Historic places in San Diego

33 historic buildings, sites and memorials in San Diego.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

DoMission Beach-Pacific Beach
Belmont Park
A seaside amusement park located near the southern end of Mission Beach, Belmont Park is a landmark with a number of shops, restaurants, an arcade, and a bunch of rides. The big attraction is the Giant Dipper, a historic roller coaster that is one of the only two remaining oceanfront roller coasters still operating on the west coast. Also popular is The Plunge, a historic indoor heated swimming pool that continues to be the city's largest indoor pool. Among the other rides is a FlowRider (a simulated wave attraction which you can bodyboard on), an antique carousel, bumper cars, slides, pendulum rides, tilt-a-whirl, and a trampoline.
Open April–December, hours vary by season and day of week; typically 11AM-8PMGeneral admission free, ride tickets $1 each (rides take anywhere from 3-6 tickets each); unlimited ride passes available
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Casa de Estudillo
A beautiful historic adobe house that has been lovingly restored to its original appearance.
EatOld Town-Mission Valley
Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel
A beautiful dining establishment in a building built by Juan Bandini in 1829. Later, in the 1860s, a second story was added and it became the Cosmopolitan Hotel. You can eat in the garden amid flowers, trees, and fountains or inside the wonderful historic building.
Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 10AM-10PM
SeePoint Loma-Ocean Beach
Fort Rosecrans
A former World War II military outpost, situated on Point Loma to protect the Naval Base on Coronado from attack by sea. The fort contains bunkers, weapons emplacements and the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which holds a number of monuments including the USS Bennington Monument. An exhibit in Cabrillo National Monument displays some of the history of Fort Rosecrans.
SeeDowntown
Gaslamp Museum at the Davis Horton House
Previously called the William Heath Davis House, this museum is the headquarters of the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. The visitor center here offers information for self-guided tours of the district as well as a guided walking tour of the district that leaves every Saturday at 11AM, and Thursday at 1PM. Hosts a festival every St. Patrick's Day.
Tue-Sat 10AM-4:30PM, Sun noon-3:30PMMuseum $5/adult, children free; $8 combo ticket with San Diego Chinese History Museum; Walking tours $20/adult, $15/senior/military, $10/student, children free
SeeDowntown
Gaslamp Quarter
Home to a number of historic Victorian-era buildings, such as the Louis Bank of Commerce, the Backesto Building, the Old City Hall, the Yuma Building, and a whole bunch of other beautiful old structures.
DoDowntown
Horton Plaza Park
A historic square just north of the shopping center of the same name. A large fountain marks the center of the park.
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Immaculate Conception Church
A historic Mission-style church in Old Town dating back to 1919.
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Junipero Serra Museum
Take the time to visit the historic site of what used to be the first ever California Mission, located in Presidio Park on the hill above Old Town. The museum includes exhibits on the life of Old Town and a tower which offers magnificent views of the area.
Sat and Sun 10AM-4PMby donation
DoNorth
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve
A large park stretching several miles between the I-5/I-805 intersection and I-15, just south and roughly parallel to SR-56. There is very beautiful scenery which can be explored via the system of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The park also contains a few historical landmarks, including the Rancho de los Penasquitos, one of the oldest surviving homes in the region, dating back to 1823. Tours of the house are available every Saturday at 11AM.
Tue-Sat 9AM-5PMFree
SeePoint Loma-Ocean Beach
MCRD Museum Foundation
Museum exhibits the history of this installation and the history of the Marine Corps. They are open to the public outside of the Thursday and Friday graduation visits. They also have current and past yearbooks of San Diego graduates only. You must have the platoon number, month and year of graduation to be able to order yearbooks which may or may not be available. They do not have individual portraits available.
Mon-Sat 8:30AM-4PM; Foundation office closes at 3PM on Fridays and closed on weekends.
SeeDowntown
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Home to a number of historic sea vessels, including the Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship, the Berkeley, an 1898 steam ferryboat, the Californian, a replica sailing ship, the Medea, a 1904 steam yacht, the HMS Surprise, another replica sailing ship, and a B-39 Soviet Attack Submarine.
Daily 9AM-8PM (open until 9PM in the summer)$16 adults, $13 seniors/military/students, $8 children, free for children under 4 (packages which include sailing excursions are available)
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
Marston House
Operated by the San Diego Historical Society, this historic residence is open for guided tours.
Tours every half hour Fri-Mon 10AM-4PM$15 adults, $12 seniors/students, $7 children, free for children under 6
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
The first of the Spanish California missions, founded in 1769 by Junipero Serra for the purposes of converting the native peoples who lived in the area at the time. In its long history, the mission has been the site of the first Christian burial and the first execution in California, saw bloodshed between the Spanish settlers and native peoples, and served as an armory in the years following U.S. annexation of California before being restored to an active church in 1941. Today, Mission San Diego is an active Catholic parish and a museum dedicated to the history of the mission. Tour the site, with its gardens, museum, and the original chapel.
Daily 9AM-4:30PM$3 adults, $2 seniors, $1 children
DoNorth
Mission Trails Regional Park
This massive park along the San Diego River between San Diego and Santee is a hidden jewel among the city's park system. Consisting mostly of rugged, hilly scrubland, Mission Trails offers an excellent diversion from the hustle and bustle of the city. Numerous trails criss cross through the park, and there's an excellent visitor center with exhibits on the flora, fauna, and the human history in the area. You can also see the Old Mission Dam, which once provided water to the original mission community of San Diego just to the west in Mission Valley. Cowles Mountain, the tallest point in the city (1,591 feet above sea level), offers a lovely view of the surrounding area clear out to the ocean and is popular with runners and hikers, with several challenging trails ranging from three to five miles (round trip) featuring steep climbs, wooden steps, and rock crossings. Mission Gorge is one of the most popular rock climbing spots in the area, with over 150 routes from 5.0 to 5.12 grades, and suitable for the novice and the experienced climber. In the summers the gorge can be extremely hot in the direct sun, but the crag stays cool and shaded in the until around noon or 1PM. The rest of the year you can climb all day. Also within the park is Lake Murray Reservoir, which is open to boating and fishing.
Free
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
Museum of Photographic Arts
Dedicated to the art and history of photographic arts, with works from famous photographers such as Ansel Adams. The museum also holds changing exhibitions and a theater that plays art and cult films.
Tue-Sun 10AM–5PM (open Thursdays until 9PM)$8 adults, $7 seniors/veterans, $6 students, free for children under 12/active military (theater admission separate)
BuyOld Town-Mission Valley
Racine and Laramie
Gorgeous reconstruction of San Diego's first tobacco store. Offers a variety of historically related gifts, gentlemen's accessories, marbles and harmonicas for children, historic photos, knives, and of course tobacco, pipes, and cigars.
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center
To begin touring, the best place to start is the visitor’s center, which includes a model of what the area looked like in 1872, maps, information about touring, and information about the area’s history. Free guided walking tours of Old Town depart daily at 11AM and 2PM.
Free
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego Air and Space Museum
You may notice the museum as you fly into San Diego - the circular building is centered around a navy PBY flying boat and features exhibits detailing the history of manned flight, from the first planes to space travel, with lots of full-scale models of aerodynamic craft. Among the highlights is an exhibit on San Diego native Charles Lindberg, whose famous flight on his Spirit of St. Louis began in San Diego.
Daily 10AM-4PM (open until 5PM in the summer)$18 adults, $15 seniors/students/veterans, $9 children, free for children 2 and under/active military
SeeDowntown
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
A museum dedicated to Chinese history, culture and art. Includes exhibits on the Chinese experience in America.
Tue-Sat 10:30AM-4PM, Sun noon-4PM$5/adult, children free, $8 combo ticket with Gaslamp Museum
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum
This massive museum covers all sport-related things in the city, with large exhibits on the history of baseball and football in San Diego and special exhibits for the local athletic heroes.
Daily 10AM-4:30PM$8 adults, $5 ages 3-17, free for children under 3
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego History Center
This museum has a large collection of artifacts and exhibits showcasing the history of the city. If you don't want to pay to enter the museum itself, you can just walk into the building (which contains three separate museums) and look at some historical photographs on the walls of the atrium.
Daily 10AM-5PMFree, by donation
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
If you have kids or know a train buff, a visit to this fantastic museum should be high on your list. Just like the name suggests, this institution is dedicated to model railroading, with some of the largest model railroad layouts in the world. There are also some interactive exhibits and displays on the history of railroads in San Diego.
Tue-Fri 11AM-4PM, Sat Sun 11AM-5PM$10 adults, $7 seniors (65+), $5 military, $4.50 students, $2 children (6-14) free for ages 5 and under
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego Museum of US
It's beneath the majestic California Tower near the Cabrillo Bridge. The Museum of Man is an institution devoted entirely to anthropology. The museum's permanent collection includes exhibits on the Mayan, ancient Egypt, the Kumeyaay Indians of San Diego County, Human Evolution, and the Human Life Cycle, with some incredible displays such as mummies, ancient artifacts from prehistoric cultures, and replicas of ancient monuments.
Sun-Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu-Sat 10AM-8:30PM$12.50 adults, $10 seniors/military, $8 students, $6 children, free for children under 3
SeeBalboa Park-Hillcrest
San Diego Natural History Museum
Like any natural history museum, this one has a lot of big dinosaur skeletons. Exhibits on the local ecology and geology are also prevalent throughout the museum, as well as a massive Foucault pendulum in the entrance hall. There are also many changing exhibitions and a giant-screen theater.
Daily 10AM-5PM$19 adults, $17 seniors/students/military, $14 youth 7-17, $11 children 3-6, free for children 2 and under
DoDowntown
San Diego Padres
See the Major League Baseball Padres play at Petco Park. The stadium, modeled after other "retro" ballparks, has many unique elements, such as the Western Metal Supply Co. building, a historic warehouse which is incorporated into the left-field seats. Price range for tickets varies widely, from $15-20 for a spot on the grassy lawn beyond the outfield wall (the "Park at the Park") to over $50 for a seat behind home plate. Ballpark tours are available off-season daily at 10:30AM and 12:30PM, with an extra 3PM tour on Saturdays; tours are also available during the season, but times vary depending on whether there's a game that day or not.
Tickets $15-$120, depending on section and date of game; ballpark tours $12 adults, $10 military, $9 seniors, $8 children
SeeNorth
San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
On December 6, 1846, one of the bloodiest battles of the Mexican-American war took place here. The visitor center on-site has displays on the history of the site.
Sat-Sun 10AM-4PM (until 5PM April-Sept)Free
BuyDowntown
Seaport Village
A shopping and dining complex overlooking the bay, with a recreated historic "seaside village" look. Nearly 70 shops and restaurants and an antique carousel.
Daily 10AM-9PM
DoLa Jolla
Windansea Beach
This beach has no facilities, but is notable for playing host to a great number of talented and famous surfers. The simple "Surf Shack" structure there has been designated a historic landmark. There are huge, smoothly sculpted rocks on this beach that are fun to climb on and look at.
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley Not mapped
Presidio Park
Perched on the hill above Old Town, this large park is the site of the old presidio (fort) that once protected the Spanish settlement of San Diego. The park contains canyons, tall trees, flowering plants, and grassy hillsides as well several memorials and historic landmarks, including the Junipero Serra Museum (see below) and the partially excavated presidio. The grassy lawns and hilltop views make it a great place to bring a picnic.
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Heritage Park
A park in Old Town ringed with historic Victorian houses.
SeeDowntown
San Diego Firehouse Museum
Dedicated to the history of firefighting in San Diego.
Thu-Fri 10AM-2PM, Sat-Sun 10AM-4PM$3 adults, $2 seniors/children
SeeOld Town-Mission Valley
Sheriff's Museum
Learn the history of the San Diego Sheriff's Department.
Tue-Sat 10AM-4PMFree. Donations accepted

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to San Diego (CC BY-SA 4.0).