Museum of Us

09/01/2026

From white walls to full color 💫 This month at the Museum, 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 will open in the second-floor exhibit galleries.

Pardon our dust as we make the finishing touches this week, and thank you to everyone who helped bring this new exhibit to life!

Learn more about this new experience opening next week on Saturday, September 12, at museumofus.org/exhibits/kumeyaay-comics-by-the-kumeyaay-visual-storytelling-project.

08/25/2026

This September, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥, presented by the International Friendship Park / El Parque Internacional de la Amistad, will come to the Museum of Us.

The installation transforms segments of the former border wall into community tables designed for gathering and conversation.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥 will be on view in a two-week pop-up exhibit at the Museum from September 6–19, 2026. The pop-up exhibit is included with general admission to the Museum.

The Friends of International Friendship Park and Museum of Us invite the public to engage with this unique installation. Learn more at museumofus.org/exhibits/traveling-tables-of-amistad-popup-exhibit

08/21/2026

We are ready for a great weekend! Quick heads-up – while the Museum of Us is usually open daily, we will be closed on Monday, August 24, for an all-staff training.

Visit museumofus.org to learn more about current and upcoming exhibits, the history of our historic building, and guided California Tower tours.

08/18/2026

The school year is back in session! Learn more about admission scholarships, bus scholarships for school groups, complimentary visits to plan field trips, and more resources for educators at museumofus.org/education .

Plus, the new exhibit 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 opens on September 12 – just in time for the fall semester. Learn more about the exhibition at museumofus.org/exhibits/kumeyaay-comics-by-the-kumeyaay-visual-storytelling-project .

08/13/2026

Stories in 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦: 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 & 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 show how communities have worked together to resist oppression and pursue freedom and prosperity.

Artworks like Sanford Biggers' piece, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮, give form to these histories. The patterns in this work are based on Black American quilt practices from the time of slavery.

Some oral histories describe these quilts as containing hidden symbols used to guide people to freedom. Biggers combines these stories with patterns from other cultural traditions, linking Black history to a broader story of resilience and resistance.

Learn more about these oral histories around quilt codes and more stories of resistance in 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦: 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 & 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 at the Museum of Us.

08/10/2026

Exhibit updates and reminders ⚠️

Installation for the new exhibition, 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 is now in progress. The exhibition 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺: 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴/𝘐𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘺-𝘛𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘪 is now permanently closed.

While the 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 exhibit will remain on view long-term, the exhibit is temporarily closed during the installation of the new 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 exhibition.

The 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 exhibit will reopen on Saturday, September 12 – the same date the new exhibit opens! 💫

08/06/2026

Coming soon to the Museum of Us! 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 opens on Saturday, September 12.

This immersive exhibit is based on the two-part graphic novel titled, Our Past, Present, and Future, and Beyond Gaming, authored by Kumeyaay scholars and historians Ethan Banegas, Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco, and Stanley Rodriguez. The vibrant, colorful comics are illustrated by John Swogger.

Located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation, the Museum of Us is proud to partner with the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project. Learn more about this new experience at museumofus.org/exhibits/kumeyaay-comics-by-the-kumeyaay-visual-storytelling-project.

Financial support for the Kumeyaay Comics by the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project exhibit at the Museum of Us is provided in part by the City of San Diego Department of Cultural Affairs.

08/04/2026

"We've transformed an old-school anthropology museum with a legacy of colonial and racist harm into a human-centered museum that builds empathy and healing."

The Museum of Us Staff and Board of Trustees thank longtime Chief Executive Officer, Micah Parzen, for his service and wish him the very best on his next journey as Executive Director of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley.

Read the full profile by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

For 16 years, the former attorney has overseen the stunning transformation of an anthropology museum, putting it on the front lines of the decolonization movement in America.

08/01/2026

We are excited to celebrate the Museum’s CEO, Micah Parzen! Thank you to the City of San Diego for joining Us in honoring Micah’s leadership and service to our community by proclaiming today, July 31st, Micah Parzen Day. 💙

A special thank you to Mayor Todd Gloria and City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn for sponsoring the Micah Parzen Day resolution. We would also like to thank Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and the County Board of Supervisors for honoring Micah by proclamation.

Over the last 16 years, Micah has led the Museum's transformation into a human-centered organization with experiences that reflect the many diverse stories of the human experience – especially those that have long been overlooked or silenced.

These are just a few of the major accomplishments we're celebrating from Micah Parzen's tenure at the Museum. The meaningful progress made over these years is proof that incredible things can happen when we work together and invest in building a place that is truly for all of us.

Thank you, Micah!
-Team Us

07/28/2026

After being on view since the 1990s, the longstanding exhibition 𝘒𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘺: 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴/𝘐𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘺-𝘛𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘪, will close on Monday, August 3. The Kumeyaay Cosmology exhibit will remain on view.

In recent years, Museum staff and Kumeyaay community representatives have worked together to care for and update elements of the exhibition with traditional and contemporary Kumeyaay lifeways and cultural belongings.

However, decolonizing museum practice involves more than revising existing displays.

Over the past several years the Museum's Exhibits Department has been working with community members from across the greater Kumeyaay Nation in San Diego County and northern Baja California to develop a new, larger exhibition that shares histories and living cultures through community voices and perspectives.

The greater Kumeyaay Nation encompasses many distinct communities whose members identify by different names including Kumeyaay, Kumiai, Iipay, Tipai, and Diegueño, among others.

More information about the new exhibition and its opening will be shared in the future.

Community members may reach out to the Exhibits Department to learn more about this process at [email protected].

For questions about access to cultural resources previously on display, please contact [email protected].