Romantic Balboa Park is the nation’s largest urban cultural park consisting of a forest of exotic trees, well-kept gardens, and a majestic lily pond, which is the most photographed site in the park. Here too is the renowned Old Globe Theatre and 17 outstanding museums, art galleries and one of the largest planetariums in the country.
The Heritage of the Americas Museum is located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego. The Museum is a cultural and educational facility featuring the prehistoric and historic art, culture and natural history of the Americas.Early inhabitants of the Americas came from Asia, both across the land bridge and by sea.
This awesome, historically significant museum is dedicated to preserving the glorious history and rich tradition of the United States Marine Corps. This historical museum is visited by more than 100,000 people annually. “A Walking Tour of the MCRD Command Museum” features fourteen galleries with dozens of exhibits.
Founded in 1798, Old Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, known as the “King of the Missions,” is a National Historic Landmark. It is the largest of all the 21 California missions that flourished here in the 1700′s and 1800′s, is home to a community of Franciscan Friars and is open daily to the public in the Franciscan tradition of hospitality.
Eight unique hands-on galleries, with more than 100 science exhibits, three spacious meeting rooms, interactive team-building missions and a 300-seat newly remodeled Giant Dome Theater with the world’s first “NanoSeam” seamless dome screen. The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center offers an ideal and unique atmosphere.
Don’t miss Balboa Park’s fascinating aeronautical museum. It’s the San Diego Air & Space Museum, which is located in the historic Ford Building. The building is directly under the flight path of aircraft bound for nearby Lindbergh Field. You can hear these massive jetliners overhead as you browse this astounding collection of aircraft.
The fascinating floating museum at the Embarcadero consists of six historic ships and two submarines: the Star of India, which is the oldest active sailing ship in the world, the steam ferry Berkeley, the steam yacht Medea, the San Diego Harbor Pilot, also an actual Soviet-era diesel B-39 submarine and the deepest-diving submarine ever
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum features interactive toy trains, Lionel-style electric trains and a 20-scale mile long rail crossing of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This museum is the only accredited railroad museum in the United States. It is the largest permanent operating model railroad exhibit in North America.
A visit to Balboa Park would not be complete without visiting the 37 working artist studios managed by over 250 local artists and see and speak to many of these artists while they create their works of art that are all offered for sale. The Spanish Village Art Center is nestled in the north eastern end of beautiful Balboa Park.
Experience the magic aboard one of the longest-serving aircraft carriers in U.S. Naval history, the USS Midway. It’s a must-see San Diego attraction. On board you’ll enjoy a self-guided audio tours for adults and families and more than 60 exhibits and displays throughout the ship. These include the galley, berthing spaces and more.
