Timken Museum of Artwork: Highlights, Tickets & Ideas

Established in 1965, the Timken Museum of Artwork incorporates invaluable works, together with European outdated masters, American artwork, and Russian icons.
Founding director Walter Ames established the museum to deal with the private assortment of heiresses Amy and Anne Putnam. It’s in a chief location inside Balboa Park, certainly one of Southern California’s most stunning parks, subsequent to the San Diego Museum of Artwork and the Botanical Constructing.
Its white, marble, and bronze exterior structure is one thing to admire additionally earlier than you stroll into this free attraction. However it’s best to step inside to see the one Rembrandt in San Diego, Saint Bartholomew.
5 Highlights to See

Listed below are some highlights of the Timken Museum of Artwork:
- Rembrandt van Rijin, Saint Bartholomew (1657): This hanging portray of Saint Bartholomew, one of many twelve apostles holding a butcher knife (symbolic of his martyrdom), actually needs to be seen in particular person.
- Luca Carlevarijs, The Piazzetta at Venice (1700-10): As a traveler, I admire that this scene of Venice is basically the identical right now.
- Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Parable of the Sower (1557): A good looking interpretation of the Biblical parable of the sower by one of many biggest Flemish painters of the sixteenth century. I really like the colours.
- Francois Boucher, Lovers in a Park (1758): Boucher was the favourite artist of Louis XV’s mistress Madame de Pompadour, and this model of artwork is related to the king’s reign.
- Russian Icons: Timken’s assortment fills a small room. Every Russian icon tells a narrative of religion, a holy particular person or an occasion, painted on a wood panel consistent with the beliefs and requirements of the Orthodox Church.
Issues to Know Earlier than Visiting the Timken Museum of Artwork
There are a number of vital concerns to remember earlier than visiting the Timken Museum of Artwork. These embody the next.
Donation-BAsed Admission & Hours
The Timken Museum of Artwork is open from 10 a.m. to five p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum sometimes closes for particular occasions, so regulate the web site to make sure you can enter.
The museum is exclusive in not requiring cost or tickets to enter. Donations are accepted in any quantity that friends really feel is suitable. The beneficial quantity is $7.
The museum additionally gives memberships for frequent friends, which grants you 20% off on the present store, amongst different privileges.
Obtain The App
Timken has an awesome telephone app that can assist you be taught extra about every portray. The app has an intuitive interface and a built-in scavenger hunt for the youngsters!
Convey a pair of earbuds so that you could take heed to the excursions as you stroll across the museum.
Free Guided Excursions
Teams of adults and faculty teams can schedule free docent-guided excursions of the museum that final 45-60 minutes.
Visiting with Youngsters
In fact, accompanied youngsters are welcome. As a result of it’s a small museum, it’s essential to verify empty strollers and backpack carriers on the entrance desk. Strollers in use and entrance child carriers are okay.
You’ll should be positive you carry your purse in entrance of you as effectively, not in your hip or your again.
Meals and Drinks
Maintain all meals and drinks sealed and hid in your bag, or go away them on the entrance desk.
Though the museum doesn’t have an eatery, yow will discover many eating places and cafes in Balboa Park. Panama 66 (certainly one of our favorites) is simply throughout the courtyard from the museum.
Present Store
The small present space on the entrance of the museum. You could find distinctive handmade gadgets, subtle jewellery, and books on artwork and structure. All proceeds from the present store immediately help the museum. The present store typically options one-of-a-kind items through the holidays.
Parking
It’s free to park within the Balboa Park parking tons, and a tram circles by way of a few of them to shorten the stroll to and out of your automotive.
The closest tons are south of the Timken Museum, adjoining to the Worldwide Homes, San Diego Air & House Museum. The Alcazar Lot might be the closest, however some other close by tons will do.
Enjoyable Info Concerning the Timken Museum of Artwork
The Timken Museum of Artwork has an fascinating historical past that even residents might not find out about.

Look out for docents who share tidbits of fascinating information in regards to the assortment.
1. It Stands on a Historic Website
The constructing’s previous makes it a major cultural landmark.
The Timken Museum stands on the historic website of the previous Home Economy Building. Constructed in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, the constructing stood in Balboa Park and served a number of makes use of till its demise in 1962.
2. Henry Timken Was a Hero
Henry Timken, who helped fund the museum, was a German immigrant and a Nineteenth-century inventor and entrepreneur.
Lengthy story brief, he patented a tapered curler bearing for carriages that enabled wheels to show with much less friction. His invention rocked the transportation market, and by 1923, a whopping ninety p.c of the nation’s curler bearings got here from his firm.
The Timken Museum was certainly one of many philanthropic endeavors that Henry Timken funded, and his legacy lives on by way of this cultural gem.
3. It’s Comprised of The Putnam Assortment
Timken Museum’s artwork assortment is usually because of the work acquired by sisters Amy and Anne Putnam and, subsequently, their basis. Nonetheless, this was solely the final gesture in a protracted legacy of nameless donations.
The sisters donated artworks to the San Diego Museum of Artwork all through the Nineteen Forties and different distinguished museums nationwide. In actual fact, the Timken Museum of Artwork was established to carry items to San Diego that have been on mortgage overseas.
4. You Can Attend Neat Occasions
I’m an enormous fan of checking museum calendars to see what’s on faucet. Throughout my final go to to the Timken, you possibly can join a flower arranging class (which has since bought out because of excessive demand).
You can even join digital talks and excursions.
5. The Museum Provides Again
Timken is concerned in lots of native charitable causes. The museum gives artwork courses to girls and boys incarcerated in juvenile detention.
It additionally works with veterans therapeutic from psychological and bodily accidents on the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
Why We Love the Timken Museum of Artwork

Balboa Park is on the coronary heart of San Diego’s cultural hub, and it’s so, really easy to step into the Timken Museum of Artwork for a bit of bit to see some actually particular work. It’s subsequent door to the San Diego Museum of Artwork and adjoining to the Botanical Constructing and Lily Pond.
The app gives perception into every portray that provides super worth to your expertise. You’ll undoubtedly be taught one thing new.
And, sure, it’s small however why not step inside? It’s free to enter.