No More Free Tuesdays — Sort Of
It used to be that on the fourth Tuesday of the month, you could get into the San Diego Air & Space Museum for free. That will change starting in July.
The museum is experimenting with this change in policy this summer, allowing only San Diego County residents and active-duty military to get in free on “Free Tuesdays.â€Â
Part of the reason for the change is that these days are often the most crowded, straining museum resources without increased revenue.
“It’s a madhouse,†said Mick Hager, executive director for the Natural History Museum which is also making the switch. “It’s not a good experience for people. It’s not good for the exhibits or the facility.â€Â
Air & Space Museum president Bill Lennartz hopes that the experiment will show a significant bump in revenue. “We might as well get what we have due from people outside San Diego,†he said.
The details of the experiment, which is expected to run through September, are not worked out yet. Most likely county residents and military personnel will need to show identification at the door. Whether the restriction on “Free Tuesdays†becomes standard policy will depend on feedback from visitors and how much revenue it generates, Hager said.
New Summer Hours
Normal summer hours, which go from Memorial Day through Labor Day are 10am to 5:30pm, with admission until 5pm. However, starting in June the San Diego Air & Space Museum will remain open until 11pm on the third Thursday of each month until September.
This change is to accommodate a special program featuring museum tours and movies under the canopy of the Pavilion of Flight. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic dinner and comfortable beach chairs to watch aviation- and space-related movies that are rated PG or lower beginning at 8pm. Scheduled movies are:
June 15 – Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon and Gary Sinise.
July 20 – The Great Waldo Pepper, directed by George Roy Hill and starring Robert Redford as a biplane pilot who, having missed flying in WWI, takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he missed.
August 17 – Airplane!, the comedy directed by Jim Abrahams and David Zucker, starring Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and Leslie Nielsen.
September 21 – The Rocketeer, directed by Joe Johnston and starring Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly.
Tours of the museum will be offered along with simulator rides in a family atmosphere. Admission to the movies is included in the regular admission price. For more information call (619) 234-8291 or visit www.aerospacemuseum.org/upcoming/flybynight.html.
See the Mars Rover at the Museum
The San Diego Mars Society will be participating is upcoming Family Days a the San Diego Air & Space Museum, bringing its San Diego Mars Rover with it. Family Days when the Mars Rover will be available are July 8, Sept. 9 and Nov. 11 from 11am to 3pm. For more information, visit chapters.marssociety.org/SanDiego/.