Take the whole family to learn about the multi-layered past of the Californias and visit art exhibits, botanical gardens and a dome-shaped IMAX theater.
The city’s hub of the arts, the Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), is an architectural wonder. Inside, enjoy traveling exhibitions, charming gardens and an extraordinary movie theater. Many activities are designed for children. Educational displays focus on the pre-Hispanic peoples who settled the region many centuries ago.
The city’s only IMAX theater is inside “The Ball,” a large sphere that resembles a cracked egg from outside. The projector displays the film across a 360-degree screen to maximize the dramatic effect. Imagine you are in the movie as you watch the 3-D scenes hovering over your head.
Stroll through the spacious esplanade that can fit about 6,000 people for concerts and events. It presents a space-age appearance with the giant IMAX ball, fountains and steps. Various expositions and theatrical performances take place in this space, which is in the center of the complex.
In the Museo de las Californias, look through hundreds of permanent items that tell the story of the area from pre-history until modern days. Traveling exhibits on subjects from the region’s flora and fauna to anthropological and archaeological findings pass through this section.
Watch Mexican and other Latin American films in the Carlos Monsiváis Hall. Explore the many floors of “The Cube,” a giant red building dedicated to classical music, literature and works of art.
Take the kids to see the collection of bizarre marine creatures from the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean in the site’s aquarium. Find species from other parts of the world as well.
See exotic plants and pre-Hispanic works of art in the botanical gardens. Take your children to the Nutrition Area to learn about healthy eating. The complex also has a gift shop and a café.
Every year, more than 1.5 million visitors pass through the complex’s doors, which are open on weekdays from morning until evening. Entry fees for individual attractions are discounted for children, students and families.
The Centro Cultural Tijuana is just south of the Tijuana River in the city’s central Zona Río region. It is 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the international airport.
