Downtown San Diego is at a crossroads. “The city has a golden opportunity to answer a really important question, which really is the question that every major city in America is wrestling
with: What is a downtown for in this post-Covid, remote work era?” says Grant Oliphant, CEO of The Conrad Prebys Foundation. “Downtowns are hugely important to how entire regions are perceived. And because of their role as a hub for a cultural life, they can be a real center of creativity and dynamism.”
That golden opportunity took root in 2022, when Mayor Todd Gloria proposed the Civic Center Revitalization effort. The idea was to lease or sell the downtown Civic Center’s city-owned buildings to a developer and use the money to fund a new City Hall, while adding housing and potentially businesses and public space to the area.
Photo Credit: Alexander Pai The Civic Center Revitalization effort could make downtown more vibrant, walkable, and livable—or it could create “dead” blocks full of traffic, not pedestrians.
No developers were interested. So, a few big players— the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the urban planning firm U3 Advisors—got together to draw up a blueprint for what the space could become. Oliphant’s charitable organization, the Prebys Foundation, is contributing $300,000 to the visioning work. The nonprofit got involved to preserve the San Diego Civic Theatre and “explore how the city could integrate culture in a reimagining of downtown,” Oliphant says.
For Oliphant, that starts with a Civic Center that doesn’t stop you in your tracks—because in its current iteration, the center is a physical blockade in downtown, completely separating the east and west sides. “It’s an extraordinarily bad experience,” Oliphant says. “And it, in many ways, communicates all the wrong messages about what an incredible place San Diego is.”
Photo Credit: Alexander Pai
The Civic Center covers four blocks between A Street and C Street and First Avenue and Third Avenue, including buildings such as City Hall, an office tower, Golden Hall, and the Civic Theatre. The layout and many of the buildings were designed in the 1960s—a time when cars were king, prioritized above everything, including pedestrians, says Megan Groth, an urbanist, architect, and author of the local guidebook Places We Love: San Diego Tijuana.
The center’s layout reflects this vehicle-centric mindset. “One of the most architecturally striking buildings at the Civic Center is the parking garage, designed by Hal Sadler,” Groth explains. “And the original design had B Street running through the site,” though it was later closed off.
Now, almost everyone agrees Civic Center needs a makeover—yet opinions differ on what it should look like.
And it’s possible the area won’t get a facelift anytime soon. After Measure E, which would have increased sales taxes in San Diego, failed in November 2024, Gloria announced that the revitalization of Civic Center is on hold—despite the fact that the city is contributing very little in funding.
Mixed-Use Spaces
The major players leading the Civic Center Revitalization effort say they aren’t yet ready to share the grand concept that could shape the future of downtown. They have a wishlist, though.
An original visioning document for the Civic Center Redevelopment, authored by a panel of community leaders and architects in 2022, calls for a mixed-use area that “serve[s] the needs of residents, workers, and visitors to ensure the area is active and vibrant. The space should be holistic and cohesive with streets, landscaping, amenities, office space, and residential mixed into a pleasing multi-purpose urban core.”
Groth believes that initial vision “is a thoughtful, well-informed, and achievable overview of what our Civic Center can and should be in the future. The key now is for the city to design the process to achieve these goals,” she says. It is absolutely within reach, and there are countless examples from other cities that we can draw on—not to mention people within our city who can help get this done in the equitable and collaborative way that this visioning document demands.”
With the Civic Theatre onsite and the newly rehabilitated venue for the San Diego Symphony nearby, the area already has anchors for arts and culture, and Nathan Bishop, senior director of economic development at the Downtown San Diego Partnership, wants to add housing, retail, and an outdoor space that would be inviting to the public.
“I think that we will continue to see … more of a tilt toward experiential activities [that encourage tourism],” he says.
A Greener Downtown
Some of those “experiential” spaces should be parks and outdoor activities, Bishop continues. “We have this amazing weather,” he adds. “We should have more activated rooftops than anywhere else in the country. We should have great park spaces, a lot of places … to [enjoy] that indoor-outdoor nature that really sets us apart.”
Rob Quigley, a 40-year downtown resident and longtime San Diego architect who designed the Central Library, isn’t involved with the Civic Center Revitalization project, but his dreams for downtown also include more nature. He is working with the group San Diego Commons on “Green the Gap,” an initiative that would better connect Balboa Park with the urban center to give downtown “a huge and contiguous green space,” he says.
Beyond that, he argues, there should be parks and other greenery sprinkled throughout downtown. He recently visited London, and as he strolled through the city, he was struck by the way its layout prioritizes green space.
“It just makes living there delightful, even though it’s this massive, dense city,” he says. “If I was a dictator for downtown, I would mandate that every two blocks, there has to be some green space.”
More Infrastructure and Offices
And, given his way, Quigley would ensure that there were plenty of office workers around to enjoy all those parks.
“You’ve got to have places to work downtown, or else downtown becomes a bedroom community for people that work elsewhere,” he says. “That’s the opposite of what a vibrant downtown is. It’s an issue and a problem that’s going to grow in magnitude.” As of August 2024, downtown’s office vacancy rate was at a historic high of just over 25 percent, according to a report from CoStar.
Those who do live in the area need more public infrastructure, like parks, schools, and transportation to connect downtown with other parts of the city, Groth adds. “We focus so much on units of housing that we have neglected the quality of the public realm and all the other things that support housing,” she says.
Say No to Superblocks
Quigley also believes that a successful downtown requires a diverse array of small businesses, creating a pedestrian experience like those tourists eagerly flock to in Little Italy and the Gaslamp. However, “what’s happening all over downtown is that developers consolidate all those small lots into a full city block and develop one mega project called a superblock,” he says. “So, instead of having the fine grain of multiple buildings on a block, like in the Gaslamp, you end up with these giant block-by-block projects.”
He would like the city to institute a zoning rule that requires at least four development entities on any city block.
Because of the city’s effort to enlist one developer to conceptualize the entire space, Quigley worries that the Civic Center redesign set off on the wrong foot. “You want to hire professionals that understand civic architecture and public planning and not developers,” he says. “Developers don’t get that and are not interested in maximizing the public good—they’re interested in maximizing profit.”
Instead, he advocates for a public process. When he was working on plans for the Central Library, for example, he hosted a series of workshops to gather input.
“Developers don’t work like that,” he says. “It’s not in their DNA.”
However, because the effort to sell to a developer failed, Oliphant says it’s now “wide open” how the space could be divided. “You could imagine a single developer taking it on, but more likely, it would be a series of developers interested in various aspects,” he adds.
And Bishop asserts that the U3 consultants running the visioning process are well-versed in public-private partnerships. They know how to bring the two sectors together and “make them thrive,” he says.
Photo Credit: Peter Contreras
A Better Vision
Creating a successful Civic Center—and, beyond that, a downtown that people want to spend time in—doesn’t just happen by accident, Groth says. She points out almost every other major city has a design commission of some kind that helps intentionally plan and envision urban spaces that are functional and appealing.
Groth believes San Diego needs such a commission, one that would review projects not just on the design of the building, but “actually how it fits within the streetscape and how it would relate to other buildings and the whole urban environment. Right now, our development approach to housing is to make it as easy for developers as possible, which on one hand produces housing, but doesn’t necessarily produce the housing we want or need,” she says. “We are outsourcing the design of our city to private entities, basically. And we can do something about that. We are just choosing, as a city, not to.”
Meanwhile, the Civic Center Revitalization is currently on ice, waiting for the city’s budget to recover.
“Once the city is back in a position where it can get moving again and feels comfortable focusing on this again, we would then get into the process of really designing actual projects and re-engaging the public around that,” Oliphant says.
Groth hopes that eventual progress is in service to the community as a whole. “Our city government prefers handing over large amounts of land to one master developer without any public value strings attached,” she adds. “It is a faster, cleaner transaction and doesn’t require the city to have any in-house development experts to manage the project. But this is an opportunity to do something different, if we are able to think differently.”
Claire Trageser has been writing for San Diego Magazine for 10 years. She also is a reporter at KPBS and writes for The New York Times, National Geographic, Marie Claire, Elle and Runner's World.
Sandwiched between Petco Park and Balboa Park, East Village is the largest downtown neighborhood in San Diego at a staggering 130 blocks. This once-ignored warehouse district is now home to boundless urban attractions, locally owned shops, and dynamic eats.
Here is everything to check out while exploring this cultural hub:
Sip, devour, or savor next to the most unexpected collab of the century: Ronald Mcdonald and a fire-breathing dragon holding a sign declaring, “No breakfast tacos.” Don’t be frightened by the jarring décor featuring a golden disco ball, beachy vintage touches, and lots of dinosaurs—the menu of coffee, cocktails, and brunch bites will make you grateful you stepped foot into a mini Jurassic World.
631 9th Avenue
Bay City Brewing
Downtown offers a seemingly endless lineup of rooftop bars and restaurants all competing for who is the best. Bay City Brewing throws its hat in the ring with crazy happy hour specials: 50 percent off drinks Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 50 percent off your entire tab Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. Why choose between pulled pork sliders, baked wings, or poblano mac n’ cheese when you could order all three without breaking the bank?
627 8th Avenue
Cowboy Star
Ready to question every vegetarian’s life choices? Head to Cowboy Star, where the open kitchen allows patrons to peek in on the chefs as they slice filet mignon, wood-fire elk, sear scallops, and drizzle on classic steakhouse sauces like bernaise and creamy horseradish.
640 10th Avenue
Lola 55
Dine at Lola 55 for a more casual Mexican vibe and cheap eats with loads of flavor. Tacos are the star of the show here, from crispy fried fish and mole chicken to pork belly al pastor and tender carnitas.
1290 F Street
The Mission
The Mission ramps up its simple and hearty bistro dishes with artful plating. Head in for breakfast or lunch plates like lemon curd pancakes, sweet corn tamales, and tortilla soup, plus entire menus dedicated to vegan and gluten-free eaters.
1250 J Street
Monzù Fresh Pasta
Dreaming of traveling to Italy to eat fresh pasta for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert? If a European escape isn’t in the cards in the near future, jet to Monzù instead, where husband-wife team Aldo de Dominicis Rotondi and Serena Romano bring Italy to the East Village with time-tested recipes for handmade pasta.
455 10th Avenue
Sovereign Modern Thai Cuisine
Landing a spot on the Michelin Guide three years running, as well as a visit from Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, Sovereign is serving up some of the best Thai food in San Diego. The restaurant incorporates techniques from Laos and Cambodia to create dishes like spicy fermented pork sausage, coconut curry noodles, and crispy duck confit.
1460 J Street
Cafe de L’Opera
Legend says you can smell this French bakery’s baked goods throughout the East Village. Set your alarm and roll up at opening time (7 a.m.) to get your hands on croissants and pastries fresh from the oven. The cafe also serves breakfast and lunch staples like sandwiches and quiche.
910 J Street
Storyhouse Spirits
Storyhouse Spirits and I have one thing in common: the love of gabbing with friends, preferably with a delicious, fruity cocktail in hand. You’ll find small-batch spirits distilled in-house here, which enliven mixes like the Murder on the Dancefloor, made with beet-infused gin and pineapple run. Storyhouse offers food for humans and pets, too.
1220 J Street
Basic Bar & Pizza
Housed in a converted 1912 warehouse, Basic Bar & Pizza holds court as one of the only late-night eateries in downtown. By day, this restaurant serves pizza for visitors of all ages. As soon as the sun sets, it oversees a booming nightlife scene with art shows, private events, and some of San Diego’s hottest DJs.
410 10th Avenue
Things to Do in East Village San Diego
Petco Park
The arrival of Petco Park in 2004 revolutionized the East Village, drawing the Padres, their fans, and many of the businesses that now serve them to the area. The venue (which also hosts concerts and other events) has one of the best stadium food situations in the country, with Puesto, Din Tai Fung, Grand Ole BBQ, and Hodad’s all slinging snacks here.
100 Park Boulevard
Quartyard
The people behind Quartyard decided to counter downtown’s dearth of backyards by building one for all of San Diego. This event venue and urban park constructed from repurposed shipping containers holds cultural events, outdoor concerts, street markets, and community activities.
1301 Market Street
East Village Tavern + Bowl
Since the dawn of time, families, friends, lovers, and enemies have been brought together (or torn apart) by rolling a ball to try and knock over various objects—a sport otherwise known as bowling. This modernized 12-lane alley is a hot spot where San Diegans come to bowl, eat, drink, and watch sports any day of the week.
930 Market Street
Pinch
Get up close and personal with some wet clay to create a unique earthen cup that is sure to get visitors asking “Where did you get this?” the second you serve them a drink in it. Pinch’s intimate ceramics classes, taught by one of four instructors, are designed to allow you to move at your own pace.
937 E Street
Fault Line Park
This fun-sized park in the East Village features a kids’ playground and a few rounded sculptures that look like the love children of the spheres outside Target and The Bean in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Relax in the succulent garden here or walk along the paths that follow the curve of the Rose Canyon Fault system.
1433 Island Avenue
San Diego Central Library
The San Diego Central Library houses a 2.6-million-piece collection of books, films, magazines, baseball cards, and other items over nine stories. The massive, domed building that serves as the main branch of the San Diego public library system is perfect for studying, browsing, and quietly hanging out.
Tucked inside the San Diego Central Library, this boutique shopping hub vends trinkets, doohickeys, and gifts galore. The best part of it all? You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for balling out on candles, pins, stickers, soaps, and, of course, books, because every penny goes right back towards the San Diego Library Foundation.
330 Park Boulevard
Wotown Vintage
Skater boys and street-style lovers, this place is for you. Casual, masculine vintage clothes fill the walls at this small shop, making it the perfect place for those looking for edgier and oversized pieces to enhance any wardrobe.
730 Market Street
Wild Dove Boutique
Adjacent to Wotown sits a more modern and feminine clothing store, specializing in day-to-night pieces you can rock at your 9-to-5 or out on the town. Stop here to shop floaty dresses, cozy sweaters, office-ready blazers, and laidback jeans at mid-range prices.
740 Market Street
Normal Records
This hole-in-the-wall record shop has jam-packed thousands of records into a closet-sized space, making each visit a treasure hunt for vinyl in a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, rock, electronic, metal, country, soul, and blues.
Maren Hawkins is a freelance writer in her last year at San Diego State University. When she is not writing, she spends her time playing beach volleyball, thrifting for the cutest clothes, and traveling whenever possible.
Location: Downtown looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Camera: Nikon D600, shot at focal length 14 with a 14mm wide-angle lens
Evgeny Yorobe, a healthcare IT professional and fine art/wedding photographer from Tierrasanta, was drawn to the movement, lines, and lights of this downtown scene. “I knew I wanted the bridge and Petco Park in a photograph, and all the movement and activity around the bridge made me decide on a nighttime long-exposure shot,” says Yorobe, a devoted Padres fan. The time of the day mandated a tripod, but he realized that a wall blocked the composition. In a pinch, Yorobe shortened the length of one tripod leg to lean it and the camera to the very edge. The result was a view of the city’s after-hours buzz—traffic, twinkling lamps, and light trails from the planes, trains, and automobiles.
Looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
For Executive Chef Emily Brubaker, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa feels like home. She grew up just a mile-and-a-half away from the 400-acre property and fondly recalls walking the golf course perimeter as a kid. Though her ambitions led her away from San Diego for nearly two decades in which she honed her craft in some of the highest of high-profile Las Vegas restaurants—including triple Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand—they ultimately brought her back to North County.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Today, the classically French-trained chef, who’s fresh off a victory on NBC’s Yes, Chef!, judged by Martha Stewart and José Andrés, oversees Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s seven distinct dining concepts. Her goal is to elevate the resort’s culinary program with her creative, hyperlocal ingredient-driven approach while maintaining the Spanish- inspired flavors and fresh California coastal cuisine that are the bedrock of its culinary identity.
“The San Diego food scene is really growing, and in North County alone, it’s really exploded in the last five years,” Brubaker says. “There are Michelin stars, beautiful tasting menus, craft bakers, and all this food—when I was growing up in La Costa, it was fish tacos. Now there are really cool things popping up, and I’m so happy to be here to see where it’s going to go.”
Brubaker gives chefs de cuisine at each individual restaurant autonomy, however, her influence is evident across the resort.
For example, lobby restaurant Bar Traza serves as Omni La Costa’s culinary centerpiece and features bold Spanish flavors in a lively, social atmosphere. Brubaker overhauled the menu to be more consistent and centered on casual bites with that signature vibe. Think smoky paprika, vibrant citrus, and Spanish meats and cheeses.
At VUE, the focus is on seasonal offerings, California coastal cuisine, and Baja-inspired dishes. She and Chef de Cuisine Cameron Dixon change the menu biannually, which heading into summer, will highlight farm-fresh produce and hyperlocal ingredients—the resort even has its own herb garden and honeybee hives.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Poolside dining options are leaning into the country’s 250th this summer with a selection of classic American dishes with an Omni La Costa twist. And Bob’s Steak & Chop House (Brubaker is a trained butcher) offers a classic steakhouse experience with elevated service.
The chef and company also plan menus for special events at the resort where her creativity can really shine. For an upcoming National Ski Association dinner, the banquet hall will be transformed into an Alpine-themed winter wonderland complete with a snow machine, savory sausages, and melty, decadent raclette. A recent dinner was built around the Carlsbad Flower Fields and each course was matched to a color of ranunculus (Did you know pink dragonfruit are grown in North County? You do now.).
“It’s my zen to be in the kitchen playing with food,” Brubaker says.
Omni La Costa’s culinary program is a key part of the resort experience. And with Brubaker’s leadership, it’s becoming a draw for visitors and locals alike.
“These aren’t just hotel restaurants, these are restaurants that you should go to. They’re destinations, and I’m really hoping for the future that’s where we’re going,” Brubaker says.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Brubaker is also channeling her experience on Yes, Chef! into the culture at Omni La Costa—more emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, empowering her staff to share constructive critiques, and embracing different perspectives. Alongside her leadership role, Brubaker has become an advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry, serving as chief ambassador for the Burnt Chef Project and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Apex Culinary Program, where she mentors and develops future talent.
Location: Downtown looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Camera: Nikon D600, shot at focal length 14 with a 14mm wide-angle lens
Evgeny Yorobe, a healthcare IT professional and fine art/wedding photographer from Tierrasanta, was drawn to the movement, lines, and lights of this downtown scene. “I knew I wanted the bridge and Petco Park in a photograph, and all the movement and activity around the bridge made me decide on a nighttime long-exposure shot,” says Yorobe, a devoted Padres fan. The time of the day mandated a tripod, but he realized that a wall blocked the composition. In a pinch, Yorobe shortened the length of one tripod leg to lean it and the camera to the very edge. The result was a view of the city’s after-hours buzz—traffic, twinkling lamps, and light trails from the planes, trains, and automobiles.
Looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Some keep lists of favorite books, of quotes, of enemies whose time shall come. At SDM we keep vast, nuanced, hotly debated lists of the best food and drink in the city. Menus are our smut novels. From Michelin stars to mom and pops, our list constantly evolves over hundreds of new bites tried every year. Here’s the 2026 list from food critic Troy Johnson and 129,000-plus votes from our readers, who really, really know their food.
Scroll down for the full list of Best Restaurant winners
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
The iconic 1,200-acre preserve’s history dates back more than 150 years, evolving from a scrub-filled plot atop a mesa overlooking what’s now Downtown to an urban oasis—the largest of its kind in the country—filled with an array of museums, attractions, gardens, trails, restaurants, and more. Balboa Park is an epic playground where San Diegans and visitors alike can experience the great outdoors just as easily as they can enjoy a world-class performance or explore groundbreaking discoveries.
Tucked away in the Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture are 18 diverse museums that allow visitors to spend the day learning about, well, anything. A great place to start is the San Diego History Center. Located in the Casa del Balboa building, the museum tells the story of the city’s past, present, and future through photographs and art, clothing and textiles, and interviews with people who witnessed history-making events firsthand. The San Diego Natural History Museum takes visitors even farther back with interactive exhibitions that show what the region was like up to 75 million years ago.
Blast off on a simulated trip to space at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, then check out artifacts from aviation legends, including the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Buzz Aldrin. Discover new perspectives revolutionizing the science world, learn about an often overlooked but overutilized utility, and exercise your creativity at the Fleet Science Center.
Calling all theater-lovers, Balboa Park has something for you, too. The San Diego Junior Theatre will present their musical take on beloved children’s book A Bad Case of the Stripes from June 26 through July 12. And laugh, cry, and marvel in awe as the pros of The Old Globe perform Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy that inspired the popular series, from May 15 to June 14.
There’s nowhere else in Balboa Park quite like WorldBeat Cultural Center. The institution celebrates African diaspora and indigenous cultures around the world using art, music, dance, and education. The building, a renovated water tower covered in colorful murals, houses a performing arts center, museum, gift shop, cafe, and outdoor classroom.
If you’d like a side of nature with your culture, Balboa Park has you covered there, too. Stroll through the gardens of the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, a monument to the relationship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. Inspired by traditional Japanese design dating back centuries, the 10-acre respite features a living exhibition that showcases plants native to both cities.
If there seems like a lot going on in Balboa Park, it’s because there is. Let theBalboa Park Cultural Partnership be your guide. The organization is the umbrella for 24 of the park’s institutions and offers an Explorer Pass that allows visitors to access multiple museums for one affordable price. The hardest part is picking where to start.
16 Museums, One Pass
Save on admission to San Diego’s top museums with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. Explore 16 museums of art, science, history and culture across Balboa Park — all with one affordable pass. Choose the option that fits your pace: the Limited Pass (one day for up to four museums), the Parkwide Pass (seven consecutive days of access to all 16 museums) or the Annual Pass (365 days of unlimited exploring).
Looking for an experience-driven gift? Let the museum lover in your life enjoy their favorite museums all year with a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass gift voucher.
Bigger experiments, brighter ideas, and boundless curiosity await at the newly reimagined Fleet Science Center. This summer, the Fleet debuts Element 8 Cafe, an expanded theater queuing and concessions space, two new gallery spaces, and, for the first time, a free entrance gallery exploring science in and around San Diego. The transformation marks a new chapter for the Fleet, keeping it a vital, innovative, and accessible science hub for the region. Visitors are invited to explore the experience this summer and connect with the power of science like never before.
Address: 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:FleetScience.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Phone: 619-238-1233
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
An accredited cultural gem, the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum brings traditional Japanese garden design to life with koi ponds, curving walkways and layers of greenery. Guests explore bonsai trees, streams and peaceful nooks while taking part in exhibits, educational programs and festivals that illuminate Japanese culture. Situated in the heart of Balboa Park, the garden doubles as a meditative retreat and a dynamic gathering place, welcoming visitors to slow their pace and connect more deeply.
Address: 2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:Niwa.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; last admission at 6 p.m. Phone: 619-232-2721
The Old Globe
A San Diego summer favorite, The Old Globe invites audiences to experience a beloved local tradition in its outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
This summer, the 2026 Shakespeare Festival presents two thrilling tales of power, passion and romance. Measure for Measure, running June 14 through July 12, 2026, is a riveting story of justice and hypocrisy that asks who holds power, who is punished and what it truly means to be virtuous. Much Ado About Nothing, playing Aug. 2–30, 2026, is a classic rom-com packed with schemes, sparks and laughter as opposites attract. Audiences can enjoy both shows for $44.
Address: 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:TheOldGlobe.org Hours: Box office open Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m. to final curtain Phone: Box office, 619-234-5623
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Aviation and space exploration come to life at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. See an airworthy replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, a Gee Bee racer and historic aircraft from World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam eras. Get up close to the Apollo 9 command module — one of only 11 of its kind in the world — along with Mercury and Gemini capsules, Mission Control and space shuttle simulators, and a selfie spot beside a lunar lander on the moon. Running through 2026, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brings oddities from around the world to Balboa Park.
Address: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:SanDiegoAirAndSpace.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-234-8291
San Diego History Center
History belongs to everyone. At the San Diego History Center, two experiences bring that history to life this summer: America at 250 and the Center for Women’s History. America at 250 traces San Diego’s place in 250 years of U.S. history, while summer programs invite children to learn and explore. The Center for Women’s History amplifies the voices of women whose leadership and creativity have shaped our region.
By understanding our past, we build a more vibrant and inclusive community together. These vital educational experiences are only possible through generous community support. Discover your roots, spark meaningful dialogue, and help keep San Diego’s stories alive for future generations.
Address: 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SanDiegoHistory.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday Phone: 619-232-6203
San Diego Junior Theatre
Junior Theatre is San Diego’s longest-running youth theatre program, empowering students ages 4 to 18 to explore storytelling, performance, and collaboration in a supportive environment. Through classes, camps, and productions, young artists build confidence, creativity, and lifelong skills onstage and off. Each season features a wide range of opportunities, from introductory experiences to advanced training in acting and musical theatre.
Looking for a summer adventure? Junior Theatre’s Summer Camps deliver dynamic programs for grades K–12, including musical theater intensives, acting academies and immersive JT Studio experiences. It’s a place where imagination truly takes center stage.
Address: 1650 El Prado, Suite 208, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:JuniorTheatre.com Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-239-1311
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
This summer, The Nat is talking trash—literally. Their newest exhibition, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, features larger‑than‑life marine sculptures made of ocean debris collected from beaches. It invites visitors to explore the impact of plastic pollution and discover ways to take action.
But the experience doesn’t stop at the gallery doors. Friday nights, the exhibition transforms into an ocean-themed “dive bar” during Nat at Night. Select Sundays bring something brand new: a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views. Add two new giant-screen films and five floors of nature to explore, and The Nat is shaping up to be one of the season’s must-visit destinations.
Address: 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SDNat.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays in summer Phone: 619-232-3821
WorldBeat Cultural Center
The WorldBeat Cultural Center is a nonprofit multidisciplinary cultural organization dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving Indigenous cultures worldwide through music, art, dance, education, sustainability and community programs. WorldBeat elevates multicultural artists, expands opportunities for cultural enrichment and fosters deeper understanding across traditions. WorldBeat offers a holistic cultural experience that inspires pride, unity, connection and belonging for all ages.
Address: 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 Website:WorldBeatCenter.org Hours: Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 6–9 p.m. Exhibits and café: Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Phone: 619-230-1190
Event Calendar
Throughout 2026: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Step into a world of the weird and wonderful at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. Explore hundreds of bizarre artifacts, interactive displays and unbelievable stories that celebrate the curious and the extraordinary.
Presented in partnership with the San Diego Museum of African American Fine Arts, San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods uses augmented reality, oral histories, and archival materials to explore communities and residents displaced by redlining, freeway construction, and other discriminatory policies.
Spend a summer night at The Old Globe. The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre stages Measure for Measure (June 14–July 12) and Much Ado About Nothing (Aug. 2–30), offering two unforgettable Shakespeare productions for just $44.
The Old Globe | 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101
June 8–Aug. 7: Theatre Summer Camps
Summer camps at Junior Theatre spark creativity for grades K–12 with hands-on training, musical theatre intensives, acting academies, and JT Studio experiences.
A museum visit turns into a Sunday Funday with the addition of rooftop brunch, featuring mimosas, bloody Marys, and brunch bites from Wolfish by Wolf in the Woods (June 14, August 9) and Hash House a Go Go (July 12).
Nagashi at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum by floating a lantern to honor loved ones who have passed. Stroll merchant booths, enjoy cultural performances in the Inamori Pavilion, and sample food vendors plus a beer and sake garden in the lower garden.
Explore arts, science, history, and culture in the Balboa Park Cultural District with one convenient, affordable Pass. The Balboa Park Explorer Pass is your ticket to up to 16 museums and endless fun! Purchase your pass at BuyMyExplorer.com.
