Established in 1965, the Timken Museum of Artwork accommodates helpful works, together with European outdated masters, American artwork, and Russian icons.
Founding director Walter Ames established the museum to accommodate the private assortment of heiresses Amy and Anne Putnam. It’s in a chief location inside Balboa Park, one in all Southern California’s most lovely 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 here are some highlights of the Timken Museum of Artwork:
- Rembrandt van Rijin, Saint Bartholomew (1657): This placing portray of Saint Bartholomew, one of many twelve apostles holding a butcher knife (symbolic of his martyrdom), actually needs to be seen in individual.
- 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 stupendous interpretation of the Biblical parable of the sower by one of many best 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 fashion 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 individual or an occasion, painted on a picket panel in step 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 essential concerns to bear in mind earlier than visiting the Timken Museum of Artwork. These embrace 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 keep watch over 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 acceptable. The really useful quantity is $7.
The museum additionally affords memberships for frequent friends, which grants you 20% off on the present store, amongst different privileges.
Obtain The App
Timken has an incredible cellphone 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 children!
Deliver a pair of earbuds in an effort to take heed to the excursions as you stroll across the museum.
Free Guided Excursions
Teams of adults and college teams can schedule free docent-guided excursions of the museum that final 45-60 minutes.
Visiting with Youngsters
After all, accompanied youngsters are welcome. As a result of it’s a small museum, it’s essential to examine empty strollers and backpack carriers on the entrance desk. Strollers in use and entrance child carriers are okay.
You’ll have to be positive you carry your purse in entrance of you as nicely, not in your hip or your again.
Meals and Drinks
Hold all meals and drinks sealed and hid in your bag, or depart them on the entrance desk.
Though the museum doesn’t have an eatery, you’ll find many eating places and cafes in Balboa Park. Panama 66 (one in all our favorites) is simply throughout the courtyard from the museum.
Reward Store
The small present space on the entrance of the museum. Yow will discover distinctive handmade gadgets, refined 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 throughout the holidays.
Parking
It’s free to park within the Balboa Park parking tons, and a tram circles by a few of them to shorten the stroll to and out of your automobile.
The closest tons are south of the Timken Museum, adjoining to the Worldwide Homes, San Diego Air & Area Museum. The Alcazar Lot might be the closest, however every other close by tons will do.
Enjoyable Info Concerning the Timken Museum of Artwork
The Timken Museum of Artwork has an attention-grabbing historical past that even residents could not learn about.

Look out for docents who share tidbits of fascinating data concerning the assortment.
1. It Stands on a Historic Website
The constructing’s previous makes it a big cultural landmark.
The Timken Museum stands on the historic website of the previous House Economic system Constructing. 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 % of the nation’s curler bearings got here from his firm.
The Timken Museum was one in all many philanthropic endeavors that Henry Timken funded, and his legacy lives on by this cultural gem.
3. It’s Comprised of The Putnam Assortment
Timken Museum’s artwork assortment is generally due to the work acquired by sisters Amy and Anne Putnam and, subsequently, their basis. Nevertheless, this was solely the final gesture in an extended legacy of nameless donations.
The sisters donated artistic endeavors to the San Diego Museum of Artwork all through the Nineteen Forties and different outstanding museums nationwide. In actual fact, the Timken Museum of Artwork was established to convey 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 might join a flower arranging class (which has since offered out attributable to excessive demand).
You may also join digital talks and excursions.
5. The Museum Offers Again
Timken is concerned in lots of native charitable causes. The museum affords 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 somewhat bit to see some really particular work. It’s subsequent door to the San Diego Museum of Artwork and adjoining to the Botanical Constructing and Lily Pond.
The app supplies perception into every portray that provides great worth to your expertise. You’ll positively be taught one thing new.
And, sure, it’s small however why not step inside? It’s free to enter.