From old bones to new paintings, San Diego’s got a variety of museums to rival any metropolitan area in the country. With dozens of museums in such a small area, it is difficult to pick the bests, but here are five favorites that locals and tourists should take the time to visit.

1) U.S.S. Midway Museum

The U.S.S. Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and was the first ship to be commissioned after World War II. This powerful carrier was also active in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. In 2004, it was donated to San Diego and converted to a historical monument and museum. It sits in the water just off the coast, and invited criticism during the beginning stages due to a variety of concerns. Visit the U.S.S. Midway Museum website at http://www.midway.org/.

Initially many worried that the museum would not attract enough visitors to the area, and might steal the current visitors from other businesses. They also felt it would block the scenery of the bay, and cause harm to the aquatic wildlife in the area. Fortunately, the creators have taken huge steps to be a large part of the community, and to create a protected wildlife habitat. In terms of scenery, the deck is free to everyone, without museum admission, and the incredible popularity of the museum has assuaged all other concerns.

2) San Diego Museum of Man

This fascinating museum of Anthropology collects evidence of the growth of humans both in physical ways and in artistic expression. The preservation of artifacts and the communication of discoveries are essential to the education and development of anthropological research.

The combination of Anthropology, pre-Columbian history of the western Americas, Native American cultures, and Mesoamerican civilizations is not only educational, but also mesmerizing. This museum contains priceless and irreplaceable artifacts from all over the globe. Check out the Musem of Man’s site at http://www.museumofman.org/index.html.

3) Birch Aquarium at Scripps

This aquatic museum got its beginnings in 1903 when a Coronado boathouse was converted into a place for marine biologists to conduct research in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.  Through various name-alterations, building updates, and location changes, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, as we know it, opened in 1992.

This small aquarium museum is located in beautiful La Jolla, overlooking Scripps Beach. It boasts quite a few different exhibits such as the sixty tanks of fish and invertebrates in the Hall of Fishes, a 13,000 gallon tank of tropical reef sharks called the Shark Reef and Tide Pool Plaza, which has small pools where visitors can learn about and touch starfish, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, and more. While the aquarium is rather small, they have quite a wide variety of educational and entertaining exhibits including There’s Something About Seahorses, Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge, and the Wonder of Water. View the Birch Aquarium’s website at http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/.

4) Oceanside Museum of Art

Located in downtown Oceanside, with a great view of the Oceanside Pier, this art museum showcases provocative and contemporary exhibitions with worldwide, as well as regional, influences. The museum is located in two buildings that are also works of art. They were designed by two extremely talented local architects to contrast each other perfectly. One is in a typically classical style, while the other combines a variety of contemporary influences.

The OMA offers art instruction at their School of Art, as well as exhibits across the board. Architectural glass, studio furniture, neon sculpture, and art quilts are currently on display. Each gallery is redesigned for new exhibits so visitors are greeted with a fresh change of scenery each time. Concerts, films and lectures can also be found throughout the year, adding to the cultural growth of the community. Visit the OMA website at http://www.oma-online.org/home.html.

5) San Diego Air and Space Museum

This exciting museum showcases the history of air travel, the advancements of space travel during the space race, as well as where we stand with all of this technology today. Located in the old historic Ford Building in Balboa Park, this museum is open to all ages and has exhibits ranging from aircraft shown on the big screen to ground school for aspiring pilots.

The Lockheed Vega 5B from the movie Amelia is currently located in the SDASM; it was donated by the production company as a prop aircraft. Amelia Earhart was known to fly the Vega 5B during her lifetime, and the replica is very educational, as well as fascinating. There are also two different flight simulator rides. One is a training flight simulator that shows the intricacies of flying an airplane, while the other is a full-on, two-seater, full-motion, multi-role aircraft simulation ride. The trip around the circular museum is one of the most interesting trips you can possibly take in such a small area. Be sure to take the kids to this one! Check out the SDASM museum’s website at http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/.