California travel expert Veronica Hill (http://www.CaliforniaTravelExpert.com) and the California Essential Guide app visits Balboa Park in San Diego in this episode of “California Travel Tips.” Called the Smithsonian of the West, Balboa Park is our nation’s largest urban cultural park. It sits on 1,200 acres of lush gardens, world-class museums and performing arts venues.
You can spend an entire day just at the San Diego Zoo, a lush landscape of botanical gardens that’s home to more than 4,000 animals and 800 species. In October, kids under 12 are free!
If you’re here for the Balboa Park museums, park at Inspiration Point off Park Boulevard and take the free trolley to the Visitor Center. From here, you can walk to most of the San Diego attractions.
Start with a morning stroll in the peaceful Japanese Friendship Garden, which is home to colorful koi and Zen gardens, then check out the park’s impressive Spanish-Renaissance revival buildings, which date back to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
The Museum of Man is housed in one of Balboa Park’s most striking buildings, just beneath the 200-foot-tall California Tower. Here you can explore the world of anthropology, ranging from impressive Mayan monuments and figurines, to one of the country’s best collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.
Kids will enjoy the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center — which boasts more than 100 hands-on activities — and the charming San Diego Model Railroad Museum, which is the largest of its kind in the United States.
Learn about prehistoric bones and fossils in The San Diego Natural History Museum, or check out major exhibitions in the San Diego Museum of Art.
When it comes time to eat, there are 11 eateries throughout the park. Enjoy signature cocktails and gourmet fare at the full-service Balboa Park Prado Restaurant, or nibble on sushi and soba noodles in the Tea Pavilion.
During the summer, you can enjoy free organ concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion — a tradition since 1915. The park’s historic Old Globe Theatre, founded in 1935, serves up everything from Broadway productions to a summer Shakespeare Festival.
For the best bang for your buck, buy the “Stay for the Day” pass, which allows access to five attractions (excluding the zoo). The 7-day Passport is a Balboa Park Museum Pass that offers admission to 14 museums. San Diego residents can enjoy Balboa Park Free Tuesdays, which allows free admission to select museums on Tuesdays.
More info on Balboa Park
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Proponents give up on controversial plan to place observation wheel in Balboa Park
Backers abandon plans for a temporary Ferris wheel-like attraction they presented as a COVID-safe diversion at San Diego's Balboa Park.
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We Have a Winner! Local Man Wins Classic Car in Raffle to Help Keep Staff Employed at SD Auto Museum
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Balboa Park sky wheel organizer blames 'bureaucratic hurdles' for suspension of plan
One of the organizers behind the observation wheel once planned for Balboa Park claim the project was halted because of "bureaucratic hurdles." ...
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Balboa Park's Star Fades Out: Plans for Giant Observation Wheel Halted
A 148-foot wheel may be rolling its way into the heart of Balboa Park as early as next Spring to bring birds-eye views to visitors taking a ride to the top in a giant gondola.
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Proponents abandon controversial plan to put an observation wheel in Balboa Park
Backers hoped that the attraction, known as the Balboa Park Star, would have been a temporary, COVID-safe diversion for park visitors ...
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San Diego's Balboa Park Glows in Tribute to Lives Lost to COVID-19
On Tuesday, as the evening sky turned to night, San Diego’s Balboa Park glowed with light as the city remembered the many lives lost to COVID-19 – both locally and nationally.
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Plans for observation wheel in Balboa Park suspended
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Plans to temporarily install an observation wheel in Balboa Park have been suspended, the city confirmed. Plans for the Balboa Park Star, which recently gained support from the ...
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San Diego City and County join nationwide COVID-19 Memorial with lighting in Balboa Park
Mayor Todd Gloria joined the memorial by lighting multiple buildings in Balboa Park in amber light. SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The city and county of San Diego will join communities around the country ...
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Balboa Park Lights Up to Honor Those Who Have Died from COVID-19
San Diego joins communities across the country in honoring the nearly 400,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19 by illuminating buildingsin Balboa Park.
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What’s open, closed in San Diego on MLK Day
All San Diego administrative offices will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, but many other city functions will remain open.
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Put a little love in Balboa Park
SAN DIEGO — Balboa Park is San Diego's Central Park -- and sometimes doesn't get all the love it deserves. But a father-daughter duo is hoping to change that, by reviving a classic song ...
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Haunted Trail of Balboa Park
The Haunted Trail is mile-long trail through the twisted grove of pines and gnarled oaks of Balboa Park. Follow the red balloon — “IT” will lead you to Pennywise the dancing clown ...