The Cabrillo Bridge spans the canyon with seven concrete arches that support a deck reaching one hundred twenty feet above the valley floor. Built for the nineteen fifteen Panama-California Exposition, it provided the grand entrance to the…
Balboa Park Plaza Walk
Take a stroll back in time to the 1915 Exposition along El Prado, marveling at the gorgeous Spanish Colonial architecture, lush gardens, and dramatic reflecting pools.
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1. Cabrillo Bridge
2. Alcázar Garden
The Alcázar Garden features a geometric layout of clipped boxwood hedges and bright, blooming flowers that mirror the formal gardens of Spain. It was built for the nineteen thirty-five California Pacific International Exposition, replacing…
3. Museum of Us
The California Tower rises above the Museum of Us with a crown of blue and yellow tiles that shine against the coastal sky. Built for the nineteen fifteen Panama-California Exposition, the building served as the centerpiece to showcase San…
4. Plaza de Panama
The Plaza de Panama centers on a large, circular fountain ringed by white Spanish Colonial Revival facades. This space served as the main entrance for the nineteen fifteen Panama California Exposition, designed to celebrate the opening of…
5. The San Diego Museum of Art
The San Diego Museum of Art features an ornate, Spanish Plateresque facade carved from hollow terra cotta, modeled after the University of Salamanca in Spain. It opened in nineteen twenty-six to provide a permanent home for the fine arts…
6. House of Hospitality
The House of Hospitality bears a distinct, ornate facade covered in elaborate carvings, modeled after the Plateresque style of sixteenth-century Spain. It serves as the primary information hub for Balboa Park, but its structure dates back…
7. Botanical Building
The Botanical Building is defined by its massive lath structure, a complex grid of redwood strips that allows light and air to nourish the tropical plants inside. Built for the nineteen fifteen Panama-California Exposition, it was designed…
8. Casa Del Prado
The Casa Del Prado features a facade covered in ornate, wedding-cake plaster carvings that set it apart from the smoother buildings nearby. This structure is a recreation of the original Varied Industries and Food Products Building from…
9. Bea Evenson Fountain
The Bea Evenson Fountain features a central column of water rising from a wide, circular basin surrounded by a series of smaller jets. It sits where a temporary rose garden once marked the edge of the nineteen thirty-five Exposition. Bea…