Up in Carlsbad, the Museum of Making Music showcases music making products from the 1890s through today. The current exhibition, “On! The Beginnings of the Electric Sound Generation,” displays rare examples of “firsts” in electrified instruments, including iconic electric guitars showing a cornucopia of design ideas for electric pickups, volume and tone controls, bridges, and tailpieces as well as instrument shapes. Other “firsts” on view include an electric zither, banjos, violins, basses, keyboards, and amplifiers.
Built way back in 1850 as a home and converted to a church by Don Jose Aguirre in 1858, the Adobe Chapel was unfortunately bulldozed in 1930 to make way for street improvements. Fortunately, it was rebuilt in 1937 and many of the interior artifacts from the original chapel have been retained including the tabernacle, the altar with its beautiful marbleized finish, pews and doors, and even José Aguirre’s tombstone which is laid in the floor.
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a 19th century sailor? Step aboard the Maritime Museum’s Star of India and find out. Their historic ship collection also houses the Berkley, the first successful propeller driven steam ferry on the west coast, and the B-39, a Soviet attack submarine designed to track US and NATO warships during the Cold War.
Aviation buffs will thrill over the collection of planes and helicopters on view at the Flying Leathernecks Museum in Mira Mesa. Ever heard of a Super Goonie? How about a Sea Cobra? Not sure what any of these are? Visit the Flying Leatherneck Museum for a lesson in the colorful language of aviation.
Founded in 1983, this off the beaten path museum in Golden Hill offers visitors a chance to explore the women who are often been overlooked in mainstream history books and museums. What do you wear to protest at the White House? You’ll find the answer in the museum’s “85 Years of Women’s Suffrage” exhibition.