Mission San Diego De Alcalá

Mission Valley and Old Town

Tucked away near the placid San Diego River on the northern edge of Mission Valley is a compact site with immense connections to California history. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá was the very first of what would become 21 Spanish missions established up and down California. Founded in 1769 and originally situated farther west near Old Town, the mission moved to its present location five years later, in an area where the Kumeyaay people had been living for some 12,000 years. With its whitewashed adobe church and signature 46-foot bell tower, the mission remains deeply steeped in history; it is still an active Catholic parish, and one of the bells in its tower dates to 1802. For an in-depth look at the mission, book a tour or check out its fascinating museum.

Whaley House Museum

Mission Valley and Old Town

Mention the Whaley House Museum and San Diego locals will start telling spooky stories before you can say the word “boo!” Called America’s Most Haunted House by the Travel Channel, this stately 1857 Greek Revival home – the first two-story brick building in San Diego -- is known for its many allegedly eerie, potentially paranormal occurrences over the years. The place’s spine-tingling rep helps explain why some 100,000 people visit the Old Town museum annually. (Along with untold numbers of ghosts.)

Liberty Station

Point Loma Peninsula

Once a prime training center for the U.S. Navy, the former military base now known as Liberty Station hosted hundreds of thousands of new recruits over a span of some seven decades starting in the 1920s. Today it’s a thriving public space, boasting 125 acres of parkland, retail shops, hotels and much more. Among its most popular attractions are ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, a 28-acre arts-and-culture hub; Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, an inviting and expansive indoor/outdoor restaurant and brewery; and Liberty Public Market, a bustling collection of more than three dozen food outlets, bars and shops.

Timken Museum

Balboa Park

A favorite stop for visitors to Balboa Park -- San Diego’s cultural heart -- the Timken Museum of Art is considered one of the top small art museums in the country. Opened in 1965 and named for a pioneering San Diego family, the Timken is housed in a signature Midcentury Modern building that contains a world-class collection of European and American art, with works that span 700 years of history. The Timken’s collection also includes the only Rembrandt painting on public display in Southern California. And rare among museums of any kind or size, admission to the Timken is always free.

Lafayette Hotel & Club

North Park

North Park's retro-chic Lafayette Hotel has seen a whole lot of San Diego history, from serving as a movie-star hangout in the 1940s to gaining fame as a "Top Gun" filming location in the ‘80s. Now the inviting boutique hotel with the stately neoclassical entryway has a singularly distinctive new vibe thanks to an inspired makeover by owners CH Projects. The vintage property boasts a live-music venue, eight separate, cleverly themed bars and eateries and even a throwback bowling alley. And the Lafayette’s Johnny Weissmuller-designed pool remains a place to be seen.

Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial

La Jolla

San Diego’s Mount Soledad, which rises high above La Jolla, is a place of stunning views and somber tributes. The 823-foot summit is home to the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, which honors veterans of conflicts dating to the nation’s founding. At the foot of the towering cross that has stood atop the mountain for decades, nearly 6,000 black granite plaques commemorate those who sacrificed as members of the armed services. And from there, arresting views of the city and the glittering Pacific spread out in all directions.

California Tower

Balboa Park

Soaring more than 18 stories above Balboa Park, the majestic California Tower is an indelible symbol of San Diego, and the ringing of its chimes has been a familiar sound to park visitors for more than a century. Built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the tower was famously spotlighted in the classic 1941 movie “Citizen Kane,” and now is part of the park’s Museum of Us. After more than 80 years of limited access, the tower was reopened to visitors in 2015. Now no visit to San Diego is complete without picking up a tour ticket at the Museum of Us, ascending the spiral staircase to the eighth-floor viewing platform and soaking in the amazing views of San Diego.