Timken Museum of Art

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1500 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
|
Open:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Tuesday - Saturday)
12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Sunday)
Closed Mondays
The Timken Museum of Art in San Diego contains high quality paintings from Europe, Russia and America in its permanent collection. It is located in Balboa Park.
Todd Sarouhan
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means if you make purchases through them, I may be compensated at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Timken Museum of Art
A Beautiful World Museum
What to Expect
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Exhibits & Attractions
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Tips for a Great Visit
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Highlights

Exhibits / Attractions
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Tips
Exhibits / Attractions
Tickets
Parking
Tips

The Beautiful World of the Timken Museum of Art

Located in the Balboa Park, San Diego, the Timken Museum of Art curates an impressive collection of European and American masterpieces. Many of its finest European works belong to the early Renaissance and feature paintings by such masters as Rubens and Rembrandt and tapestries by Antoine Caron. Spanish, Dutch and Flemish, French and Italian pieces of art make up a large part of the museum.

The mature works of early American painters such as Moran, Bierstadt and Benjamin West are represented in the collection. Many of the most iconic works date from the 18th and 19th centuries and feature American landscapes on oil and canvas. Early works of Russian artists are focused on religious iconography from the 16th century.

The building provides a quiet space for art lovers to view timeless art works. Tours and lectures help visitors enjoy the art. A series of visiting exhibitions bring in other distinguished works to promote an ongoing dialogue on the role of art in the world.

The museum came into being in 1965. The collection of art is housed in an attractive building constructed in a style known as midcentury southern California modernism. The materials of travertine, bronze and glass showcase the symmetry and balance of the building, while the grounds add to its appeal with a lily pond and gardens.

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What to Expect while Visiting

The commitment to quality art is apparent in every gallery in the Timken Museum of Art. The museum provides an intimate atmosphere where visitors can contemplate important pieces of art. The welcoming entryway to the building subtly announces that something special is housed just beyond the doorway.

Visitors can peruse the gallery at their own speed, enjoying the well-lit rooms and reading the information that accompanies each piece of art. There are also opportunities for guided tours by knowledgeable docents. The tours are available in many languages and can be tailored for different ages. An audio tour option informs listeners on the art, artists and history of the collection.

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Exhibits & Attractions at the Timken

The permanent collection at the Timken Museum of Art contains more than 50 pieces of renowned art from Europe, Russia and America. The majority of the works are oil on canvas; oil on panel and tempera on panel works are also well represented. The paintings feature varied landscapes, portraits, still lifes and religious scenes.

This varied collection, spanning six centuries, reveals the many different styles and subject matter that have captivated artists during this time period. Major artists in the collection include Claude Lorrain, Guercino, Bartolomeo Veneto, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt and Eastman Johnson.

In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also curates traveling exhibitions. In the past, the Timken Museum of Art has showcased many fascinating exhibits.

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Financial Health Awarded
The Timken has received a top 4 star rating from Charity Navigator for operating in a fiscally responsible way while adhering to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activity.

Captivating Women, from the Dijkstra Collection

This exhibition took a discerning look at how European and American artists have depicted women during the end of the 19th century to the early years of the 20th century. The selected paintings showed both everyday scenes and mythological scenes. The paintings were accompanied with interpretations by young scholars who studied the complex renderings of women in different environments.

Masterpieces of Italian Drawings from the British Museum

This exhibition featured 54 drawings and prints from the British Museum that explored the themes of birth, death and resurrection while bringing the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods to life. Acclaimed masters such as Andrea del Sarto, Agostino Carracci and Domenico Tiepolo were featured in the exhibit.

Rococo Rivals and Revivals

This exhibition explored the world of Rococo by looking at the different personalities and schools of this influential movement. Employing 12 paintings, drawings, prints and objects, the exhibit illustrated the difference and similarities among the most charismatic artists in this school or art, including prominent works of Watteau, Fragonard and Boucher.

Educational Programs

The museum offers educational talks and lectures to engage the community with the art world. Online teaching tools provide resources for students so they can learn more about drawing and painting techniques. The information is taught by a teaching artist from the museum.

Guided tours provide information on the art in the museum and are tailored for the age of the students or visitors. The tours include discussions about the art and artists and they meet the requirements for Common Core.

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Tips for a Great Visit

Parking

The Timken Museum of Art is located within Balboa Park on the Plaza de Panama. Parking is available throughout the park with Alcazar, south and west of the museum, being the closest. Other options for parking include the following lots: Organ Pavilion, Inspiration Point and Palisades. A Balboa Park Tram can be used to get closer to the museum.

Arrange Tours & Tickets Ahead of Time

Tickets and tours should be arranged ahead of time to be sure what you are looking for does not sell out.

We suggest purchasing a Go San Diego Pass. This discount pass will get you into most of the museums’ in Balboa Park as well as over 55 other attractions and activities including the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego. You can even get an additional discount if you purchase the Go San Diego Pass via our website.

Keep Quiet

Voices should be kept low in the galleries and no flash photography is allowed.

Free Coat & Bag Check

A complimentary coat check room is available for coats, backpacks and other bags.

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