A V I S ITO R S G U I D E TO
2018 DECEMBER 1
Balboa Park is the cultural heart of San Diego, a place where culture and nature collide, a place with something for everyone to see, do, and experience.
History
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Attractions
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Museums
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Gardens
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Performing Arts
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Map
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History
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2018 marked the 150th Anniversary of Balboa Park, a home of global history and culture with a rich history of its own. The 1200 acres of land were initially set aside in 1868, and was known then as City Park. It remained completely undeveloped until 1892 when the efforts of Kate Sessions led to the planting of hundreds of trees and various plant species in the Park. The construction of roads and water systems began in the 1900s. Named after Spanish explorer Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the Park was given its name five years prior to the 1915 Panama-California exhibition. Built for the 1915 Exposition were the the historic 1500 foot Cabrillo Bridge, the Spreckels Organ pavilion, and the California Tower and dome, which now houses the Museum of Man, as well as the iconic Botanical Building and adjacent Lily Pond. 1916 saw the establishment of the San Diego Zoo, which is now a conservation organization home to over 800 species and subspecies, including rare and endangered animals. And in 1926, the San Diego Museum of Art, the first and largest art museum in the region, opened, housing a variety of fine art from across the globe and across time. The 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition saw many new additions to the park, including the Spanish Village Art Center, the House of Pacific Relations cottages, the Starlight Bowl, and the internationally acclaimed Old Globe Theatre. Many buildings were taken over by extensions of Balboa Naval Hospital during World War II, as the House of Hospitality became a nurses’ dormitory, the Lily Pond a rehabilitation pool, and the Museum of Art, the house of 400 beds. Christmas Day 1946 saw the installation of the California Tower carillon, whose chimes are still heard every quarter hour. The 1960s and 1970s saw the openings of the Timken Museum of Art, the Casa del Prado, and the Fleet Science Center, which featured the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre. In 1978, both the Aerospace Museum (now the San Diego Air & Space Museum) and the original 1935 Old Globe Theatre building burned down, each within a span of two weeks. Despite the fires, both institutions were able to continue through community support, as the Air & Space museum moved to the Ford Building, and the Old Globe built a temporary outdoor theatre that is now the Lowell Davies Festival Stage. This year also saw the beginning of Christmas on the Prado, now called Balboa ParkDecember Nights. In the 1980s, the Casa de Balboa, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Automotive Museum, and the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center were constructed and opened, with the Japanese Friendship Garden opening near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in 1990. The late 1990s saw the opening of the Mingei International Museum, San Diego Art Institute, WorldBeat Center, and reconstructed House of Hospitality. The 2000s kicked off with Expo 2000, reminiscent of the Park two previous expositions, followed by the 2001 reopening of the Natural History Museum following a major reconstruction. In 2003 the Project for Public Spaces ranked the Park as the 13th best of 24 international parks in the world. In 2017, the Hall of Champions Sports Museum, opened in 1998, closed down. It will be replaced by the Comic-Con Center for Popular Culture, set to open in the near future. Today, the park welcomes millions of visitors each year to its museums, gardens, and other attractions. ba lboa pa rk
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Attractions
San Diego Zoo OPEN LATE SUMMER/FALL, 9AM–9PM FALL & WINTER, 9AM–5PM WINTER JUNGLE BELLS, 9AM–8PM $$$$$ The San Diego Zoo is a 100 acre zoo, well known for its lush, naturalistic habitats and unique animal encounters. It is home to more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals representing approximately 660 species and subspecies and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 plants. Visitors may view rare giant pandas, cuddly looking koalas, reptiles of various shapes and sizes, chacoan peccaries, and many more interesting species.
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Spanish Village Art Center OPEN 11AM–4PM, EVERY DAY A thriving community of over 200 local artisans, featuring independently juried local painters, sculptors, metalsmiths, jewelry designers, clay artists, photographers, printmakers, basket makers, mixed-media artists, glass artists, the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society, and more.
House of Pacific Relations International Cottages OPEN HOUSES: NOON–5PM, DAILY NATIONAL TRADITIONS SHOWCASED EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Free Housed in historic 1935 Exposition cottages, 34 groups promote multicultural goodwill and understanding through educational and cultural programs.
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California Tower OPEN 10AM–5PM, DAILY $$$$ (includes Museum of Man General Admission) The iconic California Tower was constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, designed by Bertram Goodhue, and is an architectural hybrid of architectural different styles, including Baroque, Plateresque, Churrigueresque, and Rococo, with some Gothic details. In January of 2015, the Tower reopened to the public. Tour info can be found at the Museum of Man website.
Cabrillo Bridge The Cabrillo Bridge, also built for the 1915 PanamaCalifornia Exposition, was the first cantilevered, multiplearched bridge to be built in Southern California. The 163 Freeway runs directly underneath the 1,500-foot, nearly 125-foot high bridge, and remains one of the most beautiful ways to enter the Park.
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More Attractions Balboa Park Carousel Balboa Park Miniature Train El Cid Statue Moreton Bay Fig Tree Photographic Arts Building Sefton Plaza
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Museums
San Diego Museum of Man OPEN 10AM—5PM, DAILY $$$ Features a variety of unique, interactive exhibits that cover a vast range of human history and culture, meant to inspire human connections by exploring the human experience. NOTE: This museum will be renamed in Spring 2020.
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San Diego Museum of Natural History (theNAT) OPEN 10AM—5PM, DAILY $$$ Explore five floors of unique, interactive exhibitions highlighting Southern California's past and present natural history, from rattlesnakes and flesh-eating beetles, to dinosaurs and fossils, to a pendulum that proves the earth is spinning. as well as a giant-screen theater with daily showings of 2D and 3D films, and rotating exhibitions that bring nature to life.
The San Diego Museum of Art OPEN MON-SAT 10AM—5PM, SUN 12AM—5PM, CLOSED WED $$ A collection of fine art from around the world and throughout history, meant to inspire, educate, and cultivate curiosity through great works of art.
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San Diego Air & Space Museum OPEN 10AM–430PM, DAILY $$$ California’s official Air & Space Museum houses a collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft from all over the world, including a flight-worthy replica of Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” the actual Apollo 9 Command Module. numerous other artifacts, and interactive exhibits.
Fleet Science Center OPEN 10AM–CLOSING TIMES VARY $$$ At the Fleet Science Center, you can explore and investigate more than 100 interactive exhibits that pique your curiosity and become immersed in an IMAX film adventure that shows the wonders of the planet—and beyond—in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater.
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More Museums Centro Cultural de la Raza Comic-Con Museum (Opening TBA) Marston House Mingei International Museum Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego Art Institute San Diego Automotive Museum San Diego History Center San Diego Model Railroad Museum Timken Museum of Art Veterans Museum at Balboa Park WorldBeat Center
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Gardens
Japanese Friendship Garden LOCATED BY THE SPRECKELS ORGAN PAVILION OPEN 10AM– 6PM, DAILY $$ This 12-acre garden is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. Its design is based on centuries-old Japanese techniques adapted to San Diego’s climate and florae and seeks to foster a relationship between humans and nature, providing a respite attuned to Japanese simplicity, serenity, and aestheticism. This valued community resource is well known for its unique setting, stone arrangements, koi ponds, water features, and sukiyastyle buildings.
Alcazar Garden LOCATED JUST WEST OF THE MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM Free Alcazar Garden, named because its design is patterned after the gardens of Alcazar Castle in Seville, Spain, lies adjacent to the Art Institute and Mingei Museum. It is known for its ornate fountains, exquisite turquoise blue, yellow, and green Moorish tiles and shady pergola. This formal garden is planted with 7,000 annuals for a vibrant display of color throughout the year, and has been reconstructed to replicate the 1935 design by San Diego architect Richard Requa.
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Botanical Building & Lily Pond ON THE EL PRADO WALKWAY, ADJACENT TO THE TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART OPEN FRI– WED, 10AM–4PM Free The Botanical Building and adjacent Lily Pond and Lagoon were built for the 1915 Exposition, and they together have become one of the most photographed areas of the Park. As one of the largest lath structures in the world, the Building houses over 2,100 permanent plants, including collections of ferns, orchids, and other tropical plants. The Botanical Building also presents some of the Park’s vibrant seasonal flower displays.
More Gardens 1935 (Old) Cactus Garden Alcazar Garden Australian Garden California Native Plant Garden Casa del Rey Moro Garden Desert Garden EthnoBotany Children’s Peace Garden Florida Canyon Native Plant Preserve Marston House Garden Palm Canyon San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation San Diego Floral Association San Diego Zoo Botanical Collection Trees for Health Garden Veterans Memorial Garden ba lboa pa rk
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Performing Arts
Spreckels Organ Pavilion FREE CONCERTS ON SUNDAYS AT 2PM John D. and Adolph Spreckels donated the Spreckels Organ, to the City of San Diego in 1914 for the Panama-California Exposition. This unique organ contains more than 5,000 pipes ranging in length from the size of a pencil to 32 feet and is the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world. The Spreckels Organ is housed in an ornate vaulted structure with highly embellished gables. Since 1917, San Diego has had a civic organist, who performs free weekly Sunday concerts.
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The Old Globe HOURS VARY BY PERFORMANCE Modeled after Shakespeare’s Old Globe in London, the Old Globe Theatre was built in 1935 for the presentation of abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the California Pacific International Exposition. At the conclusion of the exposition in 1937, the San Diego Community Theatre leased the theatre from the City of San Diego and renovated the theatre for ongoing use. The Old Globe has been home to the most acclaimed national artists, designers, directors, and playwrights in the theatre industry, and annually produces 15 mainstage productions from all periods and styles, ranging from Shakespeare to an ongoing emphasis on the development and production of new works.
More Performing Arts
Starlight Bowl
Centro Cultural de la Raza Civic Dance Arts Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater San Diego Civic Youth Ballet San Diego Junior Theatre San Diego Youth Symphony WorldBeat Center
Commissioned by the Ford Motor Company for the 1935 California-Pacific Exposition as the Ford Bowl, it was renamed in the 1970s. The Bowl was home to the San Diego Civic Light Opera from the late 1950s until 2012. Since then, the Bowl has fallen into disrepair. Go to SaveStarlight.org for more information. ba lboa pa rk
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Map
To Marston House Lawn Bowling Club Downtown
Cabrillo Bridge
163
Balboa P Club
1935 (Old) Cactus Garden Palisa Build Old Town San Diego International Airport
Mission Valley University Heights Hillcrest
Balboa Park
North Park
Downtown
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Air & Space Museum
Gaslamp Quarter Coronado
City Heights
Automotive Museum
Barrio Logan
Star Bo
e
Park
Zoo Entrance Miniature Railroad Carousel San Diego Zoo
Spanish Village
Old Globe Theatre
Casa del Prado
House of Hospitality
Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Casa de Balboa
Bea Evenson Fountain Zoro Garden
Fleet Science Center
Desert Garden
Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden
Japanese Friendship Garden
House of Pacific Relations International Cottages
Comic-Con Museum (Opening TBA) Municipal Gym
rlight owl
Museum of Natural History
Lily Pond Timken Museum
House of Alcazar Charm Garden
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Museum of Art
California Tower Museum of Man
Moreton Bay Fig Tree
Botanical Building
Pepper Grove Playground Australian Garden Centro Cultural de la Raza WorldBeat Cultural Center Veterans Memorial Garden
Balboa Park Activity Center
Veterans Museum
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Copy adapted from BalboaPark.org and connected sites, including SaveStarlight.org Photography & Design Chris Ramirez ART303 Fall 2018 Point Loma Nazarene University
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