San Diego Archaeological Center
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.
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.
Girl Scout Field Trip Day
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us for a field trip at the San Diego Archaeological Center, where you'll learn what archaeology actually is, where we work, the variety of tools we use, and how we study the past here and all over the world. Complete an Archaeology Quest guiding you through 12,000 years of local history and multiple interactive exhibits then make your own piece of pottery to take home. Register now to save your spot. Program is $10 per scout, pay at door.
Kids Pottery Workshop
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesGet creative this October! Join us for a pottery workshop and museum open house. Create your own piece of pottery to take home with you. Journey through the museum on a family-friendly Archaeology Quest. Use your excavation skills to uncover the past, then examine and record your findings in our Field Lab – just like a real archaeologist! Museum admission and pottery workshop are free for kids 12 and under. Adult museum admission: Pay what you wish (suggested $5/person). No registration required.
Art with an Archaeologist
Free admission for kids on select Saturdays! Join us for family-friendly activities in our classroom, where you can create your own art with an archaeologist, become a junior archaeologist with our miniature excavation units, and curl up with a book on our cozy reading rug. Families can also explore the museum on an Archaeology Quest and check out our Excavation Station and Field Lab. Kids 12 & under: Free; Adults: $5 (includes museum admission)
Ancient Echoes: Pints & Pigments
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesIn this installment of our Ancient Echoes, you’ll make art the ancient way! Using natural pigments and a little human creativity, you’ll produce a one-of-a-kind paleolithic art piece (no cave required). All art materials will be provided. Tickets include two drinks per person (alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available). This event is 21+. 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. Cost: $40; SDAC Members $35 Online Registration is closed. Please pay at door. Please note: Tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, your ticket(s) will be converted into a tax-deductible donation.
Art with an Archaeologist
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesFree admission for kids on select Saturdays! Join us for family-friendly activities in our classroom, where you can create your own art with an archaeologist, become a junior archaeologist with our miniature excavation units, and curl up with a book on our cozy reading rug. Families can also explore the museum on an Archaeology Quest and check out our Excavation Station and Field Lab. Kids 12 & under: Free; Adults: $5 (includes museum admission)
Archaeology Summer Camp Session 2
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us for an unforgettable week at the San Diego Archaeological Center’s KIDS DIG Archaeology Summer Camp! Kids will embark on a journey through time as you explore the rich history and culture of our shared human past through a variety of hands-on activities, including basketry, local hiking, honing your archery and atlatl skills, crafting pottery, ancient games, and decoding Ice Age rock art from around the world. Whether your child or grandchild is a budding archaeologist or just eager to experience the past in a whole new way, our summer camp offers something for everyone. Get ready for a week filled with adventure, discovery, and endless fun! Space is limited to 25 campers per session. Ages: 6-12. Sign up now and let the adventure begin! View our Archaeology Summer Camp page for more details and registration.
Historic Archery at the Center
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesWe're stringing our bows for a spot of archery right here at the San Diego Archaeological Center! Shoot some rounds, make some new friends, and learn about how different cultures around the world crafted, hunted, and fought with bows and arrows. We'll be showcasing handmade traditional bows, arrows, quivers, and cordage, and demonstrating how to craft them out of natural materials. No previous experience required. Please bring your own gear if possible. A limited amount of gear will be available to borrow - first come, first served. Family-friendly range time: 9 AM to 10 AM Adults only: 10 AM to 12 PM Cost: $10 (includes museum admission); SDAC Members Free
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. 10:30 AM - Ethnozoology of the Kumeyaay People by Richard Carrico For the Kumeyaay people of San Diego County, animals, birds, insects, and other creatures hold a special place in the cosmos and played a variety of important roles. Their embodiment is not always easily visualized because some creatures, large and small, exist in worlds not always seen by most humans, and rarely acknowledged by archaeologists. For many of the native people, there was a time when animals were actually human. In the mythic, ancient time what we now know as humans, or more correctly as mortals, did not exist. The world was inhabited by animals and by animals who were humans but not mortals—these were the Early People and some creatures could embody traits of what came to be known as the mortal humans and animals. Only later in time did the separation grow between animals and humans, and at that time the humans became mortal. This presentation will provide an analysis and discussion of the role and place of non-human creatures within the world and cosmos of the Kumeyaay people of San Diego County. 12:30 PM - The First Chicken Burrito in Western North America: Zooarchaeology of Avian Remains for the San Diego Royal Presidio by Dr. Aharon Sasson The San Diego Presidio, established in AD 1769, was the first European settlement in Upper California. Very little is known about chicken husbandry in colonial America, which makes this study the first comprehensive analysis of chicken remains in North America. Chickens are scarcely mentioned in historical accounts describing early California, and information on their sex, age, or management is rare. Small-scale poultry production, likely managed by women and children, provided California presidios with a form of subsistence independence.