Balboa Park traces its roots to 1868, when San Diego’s civic leaders set aside more than 1,000 acres of scrubland overlooking downtown for a future city park. Its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture dates largely from the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition, which transformed the park into a showcase of ornate buildings and gardens.
Today the 1,200-acre park is home to 17 museums, including the San Diego Museum of Art and the Fleet Science Center, alongside the world-renowned San Diego Zoo. Its gardens range from the cactus-filled Desert Garden to the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, with over 2,400 rose bushes.
Many of the park’s gardens, plazas, and outdoor architecture are free to explore. Visitors hoping to see multiple museums should plan for at least a full day, and weekday mornings offer the smallest crowds.
