The Oceanside Museum of Art is gearing up for a major glow-up. Museum leaders today unveiled plans to expand their downtown campus until it spans an entire city block, complete with new galleries, an outdoor sculpture garden, a café and a dedicated arts-education center. The project will adapt and restore two historic civic landmarks while boosting the museum’s capacity for exhibitions, storage, and community programs. Construction is slated to begin in early 2027, with new gallery spaces expected to open in spring 2028.
Design and campaign
Local firm Safdie Rabines Architects is steering the design work for the transformation, and OMA has kicked its capital campaign into a public phase as it aims to raise $10 million for the buildout, as reported by AXIOS. Museum officials say the fundraising effort quietly began in March 2024 and has already attracted major gifts that are helping move detailed planning forward.
State money and preservation
A critical boost arrived from Sacramento when Sen. Catherine Blakespear presented a $3.59 million check secured in the 2025–26 state budget to support restoration of the 1929 Fire Station No. 1 and other renovation work, according to Sen. Blakespear's office. Local coverage documented the check handoff and detailed how the money will help restore the station’s Irving J. Gill exterior as part of the expansion, per NBC 7 San Diego.
City approvals and site
In December, the City Council signed off on an amended lease that expands the museum’s premises to include the neighboring former fire station, bringing the campus together on a contiguous block along Pier View Way, according to the City of Oceanside. The expanded footprint stretches roughly from Ditmar to Nevada streets and will grow the museum from about 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, a change described by The Coast News.
Leadership's vision
“This expansion allows us to preserve an important historic landmark while boldly investing in the future of artists and our cultural community,” OMA Executive Director Maria Mingalone said in a statement, highlighting new opportunities for arts education and public gathering spaces, per Sen. Blakespear's Office. Museum leaders say the build will add classroom and storage space to help OMA collect and preserve regional art history for future exhibitions.
Programs and community reach
OMA’s youth and school offerings — including Literacy Through Art, ArtQuest and Discovery Art Tours — are already central to its mission, according to program details from the Oceanside Museum of Art. Local reporting has noted that nearly 30,000 residents and visitors come through OMA each year while more than 6,200 students participate in its education initiatives, figures covered by NBC 7 San Diego.
What's next
The museum plans to host a free open house this Sunday so residents can preview the expansion plans and learn about volunteer and donor opportunities, according to the announcement. If fundraising, permitting and design approvals hold to the current schedule, leaders expect to break ground in early 2027 and open the new galleries in spring 2028, a milestone they say will further cement downtown Oceanside’s cultural corridor, as reported by Axios.
