Disclaimer: The information shared in this post reflects our experiences from visits to the establishment. Please note that prices, hours, or other details may have changed since our last visit. We highly recommend researching the location and verifying current information before planning your visit. Additionally, all opinions expressed in this post are solely ours; we do not receive compensation for our reviews of the places we visit.
1549 El Prado San Diego, CA 92101 – Website
Balboa Park is a beautiful 12,000-acre park in San Diego, California. Full of open space, green belts, gardens, walking paths, museums, and the San Diego Zoo. Parking at the park is free.
We spent the entire day exploring the gardens and museums. This review will be about Balboa Park in itself, there are several free things that you can do within the park. The museums that we visited will be reviewed separately on their post. There are a few places to eat but the best thing is to pack a picnic, pick up a grab-and-go meal from one of the dining establishments, and find a nice place to enjoy your lunch. We chose to grab something to go to and found a beautiful spot by the Moreton Bay Fig Tree.
The Moreton Bay Fig Tree is famous on its own, planted as a small tree in the garden of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. In 1996 the tree was measured at 78 feet high with a crown width of 123 feet. The trunk alone measures 486 inches. It is one of the largest in the state. In 1989 it was fenced in to keep it protected.
The best way to explore the park is to get a Balboa Park pass they have two options available, a single-day pass or a seven-day pass. The Explorer Limited Pass is a single-day pass that allows you to choose free admission to 4 participating venues. The Explorer Parkwide Pass is a seven-consecutive day pass allowing free admission to all participating venues. Check the website for more information on prices and current participating venues.
Be sure to explore the different gardens – one of our favorite gardens to spend time at is the Botanical Gardens. This post will highlight some of the places in the park we liked the most, while they are all beautiful if we add all of this the post will turn into a novel.
Around the Park
Alcazar Garden
Botanical Gardens
Cafe in the Park
We picked up some food at Cafe in the Park to enjoy a picnic by the Moreton Fig Tree. Cafe at the Park is located inside the Casa del Balboa building, between the San Diego History Center, and the Museum of Photographic Art. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM offering sandwiches, salads, soups, baked goods, and drinks.
