San Diego Air & Space Museum - Balboa Park552

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and located in Balboa Park, the San Diego Air & Space Museum houses a collection of historic aircraft and space vehicles from all over the world, including a replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the actual Apollo 9 Command Module, and an Aviation Hall of Fame honoring flight pioneers.

Offering more than just neat things to look at, the museum has some great interactive exhibits. A favorite is the aircraft carrier, with a floor simulating a flight deck and a "Ready Room" that shows a film about working on a carrier. The museum is also the only venue in the world with an actual GPS satellite on display. To get any closer, you'd have to travel 11,000 miles into space!

The museum has so much to see and do that even those without an overwhelming interest in aviation will find themselves visiting more than once in order to see it all.

A museum annex, located at Gillespie Field, is worth seeing. This is where many museum volunteers replicate and restore aircraft.

Classes: Most classes offered at the museum are organized through schools, but it's possible to attend even if you're a free agent. Check the website to see what's available at any given time, then call or email the Education Department to enroll.

For kids with a bent for science, the museum offers Aerosummer Summer Camp, which is actually a series of different camps for kids from first to twelfth grades. A description of each camp is on the museum's website.