Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Balboa Park, at the edge of downtown, holds more than a dozen museums, performing arts venues including The Old Globe, gardens and the San Diego Zoo. Much of it is free every day, and on Tuesdays, San Diego residents can get into many of its museums at no cost.
Residents Free Tuesdays
Participating museums offer free general admission to City and County of San Diego residents on a rotating schedule of Tuesdays each month. Bring a photo ID with a local address, or ID plus proof of residency, as well as ID for adults; children are admitted with them. Special exhibitions may still charge a fee. Check the park’s monthly schedule to see which museums are free on which Tuesday.
Free every day
- The Botanical Building and lily pond, the Alcazar Garden, the Japanese Friendship Garden grounds (admission for the inner garden) and the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden.
- The Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which hosts free organ concerts on Sunday afternoons.
- Walking and hiking trails, including in the park’s canyons.
A short history
The city set aside the land as a park in 1868. The Spanish Colonial Revival buildings along El Prado, including the California Tower, were built for the 1915–16 Panama-California Exposition, which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. A second exposition followed in 1935–36.
Getting there
Parking is available in several lots, and MTS buses serve the park. A free park tram connects some parking areas with the central plaza.
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