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All 353 San Diego Attractions »

Balboa Park

1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
619-239-0512
As featured in San Diego for free
Ranked #2 of 193 attractions in San Diego
4.5 of 5 stars 1004 Reviews
Type: Parks, Gardens, Playgrounds
Activities: Biking, City walk sightseeing, Walking, Viewing wildlife, Getting married
Owner description: One of the most popular urban parks in the United States, this bucolic paradise is packed with an array of attractions, including the world-famous San...... more » Owner description: One of the most popular urban parks in the United States, this bucolic paradise is packed with an array of attractions, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo. « less
Useful Information: Activities for older children, Stroller parking, Activities for young children
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1,004 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
seattle
Top Contributor
97 reviews 97 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
102 helpful votes 102 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

The end of Balboa Park drive is known as the "Fruit Loop" for a reason. 20/20 has shown the section of traffic with baby seats in the back, and constant men cruising for sex through the park. It's a beautiful park with many old memories of the World's Fair. Just remember if you drive through the western loop of the... More

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Aiea, Hawaii
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

The zoo, the museums, the flowers, botanical gardens, the architecture all make this a place worth visiting. Especially fun if there is an art festival or some other community event going on. Check the calendar. More

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See 5 more reviews by drew&len for San Diego
Kastav
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

Beautiful area with lots of trees, open area organon... Nice restaurant in the park- Prado! More

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See 4 more reviews by GogiKastav for San Diego
Glendale, AZ
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

The park is a great place to learn stuff and explore. The park has many features that may quickly nickel and dime a travelers budget. Recommended strategy: arrive early on weekends for parking, have a plan of action, and review prices before you go. More

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san diego
Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW

This is a special place in San Diego. A must see and do. Beautiful gardens, gorgeous architecture, history in abundance. Something for everyone...S.D. Zoo nearby. More

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See 10 more reviews by hortonms for San Diego
Calgary, Canada
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2012 NEW
1
person found this review helpful

We spent two days here and really enjoyed ourselves. The park is small by Central Park standards, everything is walking distance to each other. There are 13 different museums and many little gardens to enjoy. We went to 7 out of the 13 museums. They are very small and I think over priced but not if you get the 7... More

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See 10 more reviews by gryphgirl for San Diego
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

We visited on a Sunday to enjoy the International Cottages full of historic information and native food samples. If you time it right, you can conveniently enjoy an outdoor concert featuring the world's largest outdoor pipe organ. Both were very entertaining and free of charge. Parking is limited but also free. More

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See 3 more reviews by cmc88 for San Diego
London, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

Where do you start. This place is huge. There is so much to do. You could have a few days and not see it all. Beautiful park. You can drive through to different sections. We saw some people on Segways whick looked amazing to ride round the park. We climbed a beautiful tree - perhaps some kind of fig tree... More

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Sacramento, California
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

The park is very pretty, with a million different things to do. The Zoo was fantastic! More

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See 3 more reviews by em5585 for San Diego
Cologne, Germany
Top Contributor
61 reviews 61 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

The architecture of the buildings here are nice. It's similar to what you will see in the Europe More

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See 3 more reviews by GuteReise88 for San Diego

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