Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in America and the second largest in North America behind Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.
With over 1,200 acres, there's lots to do -- picnicking under the majestic eucalyptus trees, watching volleyball games on weekends, visiting museums, taking in a live performance, visiting the world-famous San Diego Zoo, and much, much more.
If you're going to spend some extra time sightseeing in San Diego, you can't go wrong with Balboa Park. The Park offers a Passport for $39/$21 (adults/children) that gets you into fourteen of the Park's Museums, a savings of over 50%:
Japanese Friendship Garden
- Mingei International Museum
- Museum of Photographic Arts
- Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- SDAI- Museum of the Living Artist
- San Diego Automotive Museum
- Museum of San Diego History
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum
- San Diego Museum of Art
- San Diego Museum of Man
- San Diego Natural History Museum
- San Diego Hall of Champions
- Veterans Museum & Memorial Center
If you want to add the Zoo in, you can get a Zoo/Passport Combo for $65/$36 (adults/children). Note that many of the Museums are closed on Mondays, and some of the Museums offer free admission on Tuesdays.
For more information about Balboa Park, log on to balboapark.org. Meanwhile, here is all that Balboa Park has to offer. Not all events occur year-round.
Family friendly
San Diego Zoo-both an internationally recognized zoo and botanical garden
- Butterfly ride at the Zoo
- Carousel at the Zoo
- Miniature railroad at the Zoo
- El Prado walkway
- Pepper Grove Playground and Picnic Area
- Morley Field-golf, tennis, swimming, and more)
- December Nights
- International Summer Organ Festival
- Twilight in the Park-free concerts under the stars
- Summer camps
- Balboa Park Tram
Gardens
Botanical Building
- Japanese Friendship Garden
- Alcazar Garden
- Australian Garden
- California Native Plant Garden
- Casa del Rey Moro Garden
- Desert Garden
- Old Cactus Garden
- Florida Canyon Native Plant Preserve
- Marston House Garden
- Palm Canyon
- Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden
- Trees for Health Garden
- Veterans Memorial Garden
- Zoro Garden
- WorldBeat Center's Children's Ethnobotany Garden
Restaurants
The Prado at Balboa Park
- Albert's Restaurant
- Galileo Café
- Time Out Café
- Village Grill
- Waters Café
- Café in the Park
- Lady Carolyn's Pub
- The Tea Pavilion
Museums
- Mingei International Museum
- Museum of Photographic Arts
- Museum of San Diego History
- Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
- San Diego Aerospace Museum
- San Diego Art Institute
- San Diego Automotive Museum
- San Diego Hall of Champions
- San Diego Junior Theatre
San Diego Model Railroad Museum-the world's largest operating model railroad museum
- San Diego Museum of Art
- San Diego Museum of Man
- San Diego Natural History Museum
- Timken Museum of Art
- Veterans Museum and Memorial Center
Cultural
- Centro Cultural de la Raza
- WorldBeat Center
- House of Pacific Relations
- Spanish Village Art Center
- United Nations Building
- American Indian Cultural Center and Museum
Theatre and performances
Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
- The Old Globe theatre
- Spreckels Organ Pavilion-the world's largest outdoor organ.
- Starlight Theatre at Starlight Bowl
- San Diego Civic Youth Ballet
- San Diego Youth Symphony
Miscellaneous
- House of Hospitality
- Marston House
- Lawn bowling
- Balboa Park Food and Wine School

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Jim, another great post, full of very good info. I was in San Diego many years ago for a summer and spent some wonderful times at Balboa Park. What a great place it is, you are very lucky to have such a place near you.