House of Charm, Art museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, US

The House of Charm is a museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, featuring Mission Revival architecture with rusticated trim and bell-shaped gables. The structure displays design elements inspired by historic Spanish sanctuaries.

The building was constructed in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition and was initially designed as a mining building. It was later transformed into the Indian Arts Building and served various cultural purposes over time.

The Mingei International Museum, housed in the House of Charm, takes its name from the Japanese word mingei, meaning 'art of the people,' coined by scholar Sōetsu Yanagi from min (all people) and gei (art). Founded in 1978, it collects and exhibits folk art, craft and design by anonymous craftsmen and contemporary designers.

The museum has a helpful phone line at +1 619 236 1212 for information about current exhibitions. Displays change regularly, so calling ahead helps you learn what is on view during your visit.

The building was condemned as unsafe in 1978 and temporarily evacuated; the San Diego Art Institute moved back in only after sprinklers were installed. In 1989 the city chose to tear it down and rebuild it, and the recreated House of Charm reopened on September 21, 1996, with the exterior carefully duplicating the original ornamented facade.