Kids Free San Diego
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesCalling all Junior Archaeologists! This October, present your Kids Free San Diego coupon to receive free admission to the Center and a take-home pottery kit for kids 12 and under. Journey through the museum on a family-friendly Archaeology Quest. Use your excavation skills to uncover the past. Examine and record your findings in our field lab - just like a real archaeologist! Then continue the fun at home with a pinch pot kit. Pottery kits and museum admission are free for children 12 and under with Kids Free San Diego Coupon plus paid adult admission. To participate, visit the San Diego Museum Council website to download your coupon. Then present it when you visit the Center to receive free admission and pottery kits for up to two children (12 and under) with one full-price paid adult ($5+). Limit 1 pottery kit per child. Organized by the San Diego Tourism Authority with support from the San Diego Museum Council (SDMC), Kids Free San Diego is an opportunity for thousands of families to enjoy museum experiences each year. Visit SanDiego.org to view participating museums and terms. A full directory of participating venues can also be found on the SDMC website.
Arch in the Park
Los Penasquitos Ranch House 12122 Canyonside Park Drive, San Diego, CA, United StatesJoin the San Diego County Archaeological Society (SDCAS) for their annual Arch in the Park event. Their goal is to educate the public about archaeology, and to provide information on various career and volunteer opportunities with local archaeological companies, museums, universities, and organizations. Typically, more than 30 vendors take part in Arch in the Park. Arch in the Park is ideal for students and budding archaeologists to network, as well as family fun. This event is hosted by the San Diego County Archaeological Society. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Story Time with an Archaeologist
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us on select Thursday mornings for archaeology-themed story time at the Center. Stay afterwards to explore the museum with family-friendly activities like our Archaeology Quest and Field Lab.
Julian Natural Wonderfest
Menghini Winery 1150 Julian Orchards Dr., Julian, CA, United StatesJoin the Volcan Mountain Foundation for the Julian Natural Wonderfest, a day of fun, education, wildlife, science, wonder, preservation and dark sky appreciation for the whole family! Free event — community sponsored! This afternoon and evening gathering at Menghini Winery will include a late night astronomy star party, wildlife ambassador encounters, games and activities for families, presentations of music and art, and outreach booths from land preservation and other local nature-focused organizations, food vendors and access to the winery tasting room adjacent to the event venue. Free parking convenient to the event grounds.
Archaeology Day
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center 200 Palm Canyon Dr, Borrego Springs, CA, United StatesJoin the Colorado Desert Archaeological Society for Archaeology Day at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center. Events include local indigenous artists, exhibits, paddle-anvil pottery making and rock painting activities for kids, video "field trips" to La Rumarosa in Baja and Morteros Trail in Blair Valley, guided tours of the Begole Archaeology Research Lab and Library, and in-person field trips to Mine Wash Village and Blair Valley cultural sites. View Archaeology Day Flyer This event is hosted by the Colorado Desert Archaeological Society. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Ancient Echoes: 10,000 Years of Beer
BattleMage Brewing Company 2870 Scott St #102, Vista, CA, United StatesCome join the San Diego Archaeological Center and celebrate San Diego Beer Week at BattleMage Brewing with a free presentation delving into the murky, storied archaeological past of our favorite malted beverage. From ancient Sumerian hymns to Egyptian tombs, to the secretive monasteries of old Bavaria, we’ll uncover how archaeological findings, such as brewing tools and ancient recipes, reveal beer's influence on culture, economy, and social life throughout history. Presentations start at 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM. About Ancient Echoes In our adult friendly Ancient Echoes series, we look back into the archaeological record at the origins of many of our favorite things and breaking the conceptions of their modernity. Have you ever wondered about the roots of mead, chocolate, or beer? What about the importance of art, dance, and music to Ice Age hunter-gatherers? Ancient Echoes explores these topics and more, offering an interactive experience aimed at connecting us back with our deep past.
Fall Into Archaeology Day Camp
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesWe are excited to announce our brand-new autumn day camp for elementary school students! This a la carte style day camp will take place the week of Thanksgiving. Choose individual days or choose them all! Whether your child or grandchild is a budding archaeologist or just eager to experience the past in a whole new way, our camp offers something for everyone. Get ready for a week filled with adventure, discovery, and endless fun! Space is limited to 30 campers per session. Sign up now and let the adventure begin! Grades: K-5 Schedule: Monday, November 25: Archaeology and the Ancient World – Come discover what archaeology is, is not, and what is bad archaeology. Explore the museum, get a behind-the-scenes tour of our collections laboratory, make coil pots, and practice your beadmaking skills. Tuesday, November 26: Ancient Games Day – Discover a world before video games, as we explore the 5,000-year-old Game of Twenty Squares, and learn to make your own ancient Egyptian Senet board. Learn to play mancala, backgammon, and chess, or try your hand at Apal Uumarr, or the game of stones. Wednesday, November 27: Ice Age Extravaganza! – Enjoy our final camp day making your very own ice age rock art. Learn cordage weaving, and basket making, and hone your atlatl throwing and archery skills. See our Archaeology Camp Page for more information.
Beadmaking, Cordage, and Basketry Workshop for Girl Scouts
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us at the San Diego Archaeological Center for a beadmaking, cordage, and basketry workshop. Register now to save your spot. Program is $15 per scout, pay at door.
Sip & Sketch Holiday Art Class
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesSip, sketch, and color at our holiday art class with archaeological illustrator Donna Walker. Learn how to draw the native plant Toyon Berry, also known as California Holly, then color your drawing with Prismacolor, an oil-based color pencil that blends and looks like a watercolor painting when you’ve finished. You’ll learn techniques that will give your objects depth and definition – gone will be the flat-looking images, yours will look 3-D! Then turn your drawing into a personalized holiday card for friends and family! All art supplies will be provided. Tickets include two drinks per person (alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available) and light refreshments. This event is 21+. Cost: $35; SDAC Members $30 Register for Sip & Sketch Holiday Art Class
Ancient Echoes: Ice Age Pigments – Handprint Edition
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesHave you already taken Pints & Pigments? Ready to step up your Pleistocene rock art skills to the next level? If so, put on your dirty painting clothes and come to the SDAC for this all-ages outdoor art event where we’ll be spraying, blowing, and flinging our favorite ancient pigments like an Ice Age Jackson Pollock! All art materials will be provided. Tickets include coffee, tea, and light refreshments. About Ancient Echoes In our Ancient Echoes series, we look back into the archaeological record at the origins of many of our favorite things and breaking the conceptions of their modernity. Have you ever wondered about the roots of mead, chocolate, or beer? What about the importance of art, dance, and music to Ice Age hunter-gatherers? Ancient Echoes explores these topics and more, offering an interactive experience aimed at connecting us back with our deep past. Cost: $35; SDAC Members $25 Register for Workshop Please note: Tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, your ticket(s) will be converted into a tax-deductible donation.
2nd Saturday Lecture Screenings
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us every 2nd Saturday of the month for two screenings of our Living Room Lectures by archaeologists, experts, and authors. Lecture screenings start at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM and are included with museum admission. No reservations needed. Seating is first come, first served.
Living Room Lecture – Beyond Bones: How Human Remains Can Facilitate Wellbeing, Healing, and Inclusion
VirtualIn this lecture, Giselle Király will discuss the power of archaeological human remains, and how, with the right facilitation, they have the ability to promote wellbeing, healing and inclusion. This has been most notable in archaeological sites with military service people, but also seen on sites with people with low mental health, neurodivergence, ADHD, or autism. Giselle will look at sites ranging from Sutton Hoo to World War II, where archaeology, and specifically human remains, have changed peoples lives. This lecture will be held on Zoom. Cost: Pay what you wish Register for Lecture About the Speaker Giselle Király is a commercial fieldwork project officer and human osteoarchaeologist for PCAS Archaeology in England, conducting excavations and analysing skeletal assemblages ranging from the peaty Mesolithic to WWII plane crashes. She also collaborates with Operation Nightingale, of the Ministry of Defence, helping veterans on their path to recovery through archaeology. She has led fieldwork in Europe, Georgia, and across the UK, teaching osteology and field techniques to students, veterans, volunteers, and police forces. She can be seen on History Hit TV, Digging for Britain, and most notably, the revived Time Team.