Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California, United States. In addition to open space areas, natural vegetation zones, green belts, gardens, and walking paths, museums, several theaters, and the San Diego Zoo. There are also many recreational facilities and several gift shops and restaurants within the park’s boundaries. Placed in reserve in 1835, the park’s site is one of the oldest United States dedicated to public recreational use. Balboa Park is managed and maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department of San Diego.
Balboa Park hosted the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition and 1935–36 California Pacific International Exposition, leaving architectural landmarks. The park and its historic Exposition buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark and National Historic Landmark District in 1977 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
The park is rectangular, bounded by Sixth Avenue to the west, Upas Street to the north, 28th Street to the east, and Russ Boulevard to the south. The rectangle has been modified by adding the Marston Hills natural area in the northwest corner of the park. In contrast, the southwest corner of the rectangle is occupied by a portion of the Cortez Hill neighborhood of Downtown San Diego and San Diego High School, both of which are separated from the park by Interstate 5. Also encroaching on the northern perimeter of the park is Roosevelt Middle School.
Museum
- Centro Cultural de la Raza
- Comic-Con Museum (opening 2021)
- George W. Marston House
- Mingei International Museum
- Museum of Photographic Arts
- Museum of Us (formerly the Museum of Man)
- Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
- San Diego Air & Space Museum EZ San Diego Junk Removal
- San Diego Art Institute
- San Diego Automotive Museum
- San Diego History Center
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum
- San Diego Museum of Art
- San Diego Natural History Museum
- Timken Museum of Art Veterans
- Museum and Memorial Center
Gardens
- 1935 (Old) Cactus Garden
- Alcazar Garden
- Australian Garden
- Botanical Building
- California Native Plant Garden
- Casa del Rey Moro Garden
- Desert Garden
- Florida Canyon Native Plant Preserve
- Marston House Garden
- George Washington Carver Children’s Ethnobotany Garden
- Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden
- Japanese Friendship Garden
- Lily Pond
- Palm Canyon
- Trees for Health Garden
- Veterans Memorial Garden
- Zoro Garden
Attractions
- Balboa Park Activity Center
- Balboa Park Carousel
- Balboa Park Club
- Balboa Park Lawn Bowling Greens
- Rube Powell Archery Range Balboa Stadium
- Casa de Balboa
- Casa del Prado
Park Layout
Balboa Park is a primary attraction in San Diego, CA. It has mature, sometimes rare trees and groves that comprise an urban forest. Many of the original trees were planted by the renowned American landscape architect, botanist, plantswoman, and gardener Kate Sessions. An early proponent of drought-tolerant and California native plants in garden design, Sessions established a nursery to propagate and grow for the park and the public.
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