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When I first moved to San Diego I was only familiar with the things San Diego was well known for: the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and the amazing weather. I never heard of Balboa Park and when a friend of mine introduced me to it I coudln’t believe I was living so close to such an amazing park.

I figured the park was a huge open grassy space for people to relax, walk their dogs, or have picnics. I was very VERY wrong and underestimated Balboa Park.

The park is filled with museums, gorgeous architecture (great for photo-ops), gardens, walking trails, and lots more. I can't count how many times I have been back to Balboa Park and I still have so much more to explore.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to this list, but here are some of the places I have explored so far. 

Spanish Village Art Center

This village in Balboa Park is so darn cute and colorful. If you aren’t paying attention, you can definitely miss this area of the park as it’s somewhat tucked away in the corner of the park. I finally discovered it after many visits to the park.

This area in Balboa Park is so darn cute and colorful. When I first saw the Spanish Village Art Center I was wondering why the buildings seemed so small.

I later found out that the village was established in the late 1930s and all the buildings are the original structures with the exception of a new coat of paint. The artists that work or have a studio in the village are not allowed to change anything to the exterior to preserve this colorful historic site. 

Museum of Us

Once called The Museum of Man, it is now known as The Museum of Us. This museum has interesting exhibits ranging from Beerology to Monsters to the current Cannibals: Myth & Reality.

The Cannibals: Myth & Reality exhibit may sound a little dark, but it had a variety of fun interactive rooms and some really interesting information about cannibalism. It is an extra fee to tour this exhibit and we definitely thought it was worth it. 

The Museum of Us is a huge tower with access to a lower and upper level. For an extra fee, the museum offers a tour of the California Tower, which is where you can witness the most amazing views of San Diego.

The tower has been closed for 80 years and it recently reopened to the public. Visit their site for the most up-to-date visitor information.

Japanese Friendship Garden

Japanese gardens bring back so many childhood memories. Our cousin's grandmother had a beautiful garden with a koi pond in her yard and we absolutely loved it when we were kids.

Maintaining the garden is very time-consuming (and expensive), so as she grew older the garden was put to rest.

We were sad to see the garden go, but luckily many years ago we captured a photo of her garden. When we visited Balboa Park's Friendship Garden it was very similar to her garden but on a much larger scale.

Fleet Science Center “Myth Busters”

I occasionally catch Myth Busters when I am looking for something to watch on TV, so when I saw their banner at the Fleet Science Center I had to check it out.

There were a ton of interactive stations and it reminded me of the time I went to Ripley's Believe It or Not! ages ago in Orlando, Florida.

The Science Fleet Center has different exhibitions throughout the year and although this one is no longer available, you can check out their current exhibits on their homepage.

You can also catch an IMAX or digital film at the Fleet Science Center. I didn't have time to watch a film, but I'd love to go back and experience their 76-foot wraparound movie screen. It's a full-dome digital projection system that I hear is pretty amazing.

Botanical Building

It's hard to miss this building as it sits right in front of a beautiful Lily Pond. If you search the hashtag "Balboa Park" on Instagram, you will definitely see tons of photos of this iconic pond. 

Depending on the season you go, the plants that are blooming will be different. We happened to visit when there weren’t many exciting colors, so we preferred the outside grounds more with the ducks, lily pond, and koi pond.  

The Botanical Building is currently closed for renovations and is anticipated to be completed in 2024. You cab learn more about the renovation here: https://balboaparkbotanical.org/

Natural History Museum

I visited the Natural History Museum an hour before their closing, so I did a quick walk around to get a little glimpse of everything. I had to walk real fast because there were five floors to explore.

It's a lot smaller than some of the other museums I have visited; however, it had some interesting information about the history of Southern California. 

Cactus Garden

The Cactus Garden is a really quiet spot that I like to walk around to get away from the crowds. This historic garden was directed by Kate Sessions for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition.

The California Pacific International Exposition was organized to help promote San Diego, at the time, the economy was in decline due to the Great Depression. There were various exhibits that were held within Balboa Park and the Cactus Garden was one of them.

Comic-Con Museum

It makes sense to put a Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park and I’m excited to see it come to fruition. Did you know (according to Forbes) that Comic-Con San Diego is the largest convention of its kind in the world?

The museum opened in the summer of 2021 and will be completed in phases until the year 2024. You can experience the magic of Comic-Con all year round.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Balboa Park museums free? 
There is a fee for museums and select gardens. If you are a San Diego resident, all of the museums and attractions are free on Tuesdays.

How much does it cost to go to Balboa Park?
It's completely free to roam around and explore the beautiful grounds. Many of the gardens and trails are free and parking is also free. If you want to visit the museums, you can get a day pass for $46 (good for up to 5 museums).

How many museums are in Balboa Park?
Balboa Park consists of 17 museums, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. It's the largest urban cultural park in North America.

BALBOA PARK
ADDRESS: 1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92102 (MAP)