History is alive at the newly refreshed Botanical Building in Balboa Park. After four years and a $28 million facelift, the building returns to its 1915 glory with added features like interior misters, state-of-the-art lighting, and a new lily pond.
Built as part of the Panama-California Exposition, it is one of only four structures designed to remain as permanent features in the park. It’s also one of the largest wood lath structures in the world. With more than a century of wear and tear on the all-wood structure, The City of San Diego and Forever Balboa Park teamed together to return the iconic building back to its original, 20th century shine.
Now that the first phase of renovations are complete, the building is ready to welcome back visitors. (Phase two will further enhance the gardens, including new exterior landscaping, and add more visitor amenities. So, more plants to come.)
