Balboa Park is a 1200 acres (485.6 ha)
urban cultural parkAn urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in San Diego,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The park is named after the
Spanish maritime explorerConquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Vasco Núñez de BalboaVasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
. It was the location of the 1915 Panama–California Exposition and 1935 California Pacific International Exposition which each created architectural landmarks for the park.
The park's site was placed in reserve in 1835, and so is one of the oldest sites in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. In addition to open space areas, natural vegetation
green beltA green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
s, gardens and walking paths, it contains a variety of cultural attractions including many museums, several theaters, and the world famous
San Diego ZooThe San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
. There are also many recreational facilities and several gift shops and restaurants.
Balboa Park, and the historic Exposition buildings, were declared a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and
National Historic Landmark DistrictIn the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
in 1977, and placed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Balboa Park is managed and maintained by the stewardship of the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Diego.
Park attractions
Balboa Park contains multiple museums, gardens, attractions, and venues.
Museums
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- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- San Diego Museum of Art
The San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California that houses a broad collection with particular strength in Spanish art. The San Diego Museum of Art opened as The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego on February 28, 1926, and changed its name to the San...
- San Diego Automotive Museum
The San Diego Automotive Museum in San Diego, California is a museum that features a collection of cars and motorcycles that highlight automotive culture throughout history...
- San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
- Centro Cultural de la Raza
The Centro Cultural de la Raza is a non-profit organization with the specific mission to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexicano, Indigenous and Latino art and culture...
- Museum of the Living Artist
The Museum of the Living Artist is hosted by the San Diego Art Institute . It features a new exhibition of works by San Diego artists opening every four to six weeks in a 10,000-square-foot gallery, dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts through outreach, education, and exhibition. Solo...
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San Diego Museum of ManThe San Diego Museum of Man is a museum of anthropology located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California and housed in several historic landmark buildings.-Exhibits:...
San Diego Model Railroad MuseumThe San Diego Model Railroad Museum is one of the world's largest indoor model railroad exhibits and is located in San Diego, California.-Location:The museum is located on the of the Casa De Balboa on the Prado in Balboa Park-Mission statement:...
Mingei International MuseumThe Mingei International Museum is a non-profit public institution that collects, conserves and exhibits folk art, craft and design. The museum was first founded in 1974 and its building opened in 1978. The word mingei, meaning 'art of the people,' was coined by the Japanese scholar Dr...
San Diego Natural History MuseumThe San Diego Natural History Museum was founded in 1874 as the San Diego Society of Natural History. The present location of the museum in San Diego's Balboa Park was dedicated on January 14, 1933....
Museum of Photographic ArtsThe Museum of Photographic Arts or MoPA is a museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. First founded in 1974, MoPA opened in 1983. MoPA is one of three museums in the US dedicated exclusively to the collection and preservation of photography, with a mission to inspire, educate and engage the broadest...
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Reuben H. Fleet Science Center The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a science museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Established in 1973, it was the first science museum to combine interactive science exhibits with a planetarium and an IMAX Dome theater, setting the standard that most major science museums follow today...
Timken Museum of ArtThe Timken Museum of Art is a fine art museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California, close to the San Diego Museum of Art.-History:...
Veterans Museum and Memorial CenterThe Veterans Museum and Memorial Center is a museum located in historic Balboa Park of San Diego, California. Founded in 1989, it is dedicated to create, maintain, and operate an institution to honor and perpetuate the memories of all men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United...
George W. Marston HouseThe George W. Marston House, or George Marston House and Gardens, also referred to as the George and Anna Marston House or the Marston House, is a museum and historic landmark located in San Diego and currently maintained by Save Our Heritage Organisation .- The House :The George W. Marston House...
San Diego History Center |
Gardens
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- Botanical Building
- Japanese Friendship Garden
- 1935 (Old) Cactus Garden
- Alcazar Garden
- Australian Garden
- California Native Plant Garden
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Casa del Rey Moro Garden
Children's Ethnobotany Garden
Desert Garden
Florida Canyon Native Plant Preserve
Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden |
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Marston House Garden
Palm Canyon
Trees for Health Garden
Veterans Memorial Garden
Zoro Garden |
Attractions and venues
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- San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
- House of Pacific Relations International Cottages
- Balboa Park Carousel
- Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
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Old Globe TheatreThe Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Starlight BowlThe Starlight Bowl is an amphitheater located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It was constructed for the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition and seats 4,300...
Balboa StadiumBalboa Stadium is a football and soccer stadium located in San Diego, California. The original stadium was built in 1914 as part of the many buildings erected for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition located in Balboa Park. Originally called City Stadium, and designed by the Quayle Brothers...
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Geography
The park is essentially rectangular in form, 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 the addition of the Marston Hills natural area in the northwest corner of the park, while the southwest corner of the rectangle is occupied by a portion of the Cortez Hill neighborhood of Downtown San Diego and
San Diego High SchoolSan Diego High School is an urban public educational complex comprising six small schools located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District and one of the...
, both of which are separated from the park by
Interstate 5Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. Also encroaching on the northern perimeter of the park is Roosevelt Middle School.
Two north-south canyons - Cabrillo Canyon and Florida Canyon - traverse the park, and separate it into three distinct mesas. The Sixth Avenue Mesa is a narrow strip bordering Sixth Avenue on the western edge of the park, which provides areas of passive recreation, grassy spaces, and tree groves. The Central Mesa is home to much of the park's cultural facilities, and includes scout camps, the
San Diego ZooThe San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
, the Prado, and Inspiration Point. East Mesa is home to Morley Field and many of the active recreation facilities in the park.
In 1948, California State Route 163 was constructed to run through Cabrillo Canyon and pass under the
Cabrillo BridgeThe Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego...
. This stretch of road, initially named the Cabrillo Freeway, has been called one of America's most beautiful parkways. A portion of
Interstate 5Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
was constructed through the park in the 1950s. In total, freeways take up 111 acres of land that had been initially designated for the park.
Surrounding the park are many of San Diego's older neighborhoods, including Downtown, Bankers Hill, North Park, and Golden Hill.
Park layout
The entire Balboa Park is a primary attraction in San Diego and the region. The park's landscape has many mature, and sometimes rare, trees and groves creating an
urban forestAn urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...
for San Diego. Many of the original trees were planted by the renowned American landscape designer, botanist,
plantswomanA plantsman is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardener , nurseryman or nurserywoman. "Plantsman" can refer to a male or female person, though the terms plantswoman, or even plantsperson, are sometimes used....
, and gardener
Kate SessionsKatherine Olivia "Kate" Sessions was an American botanist, horticulturalist, and landscape architect closely associated with San Diego, California, and known as the "Mother of Balboa Park."-Early life:...
. She was a forerunner of using drought tolerant and
California native plantsCalifornia native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
in
garden designGarden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise...
, establishing a nursery to propagate and grow for the park and the public.
Throughout the park there are a number of
gardensBalboa Park Gardens are areas of Balboa Park in San Diego, California.-Plants:Balboa Park contains 350 species of plants on of rolling hills and canyons, with approximately 1,500 trees...
including: Alcazar Garden, Botanical Building, Desert
Cactus GardenA cactus garden is a garden for the cultivation and display with many types cacti. The Arizona Cactus Garden is one such garden....
, Casa del Rey Moro Garden, Inez Grant Parker Memorial
Rose GardenA Rose garden or Rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped by individual variety, colour or class in rose beds.-Origins of the rose...
, Japanese Friendship
Garden, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
, Bird Park, George W. Marston House and Gardens, Palm Canyon, and Zoro Garden.
Many of the park's cultural attractions are along El Prado, a long, wide promenade and boulevard running through the center of the park. Most of the buildings lining this street are in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style, a richly ornamented eclectic mixture of European
Spanish architectureSpanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...
and the Spanish Colonial architecture of
New SpainNew Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
-
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Along this boulevard are many of the park's museums and cultural attractions, including the San Diego Museum of Man, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Photographic Arts, the San Diego Art Institute, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego History Center, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and the Timken Museum of Art. Other features along El Prado include the Reflection Pond, the latticed Botanical Building, and the Bea Evenson Fountain. Adjacent to the promenade is the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Theatrical and musical venues include the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, featuring one of the world's largest outdoor pipe organs; the Old Globe Theatre complex, which includes a replica of Shakespeare's
Globe TheatreThe Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
as well as an outdoor stage and a
Theatre in the roundTheatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
; and the Starlight Bowl - an outdoor
amphitheatreAn amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
. The Casa Del Prado Theater is the home of San Diego Junior Theatre, the country's oldest children's theatre program. The House of Pacific Relations International Cottages collected on El Prado offer free entertainment shows.
The Botanical Building, a very large lath house, was built in 1915 from a design by
Carleton WinslowCarleton Monroe Winslow , also known as Carleton Winslow Sr., was an American architect, and key proponent of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Southern California in the early 20th Century....
. The lath house features large specimen palms and other plants inside and is located next to a long
reflecting poolA reflecting pool or reflection pool is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and at memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a calm reflective...
on the El Prado side.
Located in the eastern third of the park is the Morley Field Sports Complex. Included in this complex are: the Balboa Park Golf Complex, which contains a public 18-hole golf course and 9-hole executive course; the San Diego
VelodromeA velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
; baseball and softball fields; the USTA-honored Balboa Tennis Club and tennis courts; archery ranges; the Bud Kearn public swimming pool; and a
disc golf courseDisc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
.
Among the institutions and facilities within the park's borders but not administered by the city's Parks Department are the San Diego Zoo, the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), and
San Diego High SchoolSan Diego High School is an urban public educational complex comprising six small schools located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District and one of the...
. Other attractions in various areas of the park include chess and bridge outdoor tables, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, walking and jogging trails, sports fields and courts, and picnic areas. Clubs and facilities for
petanquePétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
and lawn bowling are based in the park.
Land reserved
Spain and later Mexico made a practice of setting aside large tracts of land for the common use of citizens. In 1835 the Alta California authorities set aside a 47000 acres (19,020.2 ha) tract of pueblo land in San Diego to be used for the public's recreational purposes. This land included the site of present-day Balboa Park, making it one of the oldest places in the United States dedicated to public recreational usage.
No further activity took place until 1845, when a survey was done by
Henry D. FitchHenry Delano Fitch was an early settler of San Diego, California.-Life:Henry D. Fitch was born 1799 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was a sea captain and trader...
to map the 47,000 acres. The Mexican government was unable to develop a park due to the start of the Mexican-American War, and the resulting ceding of all Alta California, including San Diego, to the United States in 1848.
On February 15, 1868, a request was put forth to the city's Board of Trustees to take two 160 acres (64.7 ha) plots of land, and create a public park. This request was made by one of the Trustees,
E. W. MorseEphraim W. Morse was an early settler of the city of San Diego, and was partially responsible for many of its expansions as a city, such as attracting the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and proposing Balboa Park.-Early life:Morse was born in 1823 in West Amesbury, Massachusetts...
, who, along with real estate developer
Alonzo HortonAlonzo Erastus Horton was an American real estate developer in the nineteenth century. The Horton Plaza mall in downtown San Diego is named for him.-Early life:...
, had selected a site just northeast of the growing urban center of "New Town"—present day Downtown San Diego—for the nascent park's location.
Park establishment
Subsequently, a resolution to set aside nine plots of land totaling a substantial 1400 acres (566.6 ha), instead of just two, for a large city park was approved by the city's Board of Trustees on May 26, 1868. Then in 1870, a new law called the "Act to Insure the Permanency of the Park Reservation", was passed by the state legislature, which stated "These lands (lots by number) are to be held in trust forever by the municipal authorities of said city for the purpose of a park". It was around this time that San Diego residents were developing fondness for the park; as illustrated by their strong desire to keep the park intact when in 1871 there was a documented attempt to purchase and divvy up the park land. At the urging of would-be land speculators and the city attorney, a state senator quietly introduced a bill in the
California state legislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
to repeal the 1870 law.
A San Diego resident learned of the plan and informed higher powers at the state level in
Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. The conspiracy was leaked to the press thereby exposing the city officials involved. A public safety committee formed and collected signatures supporting the current existence of the park. Their plea was successful and the bill was killed in the legislature. San Diego was the second city in the U.S. to dedicate a large park after New York City's 1858 establishment of
Central ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
A City Park: 1872–1909
For the first few decades of its existence, "City Park" remained mostly open space. The land, lacking trees and covered in native wildflowers, was home to wildlife such as bobcats, rattlesnakes, and coyotes. Numerous proposals, some altruistic, some profit-driven, were brought forward for the development and use of the land during this time, but no comprehensive plan for development was adopted until 1902.
Nevertheless, there was some building done. This included an orphanage and
women's shelterA women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
(later burned down), a high school (Russ High School - later
San Diego High SchoolSan Diego High School is an urban public educational complex comprising six small schools located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District and one of the...
), and several gardens maintained by various private groups. One of the most celebrated of these early usages was a
nurseryA nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
owned and maintained by local horticulturist and botanist Kate Sessions, who is often referred to as "the mother of Balboa Park." Although owned by Sessions, by agreement with the city the nursery was open to the public, and Sessions donated trees and plants to the city every year for its beautification. Sessions is responsible for bringing in many of the different varieties of native and exotic plants in the park. Her work was so progressive that she was in fact the first woman awarded the Meyer Medal for "foreign plant importation" given to her by the American Genetic Association.
Other developments from this time include two
reservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s, an animal pound in Pound Canyon (later renamed Cabrillo Canyon), and a
gunpowder magazineA gunpowder magazine is a magazine designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines...
in the area now known as Florida Canyon. The earliest recreational developments in the park were in the "Golden Hill Park" area off of 25th street. The National Register listed the rustic stone fountain designed by architect Henry Lord Gay as the oldest surviving designed feature in the park. Other attractions in the area included a children's park, walking trails, and a redwood bird
aviaryAn aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
.
Preparation for the 1915 Expo: 1910–1914
Beginning in 1909, San Diego Chamber of Commerce president G. Aubrey Davidson suggested that the park hold an expo to coincide with the 1915 opening of the
Panama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Davidson believed an expo would help improve commerce and residency in the city as well as expand the infrastructure of the park. He later explained the significance of holding the expo in San Diego, "...I felt something must be done to get our city on the map and advertise it to the rest of the world. I knew we had something here that no other city had, and that all that was necessary was for the people to know about it." The expo was organized by a group of San Diego business leaders, including Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., and was funded at an initial cost of $5 million (including $1 million from voter-approved bonds for landscaping). After a naming contest in 1910, the park's namesake selected
Vasco Núñez de BalboaVasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
, the first European to cross Central America and see the Pacific Ocean. A lavish groundbreaking ceremony for the fair's construction was held in July 1911.
In anticipation of the exposition, many of San Diego's business and city leaders began to develop separate plans for their envisioning of the layout of the park.
John D. SpreckelsJohn Diedrich Spreckels , the son of German-American industrialist Claus Spreckels, founded a transportation and real estate empire in San Diego, California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, owner of the
San Diego Electric RailwayThe San Diego Electric Railway was a mass transit system in Southern California, USA, using streetcars and buses.The SDERy was established by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels in 1892...
, desired the main location for the public plaza on the land to be shifted to another area to allow for additional room for exhibitors. However, Spreckels also wanted the location moved so that it would allow his streetcar system to traverse the park and extend to the North Park and University Heights neighborhoods for when the expo ended.
The Panama-California Exposition: 1915–1916
The 1915 Panama–California Exposition design and development created much of the park's present day look and feel, and designed amenities. The
ExpositionWorld's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
celebrated the 1914 completion and opening of the Panama Canal, and to advertise that San Diego was the first U.S.
port of call-Synopsis:Berit, a young woman living in a working-class port town begins a relationship with Gösta, a sailor newly returned from overseas and intent upon staying on land...
vessels encountered after passing through the canal and sailing north. A similar fair, the 1915
Panama–Pacific International ExpositionThe Panama-Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California between February 20 and December 4 in 1915. Its ostensible purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely seen in the city as an opportunity to showcase its recovery...
, was held in "far to the north" San Francisco to celebrate the canal also. Although $5,000,000 had been set aside by Congress for celebrations of the Panama Canal opening, the majority of the funds went to the San Francisco expo. San Diego, with its considerably smaller population, was able to raise the funds it lacked through bonds approved by taxpayer votes. Exposition planning began in 1909 and the City Park was soon selected as the exposition site.
The Exposition's lead designer and site planner was architect
Bertram GoodhueBertram Grosvenor Goodhue was a American architect celebrated for his work in neo-gothic design. He also designed notable typefaces, including Cheltenham and Merrymount for the Merrymount Press.-Early career:...
, well known for his
Gothic Revival StyleThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
churches in New York and Boston, but looking for a regionally appropriate aesthetic to use in
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Goodhue and associate architect
Carleton WinslowCarleton Monroe Winslow , also known as Carleton Winslow Sr., was an American architect, and key proponent of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Southern California in the early 20th Century....
chose to use the styles of highly ornamented Spanish Baroque architecture with the Spanish Colonial architecture created during the
Spanish colonization eraColonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
in New Spain-Mexico and the lower Americas, with
ChurrigueresqueChurrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the...
and
PlateresquePlateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
detailing "updating" the already popular
Mission Revival StyleThe Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
—to create the
Spanish Colonial Revival StyleThe Spanish Colonial Revival Style was a United States architectural stylistic movement that came about in the early 20th century, starting in California and Florida as a regional expression related to history, environment, and nostalgia...
. The buildings and the style were extremely well received by the public and design professionals in California and nationally, becoming a reigning style for decades, and still the primary vernacular style in much of California. Goodhue's associate architect was Carleton M. Winslow, who is solely credited with the lattice-work
Botanical BuildingBalboa Park Gardens are areas of Balboa Park in San Diego, California.-Plants:Balboa Park contains 350 species of plants on of rolling hills and canyons, with approximately 1,500 trees...
and other structures. Goodhue's team, which included Kate Sessions and
Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright, Jr. , commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American landscape architect and architect, most active in Los Angeles and Southern California...
for
landscape designLandscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
, had won out over the local and more
modernistModern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
Irving GillIrving John Gill , American architect, is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. He designed several buildings considered examples of San Diego's best architecture.-Biography:...
to get the commission. One of the most significant improvements to the park from that time was the construction of the
Cabrillo BridgeThe Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego...
across a major canyon in the city. The bridge connects the main portion of the park with the western portion and with Laurel Street.
On December 31, 1914, the Panama-California Exposition opened, with Balboa Park "crammed full" of spectators. President
Woodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
pushed a telegraph button in Washington, D.C. to symbolically open the ceremonies by turning on the power at the park. Yellow and red were the themed colors of the event and were displayed throughout. All of the employees, workers, security people, and management staff were dressed in period Spanish and Mexican military uniforms, and much of the park was filled with plantings of
exotic plantsOrnamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
. Over 40,000 red
PoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as Zack Wood or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825...
plants, all in full bloom, were used. The event had been successful in attracting national attention. Even Pennsylvania's
Liberty BellThe Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
made a brief three-day appearance in November 1915. The event's original 1915 run was such a success the fair was extended through 1916. Over the two years more than 3.7 million visitors were in attendance and a slight profit was earned over the total cost of organizing and hosting the expo. The surplus funds were donated to the San Diego Museum in the park. Several notable visitors during the two-year run included
Henry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
,
William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
,
Thomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
,
Theodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, and
William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
.
Roosevelt, approving of the buildings' architecture, recommended that the "buildings of rare phenomenal taste and beauty" be left as permanent additions at Balboa Park. The majority of the buildings were only supposed to remain standing through 1916 and were not constructed with long-lasting materials. When the expo ended, several city discussions were held to determine what to do with the buildings. Goodhue recommended demolishing the buildings, saying "They are now crumbling, disintegrating and altogether unlovely structures, structures that lack any of the venerability of age and present only its pathos, and the space they occupy could readily be made into one of the most beautiful public gardens in the New World." Joseph W. Sefton, Jr., president of the Society of Natural History also called for their demolition, citing fire hazards: "All those old exposition buildings are nothing but fire traps. ... They are pretty to look at, but we may wake up any morning and find them gone, and our million dollars worth of exhibits with them." However, a city-appointed committee hired an architect to review the buildings, and he determined that the buildings could be restored by a slight margin over any costs to demolish the buildings. When the necessary funds and materials for restoration were donated by San Diegans and the labor was financed by the federal government, the buildings continued to remain in the park. Some of the buildings and infrastructure constructed for the Panama-California Exposition which exist today include:
- Cabrillo Bridge
The Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego...
(completed April 12, 1914)
- California State Building and Quadrangle (completed October 2, 1914 - now the Museum of Man)
- Administration Building (completed March 1912 - now: offices of the Museum of Man)
- Botanical Building
Balboa Park Gardens are areas of Balboa Park in San Diego, California.-Plants:Balboa Park contains 350 species of plants on of rolling hills and canyons, with approximately 1,500 trees...
- California Bell Tower (completed 1914)
- New Mexico Building (now: Balboa Park Club)
- Spreckels Organ Pavilion (dedicated December 31, 1914)
California Pacific International Exposition: 1935–1936
Balboa Park's second big event, the California Pacific International Exposition, came in 1935 when it hosted yet another world's fair. This Exposition was intended to promote the city and remedy San Diego’s
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
era ills. Balboa Park was reconfigured by San Diego architect Richard S. Requa, who also oversaw the design and construction of many new buildings, some to be permanent. Facilities added at that time and still in use include the
Old Globe TheatreThe Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
, the International Cottages, and the Spanish Village.
The California Pacific International Exposition left behind a legacy of colorful stories with its exhibits and entertainments. The
Gold GulchGold Gulch was the largest funfair concession built for visitors at the California Pacific International Exposition, a World's Fair that was open from 1935 to 1936, in San Diego, Southern California, United States...
was a forerunner of the many "frontier town" themed areas of later amusement parks. The controversial
Zoro Garden Nudist ColonyZoro Gardens Nudist Colony was a reputed nudist colony, composed in its first season only of comely young women, at Balboa Park's Pacific International Exposition in San Diego, California.-Opposition:...
, "Midget Village", and sideshow entertainments including fan dancer
Sally RandSally Rand was a burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck.-Early life and career:...
added to the lore. The Exposition also provided visitors with early glimpses of 'Alpha'- a walking silver robot, and a strange new electrical device called a "television".
Like the first exposition, the 1935 Fair was so successful it was extended for a second year through 1936. Opening ceremonies for the second season began when President
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
pressed a gold telegraph key in the White House to turn on the exposition’s lights. He later visited the exposition along other notable guests including
Herbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
,
Mae WestMae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, and
Jack DempseyWilliam Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
. Funded at $20 million, the 1935–1936 event counted 6.7 million visitors—almost double the total of the 1915–1916 exposition. Buildings from both expositions now make up a
National Historic Landmark DistrictIn the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
.
At the conclusion of the expo, again San Diegans voted on deciding what to do with the park and its buildings. Banker Joseph Sefton, Jr. called for the buildings' removal, "They are hideous and badly placed. Had we torn out the 1915 exposition buildings and landscaped the park we would have a beautiful place there now and not a long row of ramshackle firetraps." Several proposals were developed for converting buildings to museums and several groups attempted to have some of the park land sold to finance other projects.
World wars
During both the Great War and World War II, the park was handed over to the Department of the Navy to be used as a barracks and training ground and was an extension of Naval Medical Center San Diego. By 1917, after $30,000 in repairs and modifications were made to the original buildings, over 5,000 U.S. troops were using the park for training.
Coinciding with the Panama–California Exposition, the
Commandant of the Marine CorpsThe Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
instructed 2nd Battalion of the newly established 4th Marines to represent the Marine Corps at the event. On December 19th, 1914, Marine Barracks, Balboa Park, was established as the second, and during its period, and only Marine base in San Diego. It remained in place until 1921, when a more permanent base was established in Dutch Flats, itself a predecessor of Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. Under the conditions of usage, upon closing, the Marine Corps returned the buildings they had used in the exact condition that they had received them. Although some buildings were scheduled to be demolished due to disrepair, several San Diego groups organized to ensure the buildings were kept. Donated funds allowed for improvements to the buildings' integrity and interiors.
During World War II the park was renamed Camp Kidd, after
Rear Admiral Isaac KiddIsaac Campbell Kidd was an American Rear Admiral in the United States Navy who was killed on the bridge of the during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the father of Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.. He was a posthumous recipient of his nation's highest military honor — the Medal of...
. Buildings within the park were used for multiple purposes, including hospital wards, training facilities, and
barracksBarracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. After the
attack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, many of the wounded were transported to Camp Kidd's hospital wards. Camp Kidd also served as a Reception Center for sailors until 1944, when those activities were transferred to Camp Elliott; this allowed for additional hospital expansion. It was returned back to civilian authority in 1946, and repair costs to return the buildings and infrastructure to their pre-war status totaled $840,000, with the majority reimbursed by the Navy. In 1948, the funds were used to restore seven buildings that were deemed unsafe.
Post-war 20th century
A new addition to the park during the post-war 1940s was the
carillonA carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
in the
California TowerThe San Diego Museum of Man is a museum of anthropology located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California and housed in several historic landmark buildings.-Exhibits:...
(1946), which chimes the time every quarter hour. The San Diego Junior Theater, a program of the Old Globe Theatre, was established in 1948, performing in the Prado Theatre. The amphitheater formerly known as the Ford Bowl became the
Starlight BowlThe Starlight Bowl is an amphitheater located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It was constructed for the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition and seats 4,300...
, home of the Starlight Musical Theater (also known as the San Diego Civic Light Opera and as Starlight Opera), which performed Broadway musicals outdoors in the summer.
In 1959, the city hired an architectural firm to map out a plan for the park based on the suggestions of San Diegans along with the firm's recommendations. The initial review called for 13 of the original 1915 buildings to remain while replacing 11 others with new buildings in their place. The plan also called for adjusted roadways, additional landscaping, and improvements in parking. By 1967, the city and private charities such as the Committee of 100 undertook a major effort to restore the park's historic buildings. Most of the original Exposition buildings were continuing to deteriorate with some lacking foundations and minimal structural support. By the 1990s some of the Prado buildings were deteriorating so badly that "pieces of plaster regularly fell off the walls." Several crumbling buildings were torn down and replaced with permanent structures which were carefully detailed to maintain the original appearance. The Science and Education Building and the Home Economy Building were demolished to make room for the expansion of two new wings for the
Timken Museum of ArtThe Timken Museum of Art is a fine art museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California, close to the San Diego Museum of Art.-History:...
. The loss of these two buildings along with the Casa de Balboa, the House of Charm, and the House of Hospitality, resulted in the formation of the independent organization, Committee of One Hundred, to attempt to preserve the exhibition buildings.
Several new museums opened during the 1960s and 1970s: the Timken Museum of Art in 1965, the
Centro Cultural de la RazaThe Centro Cultural de la Raza is a non-profit organization with the specific mission to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexicano, Indigenous and Latino art and culture...
in 1970, and the
Reuben H. Fleet Science CenterThe Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a science museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Established in 1973, it was the first science museum to combine interactive science exhibits with a planetarium and an IMAX Dome theater, setting the standard that most major science museums follow today...
in 1973. The 1915-1916 exposition's Food and Beverage Building was rebuilt and reopened in 1971 as Casa del Prado.
Balboa Park, and the historic Exposition buildings, were declared a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and
National Historic Landmark DistrictIn the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
in 1977, and placed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The following year two historic park structures burned down in two separate arson fires: the Aerospace Museum in the former Electric Building, and the 1935
Old Globe TheatreThe Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...
. The Aerospace Museum (now the San Diego Air and Space Museum) lost over $4 million in exhibits, and was reopened after moving into the old Ford Building. The Old Globe Theatre produced its 1978 season on a temporary outdoor stage, which was later upgraded to become one of the Globe's three theaters. The Old Globe Theatre itself was rebuilt and reopened in 1981. Queen Elizabeth II presented at the dedication ceremony for the theatre in 1983.
Throughout the 1980s, there were multiple reports throughout Balboa Park of vandalism, murder, rape, arson, and minor petty crimes. The resulting negative publicity during this period inspired
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
to write a song entitled "Balboa Park" focusing on the unpleasant aspects of the park. One of the Old Globe Theatre's starring actors was stabbed to death in the middle of the day in February 1985. A 36-year-old woman was gang-raped and murdered in the park in June 1986. To counter the increase in crime, city officials expanded police patrols in the park, and many of the individual museums hired security guards. After two murders in 1993 and the shooting of a young drama student walking across the
Cabrillo BridgeThe Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego...
in 1994, nighttime lighting in the park was increased, and video cameras were installed in several locations to allow park rangers and police to better monitor the area.
In 1998, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center opened a larger building at its present location. The following year, the Hall of Champions Sports Museum moved to the old Federal Building.
21st century
Plans are in development for a year-long celebration of the centennial of the 1915-16 exposition, called the Balboa Park 2015 Celebration.
The Balboa Park Conservancy, a non-profit group to preserve and promote the park, was proposed in 2009 and was officially launched on September 14, 2010.
The Park's master plan calls for removing a 67-space parking lot from the Plaza de Panama in front of the San Diego Art Museum, and restoring it as a pedestrian-only plaza. In August 2010 a plan was unveiled by Mayor
Jerry SandersGerald Robert "Jerry" Sanders is an American politician, Mayor of San Diego, California, and former Chief of Police.-Personal life:...
and philanthropist
Irwin M. JacobsIrwin Mark Jacobs , is an electrical engineer and the co-founder and former chairman of Qualcomm, and chair of the board of trustees of the Salk Institute. In 2010, Jacobs was listed as number 828 on Forbes's annual list of the World's Top Billionaires.-Education:Jacobs earned his B.S...
to replace that parking with a two-level parking garage at the site of the current Spreckles Organ Pavillion parking lot. The plan also called for making the
Cabrillo BridgeThe Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego...
one-way, eastbound only, so that people could enter the park via the Cabrillo Bridge but could exit only via Park Boulevard. Instead of the current traffic route through the center of the Prado, inbound traffic would be deflected via a new bridge offramp through the current Alcazar Gardens parking lot toward the new parking garage. The Alcazar Gardens parking lot would be for disabled parking only and for loading and unloading of passengers. The new parking garage would house 750-900 cars and would be landscaped on top. The plan became controversial because of its alteration to the appearance of the bridge and the possibility of charging for parking in the parking garage. In July 2011 the City Council voted to carry out an environmental study on the Jacobs plan and several alternatives.
Special events
Balboa Park frequently holds events throughout its museums, venues, and plazas. These events include weekly concerts at the Speckles Organ Pavilion, guest speakers, and annual parades and fairs. The festival "December Nights" (originally called "Christmas on the Prado") takes place in Balboa Park the first weekend of December each year. EarthFair, described as one of the largest free annual environmental fair in the U.S., is held in the park every April. The event celebrates
Earth DayEarth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, and includes a parade, musical performances, and information booths on various topics related to the environment. In 2010, over 70,000 people attended the fair. The two-day San Diego Gay Pride Festival is held in the Marston Point area of Balboa Park each July. The 2011 parade was attended by more than 150,000 people.
Several races and marathons include the park in the courses. The
Foot Locker Cross Country ChampionshipsThe Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the best prep cross country athlete in the country...
are held in Balboa Park annually. First started in 1979, the race is held in Morley Field. Marathons such as the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon and the
America's Finest City Half MarathonAmerica's Finest City Half Marathon is an annual road running event over the half marathon distance which is held in mid-August on the streets of San Diego, California. The race was inaugurated in 1978 and has been held every year since then...
begin or end in Balboa Park.
Cultural references
- The 1915 silent film Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition is a 1915 silent short comedy film, directed by Fatty Arbuckle and starring Arbuckle and Mabel Normand.-Production background:...
takes place at the 1915 Exposition and stars Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Mabel NormandMabel Normand was an American silent film comedienne and actress. She was a popular star of Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios and is noted as one of the film industry's first female screenwriters, producers and directors...
.
- Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
has scenes from Charles Kane's (Orson Welles) mansion "Xanadu" filmed at buildings in Balboa Park, with the film's animals from the San Diego Zoo.
- Portions of the 1979 movie Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt is a 1979 comedy film with a large ensemble cast, in the mold of the 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.-Plot summary:...
were filmed in and around Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.
- MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
's DesireDesire is an American telenovela which debuted at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central on September 5, 2006, on the American network MyNetworkTV, and ended on December 5. It was produced by Twentieth Television...
filmed a 2006 episode scene in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
- The California Bell Tower appears in the film Almost Famous
Almost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published...
.
- The video games Tony Hawk's Underground
Tony Hawk's Underground, abbreviated to THUG, is a skateboarding video game, available for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox platforms released in 2003. A PC version was released exclusively in Australia as a budget release in 2005. This version was ported by Beenox. In 2004,...
and Midnight Club 3: DUB EditionMidnight Club 3: DUB Edition is a racing game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games, and is the third game in the Midnight Club series. Like previous installments in the series, the game is an arcade-style racer and focuses on wild, high-speed racing, rather than...
use Balboa Park for their San Diego levels.
- The internet series Mega64
Mega64 is a low-budget series of comedy skits centered on video games.-Premise:In the not too distant future, a sinister scientist named Dr. Poque creates the most powerful video game console ever assembled...
often films their sketches at Balboa Park.
- Bruce Springsteen's album The Ghost of Tom Joad
The Ghost of Tom Joad is the eleventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1995 . The album was recorded and mixed at Thrill Hill during the spring and summer of 1995. Musically and lyrically reminiscent of Springsteen's 1982 critically acclaimed album Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad...
includes a song about Balboa Park.
- The cover photo of the Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
was taken at the San Diego Zoo's children's petting zoo.
- The 2003 movie National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze
National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze is a 2003 American comedy film. Directed by the brothers David and Scott Hillenbrand, it was written by Patrick Casey and Worm Miller. The movie showcases many new and largely then-unknown actors and actresses...
s exterior shots of the "college campus" are from Balboa Park.
See also
- List of parks in San Diego
- History of San Diego
- Central San Diego
Central San Diego is an urban region in San Diego, California. It comprises the core urban neighborhoods surrounding Balboa Park and Downtown San Diego...
- California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
External links