It all stared in 1915 as retired Santa Fe Railroad executive W. B. Horton exclaimed, “let’s have a fair.” And what a fair it became - all in the name of promoting tourism to a beautiful but heretofore little-known city in California. It was called the California – Panama Exposition, in honor of the opening of the Panama Canal. For all intents and purposes it was a world’s fair. Since San Diego wasn’t really much of a city in the first place it wasn’t all that difficult to dedicate 1200 acres to the project. To give you an idea of the land value today – a high rise condo apartment adjacent to Balboa Park costs at least $400,000, and a home in the vicinity would approach $1-million in value.

Saving The Park

An entire city was created for the event, all using ornate Spanish architecture. It included restaurants, museums, gardens, exhibition buildings, and so forth. And in 1916 it added the San Diego Zoo. The Expo ran for two years and although it drew well (45,000 on opening day for example), it was not a huge commercial success (grossing $34,000 in all), it was a huge tourist attraction. Helped by the fact that San Diego was already a “Navy town,” it was the spark plug that started the tourism engine. The trouble was that the buildings were only supposed to be temporary and were constructed as such. So, to save the park, another fair was organized for 1935 (the California Pacific International Expo) and the buildings were refurbished to last.

An Impressive Panorama

Today, the 200 foot California Tower on El Prado rings out rings out its 200-bell carillon every 15 minutes over the vast picnic and hiking areas. The Cabrillo Freeway runs right through the middle of the park but it cuts through a canyon and doesn’t interfere with any park activities. An imposing bridge, built when the park opened in 1915, spans the freeway far below and is one of two main connectors to the park; the other being Park Boulevard. You can drive to most areas but you’ll need your walking shoes to visit much of what Balboa Park has to offer. Also, parking is somewhat limited so again, you may be walking but if you aren’t in a hurry, it really won’t matter.

Lots To See

You’ll be strolling through museums and gardens and just generally enjoying the picturesque surroundings. One of the few buildings not in the Spanish motif is the Timken Gallery of Fine Art, with its collection of rare artworks. Other museums include the Museum of Man, and the Natural History Museum, They house a variety of exhibits from ancient archeological finds to the history of chocolate, and they change periodically. Then there is the Reuben H. Fleet Aeronautical Museum which features a domed IMAX theater will allows you to be immersed in astronomical sights and sounds. And, the San Diego Aerospace Museum has an actual SR 71 Blackbird warplane in the foreground. The Blackbird holds the record for being the fastest and highest-flying plane in history.

Trees And Gardens Galore

The park itself has some 15,000 trees covering 400 species, including a good deal of Eucalyptus trees which are prevalent in Southern California. The gardens include the 11.5 acre Japanese Friendship Garden, which offers a serene, quiet environment. The nearby Alcazar Gardens feature 7000 annuals so there is always something new to see. And the FDR Grove, dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1982, honors trees planted by the historic Civilian Conservation Corps, which he formed. Perhaps the most stunning is the huge reflection pool, covered with all varieties of water lilies, backed by the imposing Botanical Gardens collection at the rear of the pond. The reflecting pool was the setting for NBC’s Today Show in 1967 when Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters hosted the show in San Diego for a week. Ever since people have made a pilgrimage to this beautiful spot.

The Old Globe

Perhaps one of the more unusual structures is the Old Globe Theater, which is a replica of the original Shakespeare theater in England. Tragically the theater burned down in 1978 but was rebuilt in 1982. Today it offers a wide variety of productions, including of course several Shakespeare plays.

More Treats

If this all weren’t enough there is an historical Carousel with its hand painted horses, the Spreckles Organ and pavilion, dating back to 1915 and highlighted with over 4500 pipes, and a 3 mile miniature railroad, dating back to 1948. It is a scaled down version of a classic streamliner and it pulls cars you can actually ride on.

Most of these attractions (any more too numerous to mention), are either free or available for a nominal charge. The Old Globe and the nearby Starlight Theater with its 4300 outdoor seats are the only exceptions and tickets are priced accordingly

The San Diego Zoo

Now we come to the World Famous San Diego Zoo (and that is its actual, formal name). And it truly is world-class and famous. Only the Bronx Zoo in New York City is considered in the same league. It covers 123 acres of Balboa Park and offers what experts say is the most diverse collection of animal and botanical exhibits. And, despite its stunning animal collection, the rare plants, foliage and trees really add to the ambiance and make the zoo what it is. And, depending on which part of the zoo you’re in, you can smell the ginger and jasmine fragrances.

A Truly Unique Experience

The zoo features some 3800 animals, representing 800 species. It is especially known for its Gorilla, Rainforest, Reptile House and Panda exhibits. And just as with the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the Pandas are on loan from China for breeding purposes. As a result the names Lan Lan and Ling Ling are almost as famous as rock stars.

The best way to get an overview of the zoo is to take a double-decker bus tour which covers 75% of the zoo in about a 40-minute ride. Taking a gondola ride in an overhead skyway is an added opportunity to see the zoo from above. You can also experience the walk through aviaries in order to see the birds close up.

Another notable exhibit is Tiger River which of course has tigers (the Sumatran species), as well as a variety of rare birds and an impressive display of plants creating a simulated rain forest environment. In fact a fogging system is part of the exhibit which controls the climate.

The Children’s Zoo, one of the nation’s largest, should not be overlooked. It features a kid’s favorite petting paddock where youngsters get to literally experience a “hands on” experience with baby animals.

Planning Your Visit

Since both Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo are popular, it is reasonable to assume that it can be crowded. However, the outer picnic areas, particularly along 6th street are usually not too bad. The best feature is that parking inside the park is free. You can get to the park and the zoo by taking Park Blvd. off the 163 freeway, or the San Diego Freeway (5). Also, for just Balboa Park you can take Laurel street right into the park (it becomes El Prado).

Prices for the Zoo range from $19.75 to $32.00, and package prices (for the bus tour and skyway) are available. Also, there are plenty of discount coupons, i.e. AAA, AARP, etc. so check before you pay. Plan to spend at least a half day each in the park and at the zoo but don’t do both in the same day. Take your time, relax and allow yourself to leisurely experience these truly remarkable and unique venues in San Diego.