The lily pond
Before the Botanical Building.
Mesutcaninla — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Orca727 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Codera23 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · KermyVash26 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Roman Eugeniusz — CC BY-SA 3.0
Balboa Park is a historic urban cultural park of 490 hectares in San Diego, California, and one of the oldest sites in the United States dedicated to public recreation, set aside in 1835. It holds museums, theatres, restaurants and gardens, plus the famous San Diego Zoo. The park hosted the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and 1916 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935 and 1936, both of which left architectural landmarks. The park and its exposition buildings became a National Historic Landmark in 1977, and today the city's Parks and Recreation Department manages it. You walk El Prado between ornate Spanish-style buildings with carved doors and windows, columns and arches. The Botanical Building with its timber dome faces a long lily pond, and the California Tower rises above the trees. Nearby are the Cactus Garden and the Alcazar Garden with its coloured tiles, and the park's edges look out over downtown. It is 2.6 km in a straight line from central San Diego, reached by bus or taxi. The park is large, so choose two or three museums, and give the zoo a day of its own. Midday can get hot, so bring water and a hat. Strolling among the gardens is free, a good choice for a walk at no cost.
Before the Botanical Building.
Above the park's trees.
Desert plants.
North of downtown San Diego, California
Walking in the park is free, and the museums and zoo charge separately.
Choose two or three museums, and give the zoo its own day.