From December Nights to an appearance by the Mission Control mobile classroom in the annual Holiday Bowl Parade, the holidays are a busy time at the San Diego Air & Space Museum!

The fun kicks off with December Nights on Friday Dec. 1 and Saturday Dec. 2 at Museum in Balboa Park, where we will have festive holiday-themed activities both inside and outside the Museum.

Outside, the Museum’s Education Department will be back in the Kid’s Zone located in the Palisades Pavilion directly in front of our entrance, where we will be crafting solar system bracelets to wear or to give as unique holiday gifts. And come learn about the planets with us during the December Nights celebration.

When you make your way inside the Museum, you’ll enjoy fun crafts and activities for kids, a DJ spinning holiday tunes, decorations, and festive drinks and food for purchase.

The Museum has special hours from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. during Holiday Nights.

Then on Wednesday Dec. 27, the Museum’s Mission Control mobile classroom will once again take center stage at this year’s Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl parade in downtown San Diego, one the most festive and anticipated local events of the holiday season. Known as America’s Largest Balloon Parade, this year’s Holiday Bowl parade begins at 10 a.m., rain or shine!

Throughout the holidays, our Gift Shop is a great place to find a special and unique present for all of the aviation enthusiasts in your life. Our gift shop offers hundreds of gift ideas, including airplane models, books, t-shirts, jackets, backpacks, posters, coffee and beer mugs, collectables, gliders, movies and DVDs, water bottles, telescopes, hats, educational toys and games, patriotic patches, stickers and pins, robotic kits, parachute launchers, jigsaw puzzles, jewelry, plaques autographed by astronauts, space food, and much, much more. The Gift Shop is opening during normal business hours, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. seven-days-a-week except Christmas Day.