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Balboa Park


TripAdvisor Traveler Rating: 4.0 of 5 stars
TripAdvisor Popularity Index: #7 of 265 attractions in San Diego
Traveler Description: Be careful at Balboa Park in San Diego.  I was a victim of a strong arm robbery there in June 2009.  My used Canon Digital Rebel XTI camera was... more »
Know about Balboa Park? Share your expertise with other travelers. Add to this description now.
Attraction type: Garden, Park, Sports complex, Urban park, Museum complex, Playground, Zoo, Theater, Golf course
Activities: Biking, City walk sightseeing, Walking, Viewing wildlife, Getting married
Address: 1549 El Prado San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619-239-0512

Traveler Reviews

[ Date ] [ Rating ]
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5 of 5 stars
Aussie61 43 contributions
Adelaide
Jul 13, 2009
0/1 found this review helpful

Balboa Park is a beautiful place and enormous. I love the idea of the museums and galleries being in one area together with parks, fountains, loggias, ponds and places for the whole family to relax and enjoy themselves. The architecture is gorgeous and the lilly pond and botanical garden are too. I think San Diegans are extremely lucky to have... more

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1 of 5 stars
PhotoVisitor 2 contributions
Austin, Texas
Jul 10, 2009

Be careful at Balboa Park in San Diego. I was a victim of a strong arm robbery there in June 2009. My used Canon Digital Rebel XTI camera was stolen from me on a busy afternoon walking between the Natural History Museum and the theater. I had my camera strap double wrapped around my lower arm and was holding on... more

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5 of 5 stars
SteelersReek 2 contributions
Southern Cal
Jun 18, 2009
1/1 found this review helpful

Plenty to do whether you want to picnic on the lawn, people watch, or get serious about culture. My kids love the Science museum. I love the Aerospace museum. My wife loves the architecture, the colutural events, and the gardens. Something for everyone and plenty to keep you busy and entertained. more

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5 of 5 stars
MommaJage 14 contributions
Webster, NY
May 2, 2009

We spent two afternoons walking around this beautiful park. The architecture is gorgeous and we loved exploring the various buildings and park areas throughout this vast area. It was a great way to experience San Diego without spending any money. Our kids loved being able to run around get out their energy and we loved the peaceful re-charge. more

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4 of 5 stars
jesserows 29 contributions
Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 10, 2009
3/3 found this review helpful

I think the best part about Balboa Park is not necessarily the museums, but just being able to walk around and appreciate the beautiful architecture and scenery. The Japanese Friendship Garden is free and has a beautiful lily pond - a great spot for photos. The San Diego Natural History museum is one of my favorites. The Timken Museum is... more

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2 of 5 stars
napyniki2 1 contribution
Beaumont
Apr 2, 2009
0/7 found this review helpful

The balboa passprt is completely worth the money. The free tram is very helpful. My 11 year old mature duaghter made the mistakes of wearing her heely shoes and instead of welcome to the museum - we were constantly told to not skate in the museum and/or you need to take the wheels out of your skates. One patron told... more

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5 of 5 stars
vwjettadriver1 45 contributions
Grand Rapids
Mar 29, 2009
1/1 found this review helpful

Excellent place for photography! Museums and world class park all in one place. Good place for families, picnic lunch. more

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2 of 5 stars
Mindymorr 13 contributions
CT
Mar 27, 2009
1/1 found this review helpful

This is a beautiful park. How I wish I'd paid attention to the warnings about Monday closures! Several of the places we intended to see were closed. (My fault, of course) The botanical garden was beautiful. We went to the Japanese Garden, but it was closed. We did have a lovely lunch there, on the patio. The portions were huge!... more

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5 of 5 stars
sandytravelbug 337 contributions
California
Mar 9, 2009
4/4 found this review helpful

Since I live in SanDiego, visiting Balboa Park is an often repeated venture. Flowers, statuary, museums, landscaping, shade and sun, fountains. The Japanese Garden has quiet walkways, Koi ponds, Bonsai displays and the loveliest wisteria arbor... I could go on ! Going at different times of the year shows a varied blooming of plants and flowers and you will find... more

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3 of 5 stars
kunfushuss 16 contributions
Maryland
Feb 22, 2009
0/2 found this review helpful

I visited Balboa Park a few months ago when we were in town, and I was less than impressed for something that was #2 on tripadvisor for all of San Diego. There were some interesting museums and such, an iMax theatre and a cactus garden, but overall I must say that there were much more exciting things to do in... more

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Balboa Park Address

1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619-239-0512