San Diego's Balboa Park

Written by Scott Messmore

It's a well-worn clich? of travel writing to describe a site as "having something for everyone".

But in the case of San Diego's Balboa Park, it's not only true but probably an understatement. Looking for an IMAX movie on Dolphins? It's at the Fleet Science Center. What about dinosaurs? Forty dinosaur skeletons are in the San Diego Natural History Museum. Early-morning animal encounters are in the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Mexican pottery and textiles can be viewed in the Mingei International Museum.

San Diego's 1,400 Acres of Fun

Balboa Park's origins stretch way back to 1868 when San Diego's civic leaders Botanical Gardens

set aside 1,400 acres for a city park. Today, Balboa Park has a carousel, miniature train rides, hiking trails, picnic sites and hosts 12 museums. For $25, visitors can get a Passport to Balboa Park that includes admission to all of the Balboa Park museums: the San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, The Museum of San Diego, Hall of Champions Sports Museum, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, the San Diego Museum of Man, the San Diego Art Institute, and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Very few parks in the United States can claim such a wide variety of first-rate museums within its borders. Visiting each museum separately

would cost $70. For more information about the Passport to Balboa Park, call 619-239-0512. For group tours, call 619-231-1640.

Flowers, Steam Trains and Carousels

Balboa Park has plenty of other activities beside the museums. A carousel built in 1910 has been giving San Diego children pony rides since 1922. If you buy a five-minute ride you can still play "catch the brass ring" on the Balboa Park carousel. During the winter the carousel is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and school holidays. Tickets are $1.50 each. A one-fifth model steam train can haul up to 48 people on a half-mile long rail trip through the park. Millions of people have ridden the rails since 1948 on the replica General Motors F3 diesel locomotive. Located near the San Diego Zoo and the carousel, the miniature train is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and school holidays. The Botanical Building houses more than 2,000 different tropical plants and flowers. Admission is free and it's open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday to Wednesday. To see Asian inspired plants, visit the Japanese Friendship Garden or visit the Alcazar Garden which is patterned after a castle in Spain.

Free Tuesdays in the Park

Each Tuesday different museums in Balboa Park offer free general admission to the public. First Tuesday: Model Railroad Museum, Natural History Museum and Fleet Science Center. Second Tuesday: Museum of Photographic Arts, Museum of San Diego History and Tiger at San Diego Zoo

the Hall of Champions. Third Tuesday: Museum of Art, Museum of Man, Japanese Friendship Garden and the Mingei International Museum. Fourth Tuesday: San Diego Aerospace Museum, Automotive Museum and the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. The Timken Museum of Art and the Centro Cultural de la Raza are always free of charge. For special shows or exhibits and extra fee might be required.

Hours of Operation and Location

Balboa Park is located near Highway 163 on Laurel Street with the east side of the park being accessible by Park Boulevard. Visitors will have to check each museum's listings for hours of operation and admission prices. Park museums: San Diego Museum of Art, 619-232-7931. San Diego Aerospace Museum, 619-234-8291. San Diego Automotive Museum, 619-231-AUTO. Mingei International Museum, 619-239-0003. Museum of Photographic Arts, 619-238-7559. Museum of San Diego, 619-232-6203. Hall of Champions Sports Museum, 619-234-2544. San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 619-696-0199. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, 619-238-1233. San Diego Museum of Man, 619-239-2001. San Diego Art Institute, 619-236-0011. San Diego Natural History Museum, 619-232-3821.

The House of Hospitality

Balboa Park has a large and well organized information center called the House of Hospitality. The House of Hospitality is staffed by volunteers ready to provide help, sell refreshments or hand out park maps. For more information, write The House of Hospitality, 1549 El Prado, Suite 8, San Diego, Ca. 92101. Visit the Balboa Park web site at www.balboapark.org.

For more information about Balboa Park, call 619-239-0512.