Location: Balboa Park
Top Things to do in Balboa Park
Top 10 Things to do in Balboa Park, California (CA)
San Diego embodies laid-back California culture, complete with a Boardwalk, surfing communities, and outstanding Mexican food. Breathe in the fresh ocean air at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, then gobble down a fresh fish taco at a La Jolla seafood joint. The naval aircrafts at the USS Midway Museum will have you standing at attention. A free Sunday concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the perfect way to unwind after a Saturday night bar-hop in the thumping Gaslamp Quarter.
Restaurants in San Diego
1. Balboa Park Visitors Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
The Balboa Park Visitors Center provides visitors the latest information about museums and attractions in the park, Explorer Passes to visit park attractions for a day, week, or an annual pass, custom guided tours, maps and information, and a gift shop with unique park-related gifts, sundries and refreshments for all your needs.
Reviewed By GlobalGypsy_13 - San Diego, United States
This visitors center is a great place to start your explorations of Balboa Park or to get quick directions to a specific site within the extensive park. There is a volunteer staffed help desk. You can buy Explorer passes at the center that also houses a small gift shop.
2. Balboa Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12,833 reviews
One of the most popular urban parks in the United States, this bucolic paradise is packed with an array of attractions, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Reviewed By noeadventures - Los Angeles, United States
Who knew Southern California had an international-like escape. Old buildings and churches, open city squares for dining under umbrellas with fountains and birds, vendors, huge outdoor piano organ, church bells ringing, museums, botanical gardens, bridges, zoo, on and on and on and on...you could spend a whole day here easily. I felt moderately like I was back in Prague or Guatemala. Such a cool place.
3. Spanish Village Art Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 200 reviews
Located in Balboa Park, this center is home to many art galleries and working artist studios. Presently we house over 250 local San Diego Artist who create and demonstrate their artwork daily such as: paintings, photography, art tlass, pottery, metal arts, fiber arts, paper arts, enamels and more. There are five guilds on site: Art Glass, Potter's, Wood Carver's, Enamel and Sculptors. We offer classes for all ages and summer camp for kids in our beautiful historic courtyards. Open Daily 11am to 4pm. Free WiFi. Open to the public and pet friendly.
Reviewed By Bidule005 - France, null
In San Diego, we spent one afternoon in Balboa park, which is a beautiful 1,200 acre public park, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We were amazed by le Spanish Village Art Center, with its very colorful cobblestones and its typical Spanish square surrounded by many interesting galleries and small shops of artists and craftsmen! Altogether, Balboa park is a paradise in San Diego, with many activities for families and children!!!
4. San Diego Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27,804 reviews
The world famous San Diego Zoo is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies, and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants. It is located just north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park. San Diego Zoo Global is a not-for-profit organization that operates the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, and the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. The Zoo was founded on October 2, 1916, by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D. It currently has an 11-member Board of Trustees headed by Steven G. Tappan; and Paul A. Baribault is the president/CEO.
Reviewed By 333josephd - San Diego, United States
Great place to go for the day there is so much to see and do here lots of animals recommend definitely take the sky tram also take the bus to her first just to see where you want to go there are lots of cool shows to see we will definitely cover 12 miles or more walking around
5. El Prado
6. Old Globe Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 504 reviews
The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional regional theatres and has stood as San Diego’s flagship arts institution for over 80 years. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 15 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theatre’s education and community programs. Numerous world premieres such as the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, Allegiance, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.
Reviewed By boydw180 - Omaha, United States
What a great performance. All the cast was good and Robert Joy played a great Scrooge. Jacque Wilke played several characters and stole the show with her fantastic facial expressions and enthusiasm. What a talent.
7. San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 534 reviews
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum was established in January of 1983. SDMRM has been a resource for model train aficionados, artist, architects, engineers, and families in San Diego for over 30 years. We spark curiosity in San Diego’s youth with educational programming that includes developmental milestones like critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving via our tailored school workshops and summer camps.
Reviewed By blw_at_longwood - Richmond, United States
Many of us have had some experience with model trains, but this takes it to a completely different level! The display, which is really that of a club and not a museum per se, has both quality and quantity. The modeling is top notch, with not one but MANY scenes from Southern California railroading faithfully reproduced. As anyone who's ever done this can attest, it can be tough to keep such things running smoothly, but trains - huge trains, ones that stretch completely out of sight - run perfectly. There's also mind-blowing quantity. A model railroad that fills a garage can be an amazing thing, but this is two full floors of railroading, on a scale that is unrivaled. Railroaders or model railroaders in the know about famous Southern California rail landmarks such as Tehachapi Loop or Chatsworth will recognize the sights instantly. It was like railfanning the real thing, but with a lot less walking! There are actually a number of railroads in the museum. During my visit there were quite a few young kids and they all seemed to be having a grand time. If you or your kids have any interest in trains at all, it's hard to go wrong here.
8. Timken Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 206 reviews
Museum that celebrates the important role of art as a way of enriching lives by featuring American, Dutch and Flemish, French, Italian paintings and Russian Icons.
Reviewed By permia
European Old Masters are to the fore in this gem of a gallery. In the French segment can be seen Christ Healing the Blind by Philippe de Champaigne and more. Rembrandt's Saint Bartholomew is a fine study of human intensity, contemplating his imminent martyrdom, as the account goes, by flaying alive, using the implement in his right hand. Some engaging American works are also on display. The Cranberry Harvest by Eastman Johnson shows a large group of busy harvesters overseen by a lady in all her finery.
9. Mingei International Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 112 reviews
A museum of folk crafts with a variety of displays that run the gamut from textiles and toys to painting and sculpture.
10. Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 323 reviews
The Spreckels Organ and San Diego Civic Organist, Dr. Carol Williams. This organ with 4,518 pipes, was a gift from the Spreckels brothers to the city of San Diego on January 1, 1914. Come visit for a free concert every Sunday at 2pm and afterwards you are invited inside the building to view the pipe chambers and historic photo gallery.
Reviewed By permia
It was fascinating to learn more about the scale of the organ and the provenance of the whole assemblage. As a 1915 philanthropic gesture to the city by the sugar magnate, it continues to enthral visitors. Unfortunately we didn’t get to esperience a recital, as at our visit performances were only on a Saturday.
