Balboa Park

The cultural heart of San Diego

Just minutes from downtown, you'll find an amazing cultural center and beautiful botanic paradise right in the middle of San Diego.

Balboa Park, San Diego, California

Balboa Park is a cultural oasis that includes 17 museums, gardens galore and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. At 1,200 acres, Balboa Park is one of North America’s most iconic urban parks and a must see on any visit to San Diego. Located just blocks from downtown San Diego hotels, the park has a rich history reflected through its stunning architecture, thought-provoking exhibits installations, and cultural events throughout the year.

Balboa Park has a storied history – one that is central to the story of San Diego. It started 150 years ago, when civic leaders took the audacious step of setting aside the scrub-filled mesa overlooking downtown to establish a city park. Today, Balboa Park continues to be a potent mix of what makes San Diego so unique. Ethnically diverse, historically rich, culturally abundant, naturally breathtaking, Balboa Park is where you can experience San Diego’s past and see its future.

Find out more about Balboa Park’s evolution.

The Sights and Sounds of Balboa Park

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In & Around Balboa Park

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National Geographic Channel Explores San Diego

Four-part series focuses on unique cultural offerings of Balboa Park and the city.

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7 Hidden Gems to Explore in Balboa Park

You can spend all day (or weekend) exploring Balboa Park’s 1,200 acres of museums, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. But the Jewel of San Diego also features several lesser-known attractions that are sure to pique your interest, too.

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FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Ready to discover something awesome? Well, you’re in the right place.

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Balboa Park Bucket List

10 Things You Can't Miss

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Museum Month

Feb 1 - Feb 29, 2020

San Diego area residents and visitors are in for a special treat in February! Pick up your Museum Month discount pass at participating libraries or when you stay at a Hilton to enjoy 50% off the cost of admission at more than 40 San Diego Museum Council member museums. The San Diego Museum Month pass is free; one pass can be used at several museums* throughout the month of February.

Whether you are an art aficionado, history buff, science or nature lover, the San Diego Museum Council has a variety of member organizations that are bound to capture your interest.

Take advantage of this annual program to visit both old favorites and new attractions you have never even heard of!

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Port of San Diego's Day at the Docks

Apr 14, 2020

This is the 41st year the San Diego Sportfishing Council has sponsored its special showcase of San Diego sportfishing. We hope you'll take this opportunity to join us and discover a bit more of what the Port of San Diego holds for you.

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La Jolla Concours D'Elegance

Apr 17 - Apr 19, 2020

La Jolla California is proud to welcome the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance presented by LPL Financial and Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty back to the jewel of the West Coast on of Friday April 17th, Saturday April 18th, and Sunday April 19th, 2020 to celebrate its 16th year of automotive excellence.

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Mission Federal ArtWalk

Apr 25 - Apr 26, 2020

On April 25-26, 2020, the Mission Federal ArtWalk will celebrate its 36th annual event in the streets of Little Italy. Featuring more than 300 artists filling 17 square blocks of the iconic urban neighborhood with art, craftsmanship and beautiful goods, this event attracts artists from across the globe. More than just an art event, the festival is a family-friendly opportunity to participate in interactive art installations and features live music and dance performances.

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National Geographic Channel Explores San Diego

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7 Hidden Gems to Explore in Balboa Park

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FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

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Balboa Park Bucket List

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Museum Month

Feb 1 - Feb 29, 2020

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Port of San Diego's Day at the Docks

Apr 14, 2020

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La Jolla Concours D'Elegance

Apr 17 - Apr 19, 2020

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Mission Federal ArtWalk

Apr 25 - Apr 26, 2020

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Save on Admission to Museums

Experience the museums of Balboa Park in an easy and affordable way with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. For one price, the Pass provides admission into as many as 16 of Balboa Park’s museums and attractions.

More from Balboa Park & San Diego

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Parks & Gardens

San Diego Dog Beaches and Off-Leash Dog Parks

Places to play fetch or doggy-paddle

Find dog-friendly beaches and off-leash dog parks in San Diego that are great for your dog to perfect its doggy-paddle, play fetch, or have a snore-fest on the warm sand.

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Tours & Sightseeing

First Timer Trips to San Diego

Special 1-day itinerary highlights top attractions

To help you make the most of a first-time visit to San Diego, we've developed a special day-long itinerary highlighting some of the city's top attractions.

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Parks & Gardens

San Diego's Japanese Friendship Garden: San-Kei-En

Explore Balboa Park's Much-Expanded Garden

The name of San Diego's Japanese Friendship Garden is San-Kei-En, which means "three-scene garden" in Japanese. It is named after the three scenic landscapes celebrated in Japanese culture: water, pastoral and mountain. You will see representations of all three in the garden's canyon. A group of carefully placed stones suggests a mountain landscape. A tiered and pruned black pine represents the pastoral. And water landscapes are found in the garden's dry streambeds and waterfalls.

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Museums

Summer in Balboa Park

The cultural heart of San Diego

Summer is a time to relax, explore and enjoy – and there’s no better place to perfect the art of summer than in Balboa Park. From evening concerts to extended museum hours to food truck feasts to gardens and picnics and more, Balboa Park is the destination for summer fun – all day and into the night.

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Balboa Park, by You

Fill your feed with Balboa Park and hashtag #VisitSD and tag @VisitSanDiego so that we can share your images.

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The Illusionists

Broadway San Diego

Valid: Feb 14 - Mar 1, 2020

Get 25% off all performances in most sections using code TRICKSTER at checkout. This mind blowing spectacular showcases the jaw dropping talents of the most incredible Illusionists on...

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$5 off San Salvador Sailing Adventure

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Valid: Feb 4 - ongoing

The San Salvador is a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s ship that arrived at the port we now call San Diego on September 28, 1542. These 4 hour Sailing Adventures are for people who...

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45-minute Historic Bay Cruises Only $10*

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Valid: Feb 4 - ongoing

Launched in 1914 to her removal from regular service in 1996, Pilot enjoyed an active career as San Diego’s chief pilot craft – assisting almost every one of the thousands of major...

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