The Brain Observatory in downtown San Diego appears to be an intriguing place. It’s been open for a year or so, if memory serves. It’s located in the space that the SDSU Downtown Gallery once called home.
According to their website, The Brain Observatory is not only a research institute with state-of-the-art scientific equipment, but students and visitors can examine a large collection of donated human brains.
There is also an art gallery at The Brain Observatory. Check out a fascinating exhibition featuring six artists here.
As I walked down the sidewalk past The Brain Observatory early this morning, I noticed a skeleton sitting inside one window holding a brain.
Does the skeleton intend to place the brain into its own skull?
Or is this simply a bit of fun for Halloween?
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Spider webs, skeletons, monsters, pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns!
Signs have popped up around San Diego indicating Halloween is around the corner!
I took these photos during a very long walk today. I wandered through downtown, Little Italy, Old Town and Bay Park…
A community pumpkin patch in Waterfront Park is readied by Parks and Recreation.An ornate ceramic jack-o’-lantern in Old Town San Diego.Sign promotes special event in Little Italy: Trick or Treat on India Street!These horrific creatures appear a bit sleepy. I spotted them inside a window of the San Diego Visitor Information Center near Broadway Pier.Yes! Halloween lights are right here. Get your black lights, fog machines and mirror balls!Will the firefighters at Bayside Fire Station No. 2 use their ladder to save this dangling skeleton?
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Has someone cast a magic spell on the Balboa Park Carousel in time for Halloween?
Most of the carved wooden animals are suddenly wearing witch hats!
I’m wondering… Was this beautiful menagerie cursed by a jealous witch? Horse, ostrich, giraffe, chicken, cat and dog–they’ve turned into witches, too!
There seems to be no horrible after effect, however. Everyone riding the carousel was laughing, smiling and having a splendid time!
Perhaps that’s the magic of Balboa Park!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Trees change color in the lush Lower Garden of the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Autumn officially began in San Diego last Saturday. There are plenty of signs in Balboa Park that Fall, with its rich harvest of colors and traditions, is well underway!
I took a walk through Balboa Park late this afternoon. Clouds were gathering. Rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Enjoy a few photos…
Prado Perk is in Love with the Season!Holiday productions are coming to the Old Globe, including Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big San Diego Christmas Show. (I didn’t realize Scrooge surfs!)Spooky Spinners for sale in the Balboa Park Visitors Center.A leafy Welcome at Studio 3 in Spanish Village.And a pumpkin, too!An “Autumn Memories” Ikebana Flower Exhibition is coming in October.Fallen leaves near the giant Moreton Bay Fig tree.A fun Balboa Park Spooktacular is coming the weekend before Halloween!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
A horde of demons and ghouls have gathered in San Diego. The monsters have wandered to the edge of downtown and now haunt the southwest corner of Balboa Park. Should you travel through Balboa Park after dark–beware!
Disbelieve me? Check out these photos! I took them today!
Yes, I walked around the perimeter of The Haunted Trail, San Diego’s popular outdoor haunted house that is designed to make you jump with fright! Halloween has never been so spooky, scream-worthy and fun!
These photos were darkened for maximum scary effect. Boo!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Do you know any kids who love trains? If you do, there are many opportunities for fun coming up in both La Mesa and Campo!
Yesterday I was passing the La Mesa Depot Museum when I noticed it was open and someone was working inside.
That someone was Station Master Timothy. He was building a new HO scale train layout in the old depot’s baggage room!
After showing me a few nearby historical exhibits, he explained this new layout will eventually be a fun, free activity for visiting kids. There will be a dynamic little town named Kerville (the tracks curve), and a module that can be added that includes both desert and mountainous terrain!
Meanwhile, the La Mesa Depot Museum has a curvy, twisty toy train layout in the adjoining ticket and passenger room that small kids can play with by hand.
Cooler yet, there are those real life train cars outside that one can explore up close and personal! If you’ve ever driven down Spring Street at La Mesa Boulevard, you’ve no doubt seen them.
You can see more photographs in and around the La Mesa museum here.
The La Mesa Depot Museum is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 to 3:00 pm and Saturdays 1-4 pm.
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The old La Mesa depot is a satellite of the much larger Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, located out in Campo. There kids can ride historic trains through San Diego’s scenic backcountry. And big kids (adults) can even take the controls of a big, honest-to-goodness diesel-electric locomotive and run it for a short distance!
Need something fun for the family to do next weekend before Halloween? Reserve a ticket for a unique Campo train ride out to a pumpkin patch. It’s called the Pumpkin Express.
Then, before Christmas, kids will enjoy meeting Santa during an incredible train ride on the North Pole Limited!
If you’d like an idea of how awesome this all would be, check out two of my past blog posts. This one has photographs from the train ride out in Campo. And this one shows the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum during its the big 100th Anniversary of the San Diego and Arizona Railway event!
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I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.
You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
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The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego is said to be the most haunted house in America. It has been featured in numerous articles, books and television shows.
Some believe that multiple ghosts haunt the historic building, including Whaley family members who once lived there. A few of those family members died tragically.
For the upcoming Day of the Dead celebration (Día de los Muertos), a traditional Mexican altar has been erected in the courtyard behind the Whaley House. These altars are created to entice the spirits of departed loved ones back to the world of the living.
Will the many ghosts of the Whaley House be summoned?
There are a number of portraits on the Day of the Dead altar. I recognize some of the Whaley family members. Fear not–these photos were taken respectfully from behind the rope.
I recognize Thomas Whaley, Jr., who died inside the house of scarlet fever, a baby of eighteen months. I also recognize the portrait of Violet Eloise Whaley, who committed suicide. She died by self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.
I spoke to an Old Town Trolley Tours guide, and she claimed all the ghosts who haunt the place rise up on Halloween.
Day of the Dead and Halloween!
It seems early next week might be an auspicious time to hunt for Whaley House ghosts, if you’re so inclined!
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Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.
You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Many incredible treasures could be found by visitors to Balboa Park today.
All anyone had to do is look about.
Treasure could be discovered all weekend in Spanish Village Art Center. The Art Glass Guild’s Fall Patio Show filled tables with glittering riches.
A golden work of art glass by artist Tom Marosz.Colorful art glass robots stand ready, created by Chris Stell.
Paella was a tasty treasure served up by the House of Spain during their lawn program at the International Cottages.
And here are two fancy Catrinas with sweet sugar skulls at the House of Mexico!
Kids in Balboa Park will bag lots of treasure this October 30th. The Trick or Treat Trail is mapped at the International Cottages!
Here’s a unique treasure that I hadn’t seen in Balboa Park for years, it seems!
It’s Brandon with his rare old-fashioned penny-farthing. He does riding demonstrations, bringing smiles to one and all. Good to see you again!
That precious bell is so rare it had to be brought in for the Sunday organ concert. A young musician rings it during a performance of The Typewriter.
(The actual bell, up behind the organ pipes, was activated with a key on the Spreckels Organ console. It sounded like an old manual typewriter’s carriage return–ding.)
Oh, wow! If there’s a pile of hidden treasure to be found in Balboa Park, it would probably be inside Draco’s Lair!
Draco the dragon is out of his lair!
Now’s our chance at the treasure!
Uh, oh! Mitchell sees what I’m up to!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Visitors to Balboa Park should be warned that an army of evil creatures is gathering in the southwest corner of the park, along what is known as The Haunted Trail.
Every October grisly ghouls, bloody demons and creepy clowns assemble under the trees to scare thrill-seekers in the dark of night.
Perhaps it all has something to do with the approach of Halloween.
Beware!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 