The concept of a sheriff conjures up many romantic images of the Old West. The Sheriff’s Museum located in historic old town San Diego not only honors that tradition but also educates visitors about what it’s like to be in law enforcement today.  

Although it looks small from the outside, this museum is actually 6,800 square feet of room after room of crime-fighting equipment and history.

There are many interactive exhibits such as the convenience store robbery crime scene, which engages the visitor to look for clues, to the reconstructed courtroom, where you can sit in the judge’s chair and hand out justice. You can try on a bullet-proof vest, sit on a police motorcycle and turn on the siren, pretend to drive a sheriff’s vehicle, or get locked up inside the jail.

There are also specialized sections dedicated to subjects like women in law enforcement, K9 units, search and rescue and weapons, and walls of remembrance for those who have died in the line of duty. If you find yourself in Old Town San Diego, it would be a crime to miss it.