When Adam found out that I had never been to Balboa Park, even though it is right next to the San Diego Zoo, he was so excited that he was taking me someplace where I had never been.
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban cultural park in San Diego--considered to be the nation's largest urban cultural park. The park contains 15 major museums, along with gardens, the Zoo, Old Globe Theatre, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Starlight Bowl and Balboa Stadium.
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Natural History Museum--
Adam and the kids outside the Natural History Museum
Named for the Spanish maritime explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the park hosted the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, both of which left architectural landmarks.
San Diego History Center
Casa del Prado
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Diwali (Festival of Lights)--
In addition to the beautiful Spanish Renaissance buildings and park, the most important holiday in India was being celebrated today--Diwali (known as the Festival of Lights)--at the park.
We really enjoyed seeing the different Indian regions and their traditions, arts, pageantry and dress, lights and food.
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Botanical Building--
The view of the Botanical Building with the Lily Pond in the foreground is one of the most photographed scenes in Balboa Park. The historic building is one of the largest lath structures in the world and contains 2,100 permanent plants.
A bride and groom were even having their pictures taken with the Lily Pond and building in the background.
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Prado Restaurant--
located at the historic House of Hospitality.
Ashley, Ruby and Benny with a very interesting sculpture!
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"Nikator" sculpture--
This mosaic sculpture of an alligator attracted many climbing children, including ours.
It reminded me of one of Gaudi's creations in Park Guell where we visited in Barcelona, Spain.
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Spreckels Organ Pavilion--
John and Adolph Spreckels donated the organ, one of the world's largest outdoor pipe organs, to the City of San Diego in 1914 for the Exposition. Since 1917, S.D. has had a civic organist, who performs free weekly Sunday concerts. Just the Sunday before we arrived, Ashley and Adam had taken their kids to one of the free Sunday concerts.
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San Diego Museum of Art--
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San Diego Museum of Man--
(located beneath the ornate 200-foot California Tower)--museum devoted to anthropology.
This iconic building was built for the original expo in 1915.
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Old Globe Theater--
---built in 1935 for the second expo and now used as a theatre for performing arts
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Casa del Prado Theater
--houses the oldest continuing youth theatre program in the country!
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Thanks, Adam, for introducing me to a fantastic place that I have never visited before!
Tomorrow, we are off to LEGOLAND!!!
1 comment:
In all the many years we have been going to San Diego to our condo, I can truthfully say, we have never thought of or really known about what else was in the Balboa Park area. We think in terms of the zoo there and that's all. I loved that you were able to see the beautiful people from India and participate in their Festival of Lights. And, of course, Ashley and Adam have such darling children because they could both pass for high school students. Great to see their family.
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