008: Big News: The Museum Will Be Open Throughout Comic-Con!
A pop-up version of the Comic-Con Museum will be open in Balboa Park each day during Comic-Con! No SDCC badge is required to enter, and admission is free for the whole community.
Preparations are underway to activate all three floors of the 68,000 square foot building with exciting exhibits, programs, and experiences. Specific features and attractions of the pop-up Museum will include:
The Batman Experience Powered by AT&T, an interactive, immersive experience that includes one of the largest-ever exhibits of Batman-related comics, art, games, props, costumes and vehicles. Click here for more information!
Cover Story: The Art of Comic-Con 50, an acclaimed display of original art exploring 50 years of Comic-Con program book covers. First unveiled in March, the exhibit will have an exciting new addition: the original Jim Lee artwork that graces the milestone 50th anniversary cover.
Daily panels in the Museum theater, organized by Comic-Con. Four panels per day will give the broader community a taste of the great variety and depth of Comic-Con programming. Full details will be announced as we reveal the complete Comic-Con programming schedule.
“Geek Couture: Designs from the Her Universe Fashion Show, for the first time ever, an exhibition featuring more than a dozen designs that have graced the Her Universe Fashion Show runway over the past five years. The exhibit will be expanded following the conclusion of the 2019 Fashion Show on Thursday night to include this year’s winning designs and select gowns worn by Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein.
Paint Like Bob Ross, in collaboration with Bob Ross, Inc., is a make-and-take art class where visitors can learn to paint like TV’s Bob Ross, under the supervision of a Certified Ross Instructor.
Mondo Gallery: 80 Years of Batman, the first ever traveling exhibit from the Mondo Gallery in Austin, Texas, celebrating the history of Batman through 19 iconic and fan-favorite comic-book covers, reproduced as screen-printed posters.
A first-look at all the exhibits is available to attendees at The Gathering, the Museum’s inaugural fundraising event, on the evening of Wednesday, July 17. The program includes a special ceremony inducting Batman into the Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame. Tickets are available at www.ccmgathering.org, including an after-party option from 9pm-midnight, for those attending Preview Night.
The pop-up Museum will be open starting at 9.30 AM each day, Thursday through Sunday. It is intended to represent an early preview of what to expect from the finished Comic-Con Museum when it opens in 2021 after renovations. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about the project, and guests will be invited to support the Museum by joining as a Charter Member, with various levels of membership benefit on offer.
Essential Information
Hours
- Thursday, July 18–Saturday, July 20: 9:30 AM–7:00 PM
- Sunday, July 21: 9;30 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission
Admission is free and everyone is welcome. A Comic-Con badge is not required for entry. If the building reaches its capacity there will be a single entry line, organized on a first-come-first-served basis.
Location
Comic-Con Museum, Balboa Park
On some maps the Museum may still be labeled as ”Hall of Champions” (the previous occupants of the building).
Street address: 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92103
Parking/How to Get There
The Museum is surrounded by three free parking lots, but they may be filled to capacity during peak hours. Free shuttles are available from other parking lots in the park. Click here for a parking map and more information.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide a shuttle service to the Museum this year. Especially at peak times, rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber can be a good option to get to and from the Museum from downtown locations. More information on how to get to Balboa Park, including walking, electric scooters, bikes and public transportation, can be found on the Balboa Park Website.
Amenities and Access
The building is wheelchair accessible. The Museum contains an elevator to all three levels, ample restrooms, and a small café serving drinks, sandwiches and snacks. Free wifi is available, provided by Balboa Park. Seventeen other museums and art galleries are also located in the Park, along with the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Notices
- Entry to the Museum is on a first-come-first-served basis and is not guaranteed.
- Some individual activities inside the Museum (panel presentations, for example) are subject to capacity limits and are also offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
- The Bob Ross class is being offered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on a first come-first-served basis, one class from 11am-1pm; another from 3pm to 5pm. Capacity of each class is 20, participants must be age 16+ and all supplies are provided.
- The Museum does not have a gift shop and no merchandise will be on sale, outside of the items associated with the Museum Charter Membership program.
Other questions?
Please email museumops@comic-con.org
Join us over the next few weeks as we post more Toucan Tips to help you enjoy and better navigate Comic-Con 2019!
Bookmark Toucan for the latest Toucan Tips as we hurtle towards Comic-Con 50, July 18–21 at the San Diego Convention Center!