You can sign up to join the next Balboa Park Cleanup! It’s taking place on Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 9 to 11 am.
Individuals, groups and families are invited to meet in the Plaza de Panama to take part. Trash bags, picker-upper instruments and other cleanup materials will be provided for volunteers!
Feeling inspired? Would you like to take part? It’s easy!
Sign up for the Cleanup event on the Forever Balboa Park website by clicking here!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Back in 1915, during San Diego’s Panama-California Exposition, Balboa Park featured twelve pergolas. Three remain today: the columned ones curving on either side of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, and one inside the Alcazar Garden. You can read all about this history in a recent publication of the Committee of 100. Check out page 4 of their Spring 2025 newsletter here.
A fourth historical pergola will soon be returning! As you can see in these photos taken today, its reconstruction has begun by the Botanical Building!
The Botanical Building Pergola will stand to the west of the Botanical Building, directly west of a nearby fountain. For months workers have been digging and preparing the ground for the pergola–for the structure’s foundation, irrigation for nearby gardens, moving a large tree, etc.
Now steel is appearing! The pergola’s construction has begun in earnest!
Take a look at the map in my next photo. My first two photographs (above) were taken from near the “You are here” spot.
The existing fountain appears as the darkened circle. The dashed lines are the recently rearranged construction fences.
My final photograph was taken over the fence from a point just beyond the fountain.
I’ll post updates as the project moves along!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Halloween in Balboa Park makes for a really great day!
Look at all the fun pics I captured while randomly wandering around!
Buzz Lightyear emerged on Halloween from the Balboa Park Administration Building. To infinity and beyond!There’s a gremlin inside the Museum of Us! And I thought their Egyptian mummies were disturbing!Looks like the Balboa Park Carousel has been bewitched again.A spooky photo op backdrop in Spanish Village Art Center.Lots of Halloween stuff inside the Senior Lounge.Eek! Who’s this strange character haunting the Senior Lounge?The San Diego Automotive Museum is home to a friendly ghost.A fun Halloween costume exhibit inside the Comic-Con Museum.A spooky jack-o’-scarecrow grins at me in the Comic-Con Museum. I hope a superhero is nearby.Yes, one can find Cheetos inside the Balboa Park Visitors Center.
Not to be overlooked, I also found some fun Día de los Muertos stuff…
Getting ready for a Día de los Muertos event this weekend at the Old Globe.A balloon sugar skull outside the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
It’s late October. Early mornings and late evenings in San Diego have become chilly.
Walking through Balboa Park this afternoon, I noticed certain preparations are already underway for the Holiday Season!
The Old Globe’s annual “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Tree is going up in their outdoor Copley Plaza. I’m told the tree’s assembly began yesterday. In addition, nearby banners are being replaced and holiday lights are being strung.
The 20th annual Globe Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, in the center of the Botanical Building, a very beautiful harvest display full of Autumn color and pumpkins has been erected by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department.
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
October is Family History Month, and yesterday was Genealogy Day at the San Diego History Center. I stumbled upon the event and met a bunch of great people!
Various organizations were present that can help anyone investigate their own family tree.
Are you curious about your ancestors?
Following are organizations might be able to help you research the history of your family going back generations. To investigate the possibilities, click these links:
The San Diego History Center also maintains historical archives that can be accessed by the public for research purposes. Diverse materials cover hundreds of years of San Diego history. You can learn more by clicking here!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Nothing stirs the blood like a performance by the House of Scotland Pipe Band. I loved listening to their piercing bagpipes and booming drums yesterday during a lawn program in Balboa Park.
The House of Scotland’s lawn program at the International Cottages roughly coincided with Samhain, a Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season. Scottish culture was enjoyed by park visitors who might have wandered by. There was traditional Scottish music, food and demonstrations of craft. Yesterday’s program also celebrated 75 years in Balboa Park!
Inside the House of Scotland cottage visitors could purchase Scottish shortbread; at their outdoor canopy meat pies caught my attention. I think I’ve become addicted!
On the lawn there was a spinning demonstration. A short distance away a young lady was making lace.
If you plan to visit Balboa Park on a weekend, check the schedule on this page for cultural programs at the International Cottages! Then enjoy!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
A big group of cleverly costumed dogs and happy humans gathered near the Fleet Science Center and Bea Evenson Fountain, then proceeded down El Prado to the delight of everyone watching!
Some fun photos!
(Yes, there were more than a few hot dog weenie dogs!)
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Tomorrow, Sunday, October 26th, you and the kids have a cool opportunity to watch a Halloween magic and puppet show!
The Ghouls, Goblins and Giggles Show (a playful party of puppets and prestidigitation) can be enjoyed at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park!
Showtimes are 11 am and 2 pm. You can buy tickets shortly before the performance at the front window box office.
Steve Taylor is back with his marionettes and magic! He’s truly awesome!
I passed the theater today as a performance concluded and families who were leaving told me the show was great!
Fun fact! That puppet he’s holding with three pumpkin heads was made by Marie Hitchcock herself 60 years ago and given to Steve. Sixty years later, the pumpkin-heads puppet is returning to the stage!
Some stage props I photographed…
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Very scary monsters were welcomed to Balboa Park today. The terrifying creatures were kindly helped onto the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Vampire, spiders, skeleton, spooky ghost–all will be entertaining a big crowd this evening.
The fearless humans who take the stage with these monsters will provide a Phantom of the Opera concert at 6:30 pm! (If you read this in time–today is Saturday, October 25th–perhaps you’ll have time to make the concert.)
Just some fun photos that I took during my afternoon walk through Balboa Park.
Enjoy!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Two very special, free events are coming up next weekend in Balboa Park, in time for Halloween!
The San Diego Sculptors Guild in Spanish Village Art Center will be hosting Glowing in the Hollow on Saturday October 25th, 2025 from 5 to 10 pm.
The Sculpture Guild’s courtyard and the tunnel leading to it will be aglow with illuminated art. The newly constructed stage in a corner of their courtyard will be alive with music performed by Auva Xuln. Guild artist Justin is part of the band!
There will be treats, drinks and interactive experiences, and costumes are welcome!
Also next Saturday, between 11 am and 4 pm, the House of Scotland among Balboa Park’s International Cottages will be celebrating Samhain. There will be piping and drumming, and dancing, and plenty of Scottish food!
Samhain is the Celtic festival at the end of the harvest and a basis for Halloween!
Why not enjoy both events next Saturday? Sounds like fun!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 