The Comic-Con Museum in San Diego is a permanent exhibition and love letter to all things nerd, geek, dweeb and pop culture. We were invited for a hosted a visit during our recent trip to San Diego Comic-Con and were surprised to find a perfect companion activity to the busy SDCC experience.

Whether you’re in town for San Diego Comic-Con or just visiting the city, the Comic-Con Museum is a worthy contender to pass a few hours whether you have little ones in tow or not. Here’s a look at what we experienced…

What to Expect

There are three floors full of exhibits, artwork, immersive displays to enjoy. You can find a DeLorean replica like the one in BACK TO THE FUTURE, find highly-graded comic books from the 1940s, see a glittery homage to Betty Boop, and even find Ryan Reynold’s “Ryan Gosling” shirt from DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. For the Disney fans, it will be no surprise that Disney’s fingerprints are all over the exhibit including nods to Walt himself plus innovations in science and pop culture during his life time including the Autopia, Monorails, the House of the Future, and more.

Plus, to make things interesting, the museum curates fun scavenger hunts that you can take with you as you explore the exhibition. It will make you stop to really take in the exhibits and is a fun way to keep young ones engaged. Plus, everyone knows the way to any Comic-Con goer’s heart is FREE SWAG and yes there’s a prize for completing the free activity! We got a Star Wars poster as our reward!

Current Exhibits

While you’re not going to feel like you’re working the massive Exhibit Floor of the San Diego Convention Center, this museum is a wonderful way to spend a few hours if you’re in Balboa Park or visiting San Diego. Some of the exhibits on highlight this summer include:

• Cosplay on Display see many costume looks from over the years created by fans who partake in the con-cherished tradition of cosplay
• POPnology – Pop Culture + Technology! come together to help you discover how yesterday’s fantasy become today’s realities. This headline exhibit delves into virtual reality, robotics, time travel and more. Pilot a virtual the Mars Rover around the Martian surface, interact with robots (including R2-D2) as you explore this infotainment exhibit.
• Becoming Betty Boop – You can Boop-Oop-A-Doop your way into this truly mesmerizing one-of-a-kind multimedia exhibit that includes a screening room to watch these surprisingly funny and witty cartoon shorts. Presented in collaboration with Fleischer Studios (including a few photo ops) you can take a timeline journey through the genesis of the first female animated screen star in history. The exhibit contains never-before-displayed artifacts —  including dolls, masks, cosmetic accessories, comic books, toys, and more — some dating back to the 1930s!
• Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings! delves into the fascinating worlds of Afrofuturism, fantasy and horror with Eisner Award-winning and New York Times best-selling comic artist and author, John Jennings. See many of his thought-provoking works on display plus, meet Ghost Light, a Marvel superhero originally created by Stan Lee and resurrected by Jennings.

Photos

See it for Yourself

Comic-Con Museum (2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego CA 92101) is open most days from 10am to 5pm; closed Wednedsays. Visit their website for the latest details.

Tickets for Comic-Con Museum range in price from $12 for children to $25 for adults and are sold as timed general admission for entrance.

MORE INFO: See all MouseInfo coverage for San Diego Comic-Con at mouseinfo.com/sdcc