It is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

When you've spent that length of time acquiring history, building something up to where it had international prestige, then see it all disappear in a couple of hours, what else can it be?

"[11] Before the fire, plans had already been under way to move the museum to the larger Ford Building, also in Balboa Park, which had been built for the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition.

In addition to the Apollo 9 Command Module Gumdrop, the main entrance to the museum contains examples of aircraft from local San Diego companies.

This includes originals, like the Montgomery 1911 Evergreen glider, models, like the 1/2 scale model of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, flyable reproductions, like the Curtiss A-1 Triad amphibious aircraft, replicas, like the Ryan Airlines NYP (aka Spirit of St. Louis), and flight vehicles, like the Ryan Firebee and General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.

Guests who do not pay to see the special exhibit pass through the International Air & Space Hall of Fame hallway where portraits of aviation pioneers are displayed.

PSA Flight 182, registration N533PS, a Boeing 727-214 commercial airliner collided with a private Cessna 172 over San Diego on September 25, 1978.

On the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, a tree was planted next to the North Park branch library, and a memorial plaque was dedicated to those who died.

The latest addition to the museum is a replica Horten Ho 229 flying wing which was put on display July 2009.

Details of the work on the model and the history of the aircraft were featured on the National Geographic Channel's documentary, Hitler's Stealth Fighter.

Other aircraft in this portion of the museum include a Stearman N2S-3 Kaydet, North American P-51D Mustang, Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) Nose and Cockpit section, Messerschmitt Bf 109G-14 (mock-up), Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI.

This gallery contains a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk, F/A-18A Hornet "Blue Angel 1", Gemini spacecraft (replica), and an Apollo Command and Service Module mock-up.

A number of spares were flight ready on the ground in case there were malfunctions on orbit, these spacecraft could be launched as replacements.

It also includes a replica of the Beecraft Wee Bee and several racing aircraft, and two Ford cars on loan from the San Diego Automotive Museum.

The McDonnell Douglas F-4J/S Phantom II on display in the pavilion was the aircraft flown by Duke Cunningham and William P. Driscoll in Vietnam from the USS Constellation (CV-64).

In addition to the main facility at Balboa Park, the museum also has an annex at Gillespie Field, El Cajon.

Some of the featured aircraft and spacecraft here include: An F-14 Tomcat from the annex would be used in ground scenes during the filming of Top Gun: Maverick.

It contains many original and reproductions of historic aircraft and spacecraft,[15][16] including: SDASM promotes itself as one of the largest aviation museums in the nation, containing the third-largest collection of archives and library.