Balboa Park: Must See San Diego Destination
Balboa Park was the destination that popped up the most while I was looking for things to do in San Diego. And I kept seeing very different content - palm trees, a lily pond, Spanish architecture, etc. When I actually looked it up, I saw that it was several parks and gardens packed into one. To someone who loves to try new things and to do as much as possible, this was a dream come true! Here’s how our trip to Balboa Park went:
Things To Know
First, there are several parking lots at Balboa Park and they are all FREE. Pretty great news! We went on a Thursday afternoon and it was kind of packed, but we found parking pretty easily. I imagine on the weekends it is super wild.
Admission to the park is also free, however I believe the museums and the Japanese Gardens are ticketed entry only.
There are several gardens inside of Balboa Park. There are also several buildings and museums! We just walked around, so I’m not sure how much the museum are and what they entail, but if you’re homeschooling or want an educational aspect for your kids, that would be a good thing to look into.
Several public restrooms are easily accessible on the premises.
If you’re hungry or thirsty, you’ll have a chance to stop by a couple restaurants in the park, and even a coffee shop or two! We snagged a tea from Cafe in the Park. It was pretty good - I wish we would have waited until Daniel’s Coffee in the Spanish Village - it looked so fun!
Parks & Gardens
Palm Canyon
Our first stop was Palm Canyon. It’s accessible by stairs, so it’s not stroller friendly. There were too many stairs to attempt to carry the stroller down, so we took turns going down and looking.
There was a super cool tree - a Moreton Bay Fig Tree - that was incredibly large! I went down to climb on the roots a bit. It was so gorgeous and breathtaking!
Botanical Building and Lily Pond
The Botanical Building was under construction, but it was still cool to see the exposed beams. The Lily Pond was also super pretty, and located right off of what seemed to be the main courtyard. We also saw some fish - and koi fish - in the pond!
Alcazar Garden
Alcazar Garden was straight out of a classic novel. I can just imagine sitting there all day with a good book and coffee. The flowers were in bloom and so colorful. If you love taking a stroll in a good garden, make sure to check out the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden!
Casa del Prado
We didn’t go in this building, but it was incredibly detailed and gorgeous on the outside. The great thing about Balboa Park is that you see really cool buildings walking from one garden to the next!
Spanish Village Art Center
Our last stop in Balboa Park was the Spanish Village Art Center. The ground was painted with colorful squares, and there were shops and coffee stands in this section. It was super fun!
We loved that we could walk around Balboa Park and see such a variety of plants, gardens, and buildings. Most of it is really stroller and kid friendly, which was another plus!
Let me know what you think about Balboa Park!
