Walking Tour: Balboa Park
Start: Cabrillo Bridge, entry at Laurel Street and Sixth Avenue.
Finish: San Diego Zoo.
Time: 2 hours, not including museum or zoo stops. If you get tired, hop on the free park tram.
Best Times: Anytime. If you want to get especially good photographs, come in the afternoon, when the sun lends a glow to the already photogenic buildings. Most museums are open until 4 or 5pm. The zoo closes at 4pm, later in summer months.
Worst Times: More people (especially families) visit the park on weekends. But there is a festive, rather than overcrowded spirit even then--particularly on Sunday afternoons, when you can catch a free organ concert at the outdoor Spreckels Organ Pavilion at 2pm.
Built in the late 1800s, Balboa Park is the second-oldest city park in the United States, after New York's Central Park. Much of its striking architecture was the product of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. The structures now house outstanding museums and contribute to the park's beauty. But what makes Balboa Park truly unique is the extensive and mature botanical collection, thanks largely to Kate Sessions, a horticulturalist who devoted her life to transforming the desolate mesas and scrub-filled canyons (and other San Diego parks) into the oasis it is today. Originally called "City Park," it was renamed in 1910 when Mrs. Harriet Phillips won a contest, naming it in honor of the Spanish explorer Balboa who, in 1513, was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
Take bus no. 1 or 3 along Fifth Avenue or bus no. 25 along Sixth Avenue to Laurel Street, which leads into Balboa Park through its most dramatic entrance, the:
1. Cabrillo Bridge
It has striking views of downtown San Diego and scenic, sycamore-lined Highway 163 (which John F. Kennedy proclaimed as "the most beautiful highway I've ever seen," during his 1963 visit to San Diego). Built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition and patterned after a bridge in Ronda, Spain, the dramatic cantilever-style bridge has seven pseudo-arches. As you cross the bridge, to your left you'll see the yellow cars of the zoo's aerial tram and, directly ahead, the distinctive California Tower of the Museum of Man. The delightful sounds of the 100-bell Symphonic Carillon can be heard every quarter-hour. Sitting atop this San Diego landmark is a weathervane shaped like the ship in which Cabrillo sailed to California in 1542. The city skyline lies to your right.
Once you've crossed the bridge, go through the:
2. Arch
The two figures represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and lead into the park, where you'll find a treasure of nature and culture. For now, just view the museums from the outside.
You have entered the park's major thoroughfare, El Prado--if you're driving a car you'll want to find a parking space and return to the:
3. San Diego Museum of Man
An anthropological museum, it focuses on the peoples of North and South America. Architect Bertram Goodhue designed this structure, originally known as the California Building, in 1915. Goodhue, considered the world's foremost authority on Spanish-colonial architecture, was the master architect for the 1915-16 exposition. The exterior doubled as part of Kane's mansion in the 1941 Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane.
Just beyond and up the steps to the left is the nationally acclaimed:
4. Old Globe Theatre
The original theatre is part of the Globe Theatres performing arts complex. The Old Globe was built for the 1935 exposition; the replica of Shakespeare's Old Globe Theatre was meant to be demolished after the exposition but survived. In 1978, an arsonist destroyed the theater, which was rebuilt into what you see today. It's California's oldest professional theater. If you have the opportunity to go inside, you can see the bronze bust of Shakespeare that miraculously survived the fire with minor damage. The summer Shakespeare series is always popular.
Beside the theater is the:
5. Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Art
Across the street, to your right as you stroll along the Prado, is the:
6. Alcazar Garden
It was designed in 1935 by Richard Requa and W. Allen Perry. They patterned it after the gardens surrounding the Alcazar Castle in Seville, Spain. The garden is formally laid out and trimmed with low clipped hedges; in the center walkway are two star-shaped yellow-and-blue tile fountains.
Exit to your left at the opposite end of the garden, and you'll be back on El Prado. Proceed to the corner; on your right is the:
7. House of Charm
This is the site of the San Diego Art Institute Gallery and the Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art. The gallery is a nonprofit space that primarily exhibits works of local artists; the museum offers changing exhibitions that celebrate human creativity expressed in textiles, costumes, jewelry, toys, pottery, paintings, and sculpture.
To your left is the imposing:
8. San Diego Museum of Art
This museum holds San Diego's most extensive collection of fine art, and major touring shows swing through.
The latticework building you see beyond it to the right is the:
9. Botanical Building & Lily Pond
An open-air conservatory, this delicate wood lath structure dates to the 1915-16 Exposition, and is filled with 2,100 permanent plants, plus seasonal displays. Particularly noteworthy are the collection of cycads and ferns. Immediately in front is the Lily Pond.
Across the street is the House of Hospitality and the park's:
10. Visitors Center
Pick up maps, souvenirs, and discount tickets to the museums here. In the courtyard behind is the attractive Prado restaurant (see "Winding Down", at the end of this tour).
Turn right toward the statue of the mounted:
11. El Cid Campeador
Created by Anna Hyatt Huntington and dedicated in 1930, this sculpture of the 11th-century Spanish hero was made from a mold of the original statue in the court of the Hispanic Society of America in New York. A third one is in Seville, Spain.
Walk downhill to the ornate:
12. Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Donated to San Diego by brothers John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels, famed contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink sang at the December 31, 1914, dedication. A brass plaque honors her charity and patriotism. Free, lively recitals featuring the largest outdoor organ in the world (its vast structure contains 4,428 pipes) are given Sunday at 2pm, with additional concerts and events scheduled during summertime.
Exit to your right, cross the two-lane road, and follow the sidewalk down the hill. The pathway leading into the ravine to your right will take you to the:
13. Palm Canyon
Getting to this site requires some hiking. It's secluded, and probably should not be walked solo, but you can get a good sense of its beauty by venturing only a short distance along the path. Fifty species of palm, plus magnolia trees and a Moreton Bay fig tree provide a tropical canopy.
As you walk down the hill, you'll see the Hall of Nations on your left, and beside it, the:
14. United Nations Building
This building also houses the United Nations International Gift Shop, a favorite for its diverse merchandise, much of it handmade around the world. You'll recognize the shop by the United States and United Nations flags out front. Check the bulletin board, or ask inside, for the park's calendar of events. If you need to rest, there's a pleasant spot with a few benches opposite the gift shop.
You will notice a cluster of small houses with red-tile roofs. They are the:
15. House of Pacific Relations International Cottages
These charming dollhouse cottages promote ethnic and cultural awareness and are open to the public on Sunday afternoons year-round. From March to October, there are lawn programs with folk dancing.
Take a quick peek into some of the cottages, then continue on the road to the bottom of the hill to see more of the park's museums; to your right, the notable:
16. San Diego Automotive Museum
It's usually filled with exotic cars (the display changes often), and the cylindrical:
17. San Diego Aerospace Museum
The museums in this part of the park operate in structures built for the 1935-36 Exposition. It is not necessary to walk all the way to the Aerospace Museum (located appropriately enough in the flight path for the San Diego's airport), unless you plan to tour one or two of them now (you'll also find the Hall of Champions Sports Museum and the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater).
Cross the road and go back up the hill past a parking lot and the Organ Pavilion. Take a shortcut through the pavilion, exit directly opposite the stage, and follow the sidewalk to your right, leading back to El Prado. Almost immediately, you come to the:
18. Japanese Friendship Garden
This 11 1/2-acre canyon has been carefully developed to include traditional Japanese elements. At the entrance is an attractive teahouse whose deck overlooks the entire ravine, with a small meditation garden beside.
Take a Break
Now is your chance to have a bite to eat, sip a cool drink, and review the tourist literature you picked up at the Visitors Center. The Tea Pavilion (tel. 619/232-2721) at the Japanese Friendship Garden serves fresh sushi, noodle soups, and Asian salads--it also carries quirky imported Japanese candies and beverages in addition to some familiar American snacks.
Return to El Prado, which is strictly a pedestrian mall to the east, and set your sights on the fountain at the end of the street and head toward it. Stroll down the middle of the street to get the full benefit of the lovely buildings on either side. On weekends you'll probably pass street musicians, artists, and clowns--one of their favorite haunts is around the fountain.
On your right, you'll see the:
19. Casa de Balboa
Inside you'll find the Museum of Photographic Arts, the Model Railroad Museum, and the Museum of San Diego History, with engaging exhibits that interpret past events in the city and relate them to the present. Note the realistic-looking bare-breasted figures atop the Casa de Balboa. Perhaps this was an intentional tribute to the nudist colony that temporarily sprouted in the Zoro Garden--immediately west of the building--during the 1935-36 Exposition? Today butterflies are the most frequent naturists in this nook of the park.
On the other side of El Prado, on your left, note the ornate work on the:
20. Casa del Prado
While it doesn't house a museum, it's one of the best--and most ornate--of the El Prado buildings, featuring almost rococo Spanish-Moorish ornamentation.
At the end of El Prado are two museums particularly popular with children; the first is the:
21. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
To the left is the:
22. Natural History Museum
You're likely to find kids climbing on the whale statue outside. Look for the sundial that is inscribed PRESENTED BY JOSEPH JESSOP; DECEMBER 1908; I STAND AMID YE SOMMERE FLOWERS TO TELL YE PASSAGE OF YE HOURES. This sundial, which is accurate to the second, was originally presented to the San Diego Public Library, and moved here in the mid-1950s when the library relocated.
In the center of the Plaza de Balboa is the high-spouting:
23. Fountain
This seemingly ordinary installation, built in 1972, holds 25,000 gallons of water and spouts 50 to 60 feet into the air. What makes it unique is a wind regulator located on top of the Natural History Museum--as the wind increases, the fountain's water pressure is lowered so that the water doesn't spray over the edges. The fountain fascinates children, who giggle when it sprays them and marvel at the rainbows it creates.
From here, use the pedestrian bridge to cross the road and visit the nearly secret:
24. Gardens
They are tucked away on the other side of the highway: to your left, a Desert Garden for cacti and other plants at home in an arid landscape; to your right, the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Gardens, home to 2,400 roses. After you've enjoyed the flowers and plants, return to the fountain.
Heading to the right and a block from El Prado on Village Place is another voluptuous Moreton Bay Fig tree, planted in 1915 for the exposition; it's now more than 62 feet tall, with a canopy 100 feet in diameter.
Farther on is the sleepy:
25. Spanish Village Art Center
Artists are at work here daily from 11am to 4pm. They create jewelry, paintings, and sculptures in tile-roofed studios around a courtyard. There are restrooms here, too.
Exit at the back of the Spanish Village Art Center and take the paved, palm-lined sidewalk that will take you to the world-famous:
26. San Diego Zoo
You can also retrace your steps and visit some of the tempting museums you just passed, saving the zoo for another day.
Bus tip: From here, you can walk out to Park Boulevard through the zoo parking lot to the bus stop (a brown-shingled kiosk), on your right. The no. 7 bus will take you back to downtown San Diego.
Winding Down
Back on El Prado (in the House of Hospitality), the Prado Restaurant (tel. 619/557-9441) has a handsome view of the sloping park from oversize windows. Far from your average park concession, the Prado is run by the restaurant group responsible for some of San Diego's trendiest eateries, and boasts a zesty menu with colorful ethnic influences--plus inventive margaritas and Latin cocktails. Lunch starts at 11:30am (Sat-Sun at 11am), and a festive dinner menu takes over at 5pm (daily except Mon; reservations advisable). In between, a long list of tapas will satisfy any hunger pangs.
