is concerned with developing children’s creativity and imagination. It originally opened in 1983, and it has been one of the favorite places of the youngest visitors in San Diego ever since. The vision of this museum is to engage children in developing numerous skills through contemporary art."

"Another Balboa park museum, the Museum of Photographic Arts, is a world-class site with an extensive collection of films, photographs, and videos. The museum was opened in 1983 and is one of the three museums which are specifically dedicated to the collection and preservation of photography in the United States. It is home to spacious galleries and state-of-the-art 228 seat theatre exhibiting work from some of the world-renowned photographers and cinematographers, including work by Yosuke Yamahata, the entire Nagasaki Journey: The Photographs of Yosuke Yamahata and an extensive collection from filmmaker Lou Stoumen’s estate."

"The Museum of Photographic Arts is a museum and visual learning center, situated in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. It is an independent institution that collects, protects, and presents photography, films, and video graphics art. MOPA presents a broad range of rotating exhibitions from the solo photographer as well as group shows around the globe, across the year."

"MOPA, one of the few museums devoted solely to photography, features works by both the famous and not so famous."

"Founded in 1978 by San Diego State University professor of art Martha Longenecker, Mingei International Museum collects, conserves and exhibits items of daily use, such as ceramics. With a collection of 17,500 objects from 141 countries, the museum contains folk art from the third century BC to the present day. Longenecker studied pottery-making under the tutelage of the founders of the Mingei Association of Japan, which inspired her to bring the vision of mingei to America."

"Art is a powerful voice for people and helps us connect and express ourselves beyond language barriers. The Mingei International Museum showcases the “art of the people” across time and cultures. The exhibits are constantly changing to highlight new historical, contemporary folk art, crafts, and design and discover the finest examples of creative expression from underappreciated artists."

"Located in San Diego’s Balboa Park, Mingei exhibits folk art, craft & design from all eras & cultures. Art of the world, art of the people."

"An educational forum to present the work of professional artists in a range of media and dealing with diverse issues. sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/mesa-college-art-gallery/. 7250 Mesa College Dr, San Diego, CA 92111"

"San Diego Art Institute is a not-for-profit institution in San Diego, California, that is an experimental bi-national modern art center. It is situated in the historic building House of Charm in Balboa Park, El Prado. SDAI is the only contemporary culture association in Balboa Park that supports the creation of innovative art by providing exclusive space for artistic competencies of Southern California and Northern Baja to fraternize, exhibit, and bloom."

"When founded in 1941, the San Diego Art Institute was called the San Diego Business Men’s Art Club, only permitting male members. By the 1950s, women were allowed in and the name had been changed. The cultural institution now showcases experimental art from a diverse array of artists from the Southern California/Baja Norte region."

"A new exhibition of works by San Diego artists opens every four to six weeks in this 10,000-square-foot gallery, dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts through outreach, education, and exhibition."

"Located inside Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art is one of the most popular indoor attractions in San Diego and plays host to a large collection of artwork. For those who enjoy viewing masterpieces created by European, American and Asian artists, the museum offers a broad selection of pieces including work from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as some from today’s most recognizable artists. The San Diego Museum of Art is the oldest and largest art museum in the region and welcomes guests from all over the world throughout the year."

"This museum has a few different exhibits rotating throughout the year and they make plenty of appearances on instagram. These exhibits have already left, but see the ones they have now here."

"Monello serves cuisine inspired by the contemporary street food of Milan, including appetizers, handcrafted pastas, pizzas, and meat and seafood entrees. House specialties include veal ravioli and butternut squash gnocchi, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays bring the opportunity to try a specialty pasta or risotto dish cooked in a 40-pound half wheel of cheese. Happy hour is held every day of the week between 4 p.m."

"Although San Diego is generally known for its casual dress code and easy attitude, Monello is a place worth dressing up for. The Milanese restaurant is most famous for its cheese wheel, which they heat, melt, and toss pasta on. Divine, yes—but if you think that's indulgent, drop in on Wednesdays, when they sub out pasta for risotto."

"Aperitivo is the main event at Little Italy’s Monello, the slightly more casual sister restaurant to Bencotto, which is just next door. Spring for the housemade vermouth cocktails with accompanying small plates and don’t skip the pasta in a wheel of cheese special."

"Located upstairs from the more casual Fish Market, this refined venue offers views from Point Loma to the Coronado Bridge, along with cuisine that is nothing short of spectacular. An incredibly broad offering of seafood might include Scottish Isles salmon, South American lobster tail, Oregon dungeness crab, or Chilean sea bass that is all flown in daily. The romantic setting features crisp linens, flickering candlelight, impeccable service, and exhibition-style cooking."

"Located right above the Fish Market, Top of the Market provides gorgeous views of the San Diego Bay. Here you can enjoy seafood that is fresh and delicious. The restaurant has an intimate ambiance that is perfect for date night."

"Top of the Market restaurant in San Diego is located above the Fish Market in an upstairs venue. The expansive views of the San Diego Bay to are breathtaking. The cuisine is among the finest available in all of San Diego."

"Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood & Crab strives to serve only the best, most sustainable ingredients. They create selections that respect the plate, the palate, and the planet. They practice TRU continuity, by maintaining a steadfast commitment to serving the highest-quality sustainable seafood."

"Truluck’s is known for the fresh seafood that is sourced from their own fisheries. The restaurant opens at 5 pm nightly to serve dinners. This is an upscale seafood and steak chain that offers moderate to reasonable prices for well-prepared meals."

"Dining at Truluck’s is more than a meal - it’s a truly romantic occasion. Every night they feature local entertainers in the lounge and also have a cocktail hour to keep your wine ..."

"There’s always something new at Crumbl with their 4 specialty flavors changing weekly, but they’ve always got the classic choc chip and sugar cookie daily. As of this writing, their specialty flavors are Snickerdoodle Cupcake, Pumpkin Choc Chip, Frozen Hot Chocolate (hello chocolate mousse with mini marshmallows and powdered sugar!) and a Biscoff Lava; which if you’ve never had a Biscoff cookie, make this the one you try first!"

"Finally, over in Hillcrest, check out Uncle Biff's Killer Cookies, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 738 reviews on Yelp. You can find the bakery at 650 University Ave. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues). This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor."

"Although there are quite a few bakeries, donut shops, and ice cream parlors in San Diego that offer vegan options, Starry Lane Bakery is the only place I’ve found that offers 100% vegan desserts. And, might I add, really good vegan desserts. The great thing about this bakery is that it’s good for anyone who is sensitive to food allergens, since they make all of their desserts without the top 10 most common allergens."

"Born from the minds of two sisters – one with life-threatening food allergies – all of the bakery’s products are Top 10 allergen-free. Starry Lane values the health and safety of their customers, and they achieve that through transparency and delicious food."