Location: Downtown San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter), Balboa Park
Schedule: 10AM on Select Saturdays
Cost: $15 ($8 for Students and Military Members)
Features: Two-Hour Walking Tours Around Notable San Diego Development Areas and Architecture
‘Architecture’ Theme
Balboa Park Museums and Attractions
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Park and Gardens are always open; Many Museums are Open Daily, including Holidays
Cost: Parking is Free; Most Museums offer Discounts for Seniors, Students, and Military.
Features: Home to the San Diego Zoo, 15 Museums, 7 Performing Arts Theatres, 4 Cultural Centers, IMAX Globe Theater, Antique Carousel, Miniature Railroad, and Countless Gardens.
Historical Buildings in Downtown San Diego
Location: Downtown San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter)
Guided Tours: 11AM on Saturdays.
Cost: $10 ($8 for Seniors, Students, and Military)
Features: More than 90 Buildings in and around the Gaslamp Quarter are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a tour of their architecture and learn the history of downtown San Diego, including some of its notable residents like Wyatt Earp.
Mission San Diego de Alcala
Location: Mission Valley (11 Miles / 15 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Museum is open 9AM – 4:45PM
Cost: Suggested Donation of $3
Features: First California Mission; Museum Shares the History of the Mission
Copley Symphony Hall & San Diego Symphony
Location: Downtown San Diego (Core District)
Performances: Year-Round
Cost: Copley Hall Tours are Free; Performance Tickets Range from $20 – $93 (Some $10 tickets available for Students)
Features: Watch the San Diego Symphony and other International Music Acts Perform in one of the Most Elegant Theatres on the West Coast. You can also Take Tours of the Historic Copley Symphony Hall, which was an Original Fox Theatre where Walt Disney Premiered his Movies.
Horton Plaza Shopping Mall
Location: Downtown San Diego (Horton Plaza / Core District)
Open Daily: 10AM – 9PM (8PM on Saturdays); 11AM – 7PM on Sundays.
Features: Uniquely Designed Outdoor Shopping Mall in Downtown San Diego; Anchored by Nordstrom and Macy’s; Five Levels of Shopping includes a Food Court, Fine Dining, Movie Theater, and Many Visitor Services.
San Diego Skyline Views from Coronado
Location: Coronado (6 Miles / 15 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Features: Magnificent Views of the City-Skyline, San Diego Bay, and Navy Aircraft Carriers; Shopping; Dining; Ferry Boat
Tour the Hotel Del Coronado
Location: Coronado (6 Miles / 15 Minutes South of Downtown San Diego)
Cost: Free for Self-Guided Tours; Fees for Other Activities
Features: Tour of Historic Hotel Built in 1888; Served World Leaders; Seen in Major Movies and on TV
Mt. Woodson Golf Course & the Amy Strong Castle
Location: Ramona (34 Miles / 45 Minutes Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Year-Round; Dawn – Dusk
Cost: $72 – $97; Discounts for Southern California Residents
Features: Unique Golf Course on a Rolling Terrain with Oak Trees, Boulders, and Lakes; Mansion used for Special Events is Listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places
Heritage Park Victorian Village
Location: Old Town (4 Miles North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 9AM – 5PM
Cost: Free
Features: Collection of Six Victorian-Style Homes and San Diego’s First Synagogue all in a Romantic Park Setting.
Marston House
Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)
Hours: Guided Tours Start every half-hour, Friday-Sunday 10AM-4:30PM
Cost: $8 ($4 for Kids 6-12, $5 for Seniors 65+)
Features: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Built in 1905 and surrounded by Gardens; Part of 7th Avenue Walking Tour.
LEGOLAND California
Location: Carlsbad (35 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Generally Open 10AM – 5PM (8PM during Summer); Additional Hours during School Vacations
Cost: Several options starting at $67 ($57 for Kids ages 3-12 and Seniors 60+). Parking is $12
Features: More than 50 Family Rides; Focused on Kids ages 2 – 12; Attractions built out of LEGO blocks include Pirates, Dinosaurs, Animals, and National Monuments.
Mission San Luis Rey Museum
Location: Oceanside (42 Miles / 45 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: Entry Allowed 10AM – 4PM
Cost: $6 ($5 for Seniors 65+, $4 for Kids 6-18)
Features: Largest Mission in California; Historic Water Conservation System; Oil Paintings; Abraham Lincoln Signed Document
Oceanside Museum of Art
Location: Oceanside (38 Miles / 40 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open Daily: 10AM – 4PM (Opens at 1PM on Sundays and Closed on Mondays)
Cost: $8 ($5 for Seniors 65+, Free for Students and Military Families with I.D.)
Features: Hosts Impressive Art Exhibitions in a Modern Facility added to an Irving Gill Designed Building; Music & Art Events
Louis Kahn Salk Institute Architecture Tours
Location: Torrey Pines (15 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Weekday Tours: 12PM – 1PM
Cost: Free
Features: Tour one of Louis Kahn’s most important architectural works, the Salk Institute
San Diego County Fair
Location: Del Mar (22 Miles / 20 Minutes North of Downtown San Diego)
Open: June 12th – July 5th, 2009 (Closed Mondays June 15th and 22nd);
Cost: $13 ($7 for Kids ages 5-12 and Seniors 62+). Parking is $10
Features: Top 10 Fair in the Country; Several Dozen Amusement Rides; Concerts with Top National Performers; Competition in a Wide Array of Activities; Carnival Games & Food; 2009 Theme is ‘Music Mania’
San Diego Magazines
San Diego Magazine was the first city-focused lifestyle magazine in the country. Since its start in 1948, the magazine has continued to prosper as the most popular San Diego lifestyle magazine. However, there are now several San Diego lifestyle magazines published on a monthly basis. Each has a different focus which is described below.
