Things to do after Marine graduation in San Diego, and what new Marines can and can't do

This is for families planning the hours around Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego graduation. The rules come first, because they decide what's possible: official family pages from MCCS San Diego (Marine Corps Community Services) cover Family Day, and where they don't, we say when a fact comes from a parent organization such as Marine Parents. The places below are all within a short drive of the depot and were confirmed open in 2026.

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Leaflet | © OpenStreetMap contributors

Depot

1. 1MCRD Gate 5 — Visitor entrance
2. 2MCRD Command Museum — Free, open till 4:45 p.m. on Family Day

Point Loma

1. 3Liberty Public Market — Food hall, daily 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
2. 4Point Loma Seafoods — Counter-service seafood since 1963
3. 5Shelter Island Shoreline Park — Bay and skyline views, free
4. 6Cabrillo National Monument — $20 per car, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Old Town

1. 7Old Town San Diego State Historic Park — Free, free lots up to 4 hours

Downtown bayfront

1. 8USS Midway Museum — Free for active duty
2. 9Seaport Village — Shops and food on the bay

Beach

1. 10Ocean Beach (lifeguard station) — Sand and Newport Ave; pier closed

Pins are approximate. Ocean Beach is pinned at the city lifeguard station. Source: venue websites, NPS, California State Parks, Port of San Diego and City of San Diego, checked October 5, 2026.

See these on the full San Diego map

What new Marines can and can't do

Family Day (Thursday): after Liberty Formation, your Marine has liberty from 10:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but it is on the depot only. Marine Parents states it plainly: recruits must remain on the depot during liberty. MCCS lists what's there: movies, bowling, email access, the MCX mall and depot restaurants. So Thursday is not the day for Old Town or the beach.

After graduation (Friday): Marine Parents and Sandboxx say graduates get 10 days of leave (Marine Parents adds a travel day) before reporting to School of Infantry-West at Camp Pendleton. Marine Parents stresses that the travel orders your Marine carries off the depot must be followed exactly, and that Marines who arrive early report straight to the school rather than getting a hotel. Families can travel home with their Marine if flights are coordinated.

On the depot: Thursday liberty

The MCRD Command Museum in Day Hall is free and stays open until 4:45 p.m. on Family Day. For food, the Bay View Restaurant runs a liberty lunch buffet from 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. ($22.95 adults, $16.95 ages 5-11, under 5 free). MCCS also lists Common Grounds Café, the Bay View food truck, Domino's and the Bulldog Tavern.

1. Liberty Station and Point Loma food

Liberty Public Market (2820 Historic Decatur Rd) is the easy Friday lunch: a food hall at Liberty Station, open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with more than two dozen vendors, so everyone can pick their own food. For seafood, Point Loma Seafoods (2805 Emerson St) has served fish sandwiches and plates at the counter since 1963 and is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (hours vary by season). See Liberty Public Market.

2. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park (4002 Wallace St) is free, with original adobe buildings, small museums, shops and restaurants. The visitor center and select museums are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the park's free lots allow up to 4 hours. It's the low-effort, walkable afternoon, and the Old Town Transit Center trolley hub (4009 Taylor St) serves the area if you skipped the car.

3. Shelter Island and Cabrillo National Monument

Shelter Island Shoreline Park (2200 Shelter Island Dr) is a mile of bayfront with the Tunaman's Memorial, the Yokohama Friendship Bell, a fishing pier and skyline views. It's free, though Port meters apply 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Farther out on the peninsula, Cabrillo National Monument (1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr) costs $20 per car, and active-duty members and their dependents can get the America the Beautiful military annual pass free. The gate closes at 5 p.m. and the tide pools at 4:30 p.m., so go Friday soon after lunch.

4. USS Midway Museum

The USS Midway Museum (910 N Harbor Dr) is free for active-duty and reserve personnel per the San Diego Museum Council. For family members, 2026 adult tickets are $41 at the gate or $39 online, and kids 4-12 are $31 at the gate. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last admission at 4, and the museum suggests 4 to 5 hours, so a Friday visit after an 11:30 ceremony is tight. The Navy Pier lot is $20 for up to 6 hours. More in USS Midway tips.

5. Seaport Village

Seaport Village (849 W Harbor Dr) is on the same downtown bayfront as the Midway, with more than 50 shops and 13 eateries by its own count. It's an easy, free evening stroll after a museum day. The waterfront site has long-term redevelopment plans, so check its current shop hours before you make it the main event.

6. Ocean Beach

For sand, Ocean Beach is the closest classic beach town to the depot, with the city lifeguard station at 1950 Abbott St near the foot of Newport Avenue. The OB Pier is closed: it has been shut since October 2023, and the city projects replacement construction around early 2029. Watch the surf and swim near a lifeguard; see rip currents and the Ocean Beach guide.

Planning the rest of the trip? See the MCRD San Diego graduation guide for the schedule and ID rules, and hotels near MCRD for where families stay.