Balboa Park | |
 El Prado, by the Casa Del Prado and several museums. | |
   | |
| Nearest city | San Diego |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°43′53″N117°08′43″W / 32.73139°N 117.14528°W /32.73139; -117.14528 |
| Area | 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) |
| Built | 1868; 157 years ago (1868) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, Pueblo Revival |
| Website | http://www.balboapark.org |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000331 |
| SDHL No. | 1 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 1977 |
| Designated NHLD | December 22, 1977[2] |
| Designated SDHL | September 7, 1967[1] |
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) historicurban cultural park inSan Diego, California.[3][4] Placed in reserve in 1835, the park's site is one of the oldest in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. The park hosts various museums, theaters, restaurants, and theSan Diego Zoo. It is managed and maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Diego.
Balboa Park hosted the 1915–16Panama–California Exposition and 1935–36California Pacific International Exposition, both of which left architectural landmarks. The park and its historic exposition buildings were declared aNational Historic Landmark andNational Historic Landmark District in 1977, and placed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[2][5]
Balboa Park contains museums, gardens, attractions, and venues.
Balboa Park Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The park is essentially rectangular, bounded by Sixth Avenue to the west, Upas Street to the north, 28th Street to the east, and Russ Boulevard to the south. The rectangle has been modified by the addition of the Marston Hills natural area in the northwest corner of the park, while the southwest corner of the rectangle is occupied by a portion of theCortez Hill neighborhood ofdowntown San Diego andSan Diego High School, both of which are separated from the park byInterstate 5. Also encroaching on the northern perimeter of the park is Roosevelt Middle School.
Two north-south canyons—Cabrillo Canyon and Florida Canyon—traverse the park and separate it into three mesas.[4] The Sixth Avenue Mesa is a narrow strip bordering Sixth Avenue on the western edge of the park, which provides areas of passive recreation, grassy spaces, and tree groves, and a camp forCamp Fire. The Central Mesa is home to much of the park's cultural facilities, and includes scout camps, theSan Diego Zoo, the Prado, and Inspiration Point. East Mesa is home to Morley Field and many of the active recreation facilities in the park.
The park is crossed by several freeways, which take up a total of 111 acres (0.45 km2) once designated for parkland.[11] In 1948,State Route 163 was built through Cabrillo Canyon and under theCabrillo Bridge.[11] This stretch of road, initially named the Cabrillo Freeway, has been called one of America's most beautiful parkways.[12] A portion of Interstate 5 was built in the park in the 1950s.
Surrounding the park are many of San Diego's older neighborhoods, includingDowntown,Bankers Hill,North Park, andGolden Hill.
Balboa Park is a primary attraction in San Diego and the region. Its many mature, and sometimes rare, trees and groves comprise anurban forest. Many of the original trees were planted by the Americanlandscape architect,botanist,plantswoman, and gardenerKate Sessions. An early proponent ofdrought tolerant andCalifornia native plants ingarden design, Sessions established anursery to propagate and grow for the park and the public.
Thepark's gardens includeAlcazar Garden,Botanical Building, DesertCactus Garden, Casa del Rey Moro Garden, Inez Grant Parker MemorialRose Garden,Japanese Friendship Garden, Bird Park,George W. Marston House and Gardens, Palm Canyon, andZoro Garden.[13][14][15]
The main entrance to the park is via theCabrillo Bridge and through theCalifornia Quadrangle. That entry is currently a two-lane road providing vehicle access to the park. A plan to divert vehicle traffic around to the south of the California Quadrangle to restore it as a pedestrian-only promenade was dropped after legal challenges,[16] but was reapproved after the legal challenges failed and was scheduled for completion in 2019.[17]
El Prado, a long, wide promenade and boulevard, runs through the park's center. Most of the buildings lining this street are in theSpanish Colonial Revival architecture style, a richly ornamented mixture of EuropeanSpanish architecture and theSpanish Colonial architecture ofNew Spain-Mexico.[2] Along this boulevard are many of the park's museums and cultural attractions, including theMuseum of Us, theSan Diego Museum of Art, theMuseum of Photographic Arts, theSan Diego Art Institute, theSan Diego Model Railroad Museum, theSan Diego Natural History Museum, theSan Diego History Center, theReuben H. Fleet Science Center, and theTimken Museum of Art. Other features along El Prado include the Reflection Pond, the latticed Botanical Building, and theBea Evenson Fountain. Next to the promenade are theSan Diego Air & Space Museum and theSan Diego Automotive Museum.
Theatrical and musical venues include the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, featuring one of the world's largest outdoor pipe organs;[18] the Old Globe Theatre complex, which includes a replica ofShakespeare'sGlobe Theatre[19] as well as an outdoor stage and atheatre in the round; and the Starlight Bowl – an outdooramphitheatre. The Casa Del Prado Theater is the home of San Diego Junior Theatre, the country's oldest children's theatre program. The House of Pacific Relations International Cottages collected on El Prado offer free entertainment shows.
The Botanical Building, designed byCarleton Winslow,[20] was the largest wood lath structure in the world when it was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. It contains large specimen palms and other plants and sits next to a longreflecting pool on the El Prado side.
Located in the eastern third of the park isMorley Field Sports Complex, which includes the Balboa Park Golf Complex, which contains a public 18-hole golf course and 9-hole executive course;[21] theSan Diego Velodrome; baseball and softball fields; cross country running course; theUSTA-honored Balboa Tennis Club and tennis courts; archery ranges; the Bud Kearn public swimming pool; and adisc golf course.
Among the institutions and facilities within the park's borders but not administered by the city's Parks Department are the San Diego Zoo, theNaval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), andSan Diego High School. Other attractions in various areas of the park include chess and bridge outdoor tables,horseshoe pits, playgrounds, walking and jogging trails, sports fields and courts, and picnic areas. Clubs and facilities forpétanque andlawn bowling are based in the park. There is also the Spanish Art Village which consists of art shops.
Before the establishment of the park, the area was home to aKumeyaay village informally known as Hatam's Village (or Hata'am) in Florida Canyon just south of what is nowNaval Medical Center San Diego. Its existence survived the 1852 effort to remove Kumeyaay villages within half a mile of the city.[22] The village was kept active under Jośe Manuel Polton, also known as Hatam, who transformed the village into an urban Native American neighborhood for urbanizedNative Californians and Baja Californians in San Diego seeking jobs. The neighborhood lasted into the 1890s through the advocacy of Hatam and his successor, Juan Gonzales before it was dismantled and became Balboa Park.[23]
.jpg)
Spain and later Mexico made a practice of setting aside large tracts of land for the common use of citizens.[24] In 1835, theAlta California authorities set aside a 1,400-acre (570 ha) tract ofpueblo land in San Diego to be used for the public's recreational purposes.[25] This land included the site of present-day Balboa Park, making it one of the oldest places in the United States dedicated to public recreational usage.
No further activity took place until 1845when a survey was done byHenry D. Fitch to map the 47,000 acres.[25] Three years later, the Mexican government was forced by theMexican–American War to cede Alta California, including San Diego, to the United States.[26]
On February 15, 1868, the city's Board of Trustees was asked to create a public park out of two 160-acre (65 ha) plots of land just northeast of the growing urban center of "New Town"—present-dayDowntown San Diego. The request was made by one of the Trustees,E. W. Morse, who had picked the site in coordination with real estate developerAlonzo Horton.[25] There is a sculptural group of Horton, Marston, and Morse byRuth Hayward in the park.
Subsequently, a resolution to set aside for a large city park not just two plots of land, but nine plots totaling 1,400 acres (570 ha), was approved by the city's Board of Trustees on May 26, 1868.[27] Then in 1870, a new law called the "Act to Insure the Permanency of the Park Reservation", was passed by the state legislature, which said, "These lands (lots by number) are to be held in trust forever by the municipal authorities of said city for the purpose of a park".[28][29]
It was around this time that San Diego residents were developing a fondness for the park, as illustrated by their insistence on keeping the park intact when in 1871 there was an attempt to overturn the state law to allow for the private purchase of some of the park land.[28] At the urging of would-be land speculators and the city attorney, State SenatorJames McCoy quietly introduced a bill in theCalifornia state legislature to repeal the 1870 law.[30] A San Diego resident learned of the plan and informed higher powers at the state level inSacramento, California. The conspiracy was leaked to the press, exposing the city officials involved. A public safety committee was formed and collected signatures supporting the current existence of the park. Their plea was successful and the bill was killed in the legislature.[31][32] San Diego was the second city in the U.S. to dedicate a large park after New York City's 1858 establishment ofCentral Park.[27][33]
For the first few decades of its existence, "City Park" remained mostly open space. The land, lacking trees and covered in native wildflowers, was home to bobcats, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and other wildlife.[34] Numerous proposals, some altruistic, some profit-driven, were brought forward for the development and use of the land during this time, but no comprehensive plan for development was adopted until 1902.
Nevertheless, some buildings were constructed, including an orphanage andwomen's shelter (later burned down),[31] a high school (Russ High School – laterSan Diego High School),[35] and several gardens maintained by various private groups. One of the most celebrated of these early usages was a 36-acrenursery owned and maintained by local horticulturist and botanist Kate Sessions, who is often referred to as "the mother of Balboa Park."[33][36] Although owned by Sessions, by agreement with the city the nursery was open to the public, and Sessions donated trees and plants to the city every year for its beautification. Sessions is responsible for bringing in many of the different varieties of native and exotic plants in the park. Her work was so progressive that she was in fact the first woman awarded theMeyer Medal for "foreign plant importation" by theAmerican Genetic Association.
Other developments from this time include two reservoirs, an animal pound in Pound Canyon (later renamed Cabrillo Canyon), and agunpowder magazine in the area now known as Florida Canyon. The earliest recreational developments in the park were in the "Golden Hill Park" area off 25th Street. The National Register-listed the rustic stone fountain designed by architect Henry Lord Gay as the oldest surviving designed feature in the park. Other attractions in the area included a children's park, walking trails, and a redwood birdaviary.
Indigenous Californians and Bajenos began to flock to the Kumeyaay village in Florida Canyon looking for work in San Diego during this period. A Native Californian urban exclave was built up in the canyon, which lasted up until the 1900s when the neighborhood was torn down in preparation for the Panama–California Exposition.[23]
Preparations for the 1915Panama–California Exposition created much of the park's present-day look-and-feel and designed amenities.[2]
Beginning in 1909, San Diego Chamber of Commerce president G. Aubrey Davidson suggested that the park hold an expo to coincide with the 1915 opening of thePanama Canal.[35] Davidson believed an expo would help improve commerce (it would advertise that San Diego was the first U.S.port of call vessels encountered after passing through the canal and sailing north), build the city's population, and expand the infrastructure of the park.[35][37] He later explained the significance of holding the expo in San Diego:
"I felt something must be done to get our city on the map and advertise it to the rest of the world. I knew we had something here that no other city had, and that all that was necessary was for the people to know about it."[38]
It has been long debated as to how Balboa Park’s name changed from City Park to Balboa Park. The most popular theory states that in order to prepare for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, city officials held a contest for a name change in 1910 with the name “Balboa” becoming the reigning champion. The second theory made by Nancy Carol Carter, historian and former director of the Legal Research Center at USD states that this theory is false. Through her research, she discovered that the naming of the park was a four month long effort from the parks commissioners. In October 1910 during a meeting, the commissioners decided on the name Balboa.[39]
San Diego would be the smallest city to ever hold a World's Fair; its population at the time was less than 40,000.[33] The expo was organized by a group of San Diego business leaders, includingUlysses S. Grant Jr., and was funded at an initial cost of $5 million (including $1 million from voter-approved bonds for landscaping).[35] Developer and civic leaderD. C. Collier was chosen as General Director of the expo; he made major decisions such as locating the expo on the park's central mesa, using CaliforniaMission Revival Style architecture for the buildings, and featuring "human progress" as the theme.[40] A similar fair, the 1915Panama–Pacific International Exposition, was also planned in "far to the north" San Francisco to celebrate the canal opening. Although $5 million had been set aside by Congress for celebrations of the Panama Canal opening, the majority of the funds went to the San Francisco expo.[41][42]
In anticipation of the exposition, many of San Diego's business and city leaders began to develop separate plans for the park.John D. Spreckels, owner of theSan Diego Electric Railway, wanted to shift the location of the main public plaza to add room for exhibitors — and to allow his streetcar system to traverse the park and extend to theNorth Park andUniversity Heights neighborhoods.[35][38][43]
The Exposition's lead designer and site planner was architectBertram Goodhue, well known for hisGothic Revival style churches in New York and Boston, who sought a regionally appropriate aesthetic to use inSouthern California.[44] Goodhue and associate architectCarleton Winslow chose to use the styles of highly ornamentedSpanish Baroque architecture with theSpanish Colonial architecture created during theSpanish colonization era in New Spain-Mexico and the lower Americas, withChurrigueresque andPlateresque detailing "updating" the already popular Mission Revival style—to create theSpanish Colonial Revival style.[35]
The buildings and the style were extremely well received by the public and design professionals in California and nationally, becoming a reigning style for decades, and still the primary vernacular style in much of California. Goodhue's associate architect was Carleton M. Winslow, who is solely credited with the lattice workBotanical Building and other structures. Goodhue's team, which includedKate Sessions andLloyd Wright forlandscape design, had won out over the local and moremodernistIrving Gill to get the commission.[35] One of the most significant improvements to the park from that time was the construction of theCabrillo Bridge across a major canyon in the city. The bridge connects the main portion of the park with the western portion and with Laurel Street.
A lavish groundbreaking ceremony for the fair's construction was held in July 1911.[35]
On December 31, 1914, thePanama–California Exposition opened, with Balboa Park "crammed full" of spectators. PresidentWoodrow Wilson pushed a telegraph button in Washington, D.C., to symbolically open the ceremonies by turning on the power at the park.[45][46] Yellow and red were the themed colors of the event and were displayed throughout. All of the employees, workers, security people, and management staff were dressed in period Spanish and Mexican military uniforms and much of the park was filled with plantings ofexotic plants. Over 40,000 redPoinsettia plants, all in full bloom, were used. The event attracted the national attention organizers had sought. Even Pennsylvania'sLiberty Bell made a brief three-day appearance in November 1915.[47] The event was such a success the fair was extended through 1916. Over the two years, it drew more than 3.7 million visitors, includingHenry Ford,William Jennings Bryan,Thomas Edison,Theodore Roosevelt, andWilliam Howard Taft.[48][49] The expo actually turned a slight profit,[42] which was donated to the San Diego Museum in the park.[50]
Roosevelt, approving of the buildings' architecture, recommended that the "buildings of rare phenomenal taste and beauty" be left as permanent additions.[48][51] The majority of the buildings were only supposed to remain standing through 1916 and were not constructed with long-lasting materials.[52] When the expo ended, several city discussions were held to determine what to do with the buildings. Goodhue recommended demolishing the buildings, saying "They are now crumbling, disintegrating and altogether unlovely structures, structures that lack any of the venerability of age and present only its pathos, and the space they occupy could readily be made into one of the most beautiful public gardens in the New World."[52] Joseph W. Sefton Jr., president of the Society of Natural History, also called for their demolition, citing fire hazards: "All those old exposition buildings are nothing but fire traps. ... They are pretty to look at, but we may wake up any morning and find them gone, and our million dollars['] worth of exhibits with them."[52] However, a city-appointed committee hired an architect to review the buildings, and he determined that they could be restored by a slight margin over any costs to demolish the buildings. The necessary funds and materials for restoration were donated by San Diegans and the labor was financed by the federal government.[52][53] Some of the buildings and infrastructure constructed for the Panama–California Exposition that still exist include:
Balboa Park's second big event, theCalifornia Pacific International Exposition, came in 1935. This Exposition was intended to promote the city and remedy San Diego'sGreat Depression ills. Balboa Park was reconfigured by San Diego architectRichard S. Requa, who also oversaw the design and construction of many new buildings, some to be permanent.[54] Facilities added at that time and still in use include theOld Globe Theatre, the International Cottages, and the Spanish Village.
The 1935 Exposition left behind colorful stories of its exhibits and entertainments. TheGold Gulch was a forerunner of the many "frontier town" themed areas of later amusement parks. The controversialZoro Garden Nudist Colony, "Midget Village", and sideshow entertainments including fan dancerSally Rand added to the lore.[55][56] The Exposition also provided visitors with early glimpses of 'Alpha', a walking silver robot; and a strange new electrical device called a "television".[57]
Like the first exposition, the 1935 Fair was so successful it was extended for a second year. Opening ceremonies for the second season began when PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt pressed a goldtelegraph key in the White House to turn on the exposition's lights. He later visited the exposition; other notable guests includedHerbert Hoover,Mae West, andJack Dempsey.[56] Funded at $20 million,[58] the 1935–1936 event counted 6.7 million visitors—almost double the total of the 1915–16 exposition.
At the conclusion of the expo, San Diegans voted again on what to do with the park and its buildings. Banker Joseph Sefton Jr. called for the buildings' removal, "They are hideous and badly placed. Had we torn out the 1915 exposition buildings and landscaped the park we would have a beautiful place there now and not a long row of ramshackle firetraps."[56] Several proposals were developed for converting buildings to museums and several groups attempted to have some of the park land sold to finance other projects.[59]
During both the Great War and World War II, the park was handed over to theDepartment of the Navy to be used as a barracks and training ground and was an extension ofNaval Medical Center San Diego.[60][61] By 1917, after $30,000 in repairs and modifications were made to the original buildings, over 5,000 U.S. troops were using the park for training.[61]
Coinciding with the Panama–California Exposition, theCommandant of the Marine Corps instructed 2nd Battalion of the newly established4th Marines to represent the Marine Corps at the event. On December 19, 1914,Marine Barracks, Balboa Park, was established as the second, and during its period, and only Marine base in San Diego.[62] It was established by Marines under the command of ColonelPendleton.[63] It remained in place until 1921, when a more permanent base was established inDutch Flats, itself a predecessor ofMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.[62] Under the conditions of usage, upon closing, the Marine Corps returned the buildings they had used in the exact condition that they had received them.[64] Although some buildings were scheduled to be demolished due to disrepair, several San Diego groups organized to ensure the buildings were kept.[65] Donated funds allowed for improvements to the buildings' integrity and interiors.
During World War II, the park was renamedCamp Kidd, afterRear Admiral Isaac Kidd.[66][67] Buildings within the park were used for multiple purposes, including hospital wards, training facilities, andbarracks.[59][68] After theattack on Pearl Harbor, many of the wounded were transported to Camp Kidd's hospital wards.[66] Camp Kidd also served as a Reception Center for sailors until 1944, when those activities were transferred toCamp Elliott; this allowed for additional hospital expansion.[64] It was returned to civilian authority in 1946, and repair costs to return the buildings and infrastructure to their pre-war status totaled $840,000, with the majority reimbursed by the Navy.[69][70] In 1948, the funds were used to restore seven buildings that were deemed unsafe.[71]
A new addition to the park during the post-war 1940s was thecarillon in theCalifornia Tower (1946), which chimes the time every quarter-hour.[72] The San Diego Junior Theater, a program of the Old Globe Theatre, was established in 1948, performing in the Prado Theatre.[73] The amphitheater formerly known as the Ford Bowl became theStarlight Bowl, home of the Starlight Musical Theater (also known as the San Diego Civic Light Opera and as Starlight Opera), which performed Broadway musicals outdoors in the summer.[68]
In 1959, the city hired an architectural firm to map out a plan for the park based on the suggestions of San Diegans along with the firm's recommendations.[74] The initial review called for 13 of the original 1915 buildings to remain while replacing 11 others with new buildings in their place. The plan also called for adjusted roadways, additional landscaping, and improvements in parking. By 1967, the city and private charities such as the Committee of 100 undertook a major effort to restore the park's historic buildings.[75][76] Most of the original Exposition buildings were continuing to deteriorate with some lacking foundations and minimal structural support. By the 1990s some of the Prado buildings were deteriorating so badly that "pieces of plaster regularly fell off the walls."[77] Several crumbling buildings were torn down and replaced with permanent structures which were carefully detailed to maintain the original appearance. The Science and Education Building and the Home Economy Building were demolished to make room for the expansion of two new wings for theTimken Museum of Art.[78] The loss of these two buildings along with theCasa de Balboa, theHouse of Charm, and theHouse of Hospitality, resulted in the formation of the independent organization, Committee of One Hundred, to attempt to preserve the exhibition buildings.[78]
Several new museums opened during the 1960s and 1970s: the Timken Museum of Art in 1965, theCentro Cultural de la Raza in 1970, and theReuben H. Fleet Science Center in 1973. The 1915–1916 exposition's Food and Beverage Building was rebuilt and reopened in 1971 as Casa del Prado.[68]
Balboa Park, and the historic Exposition buildings, were declared aNational Historic Landmark andNational Historic Landmark District in 1977, and placed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[2][5][75] The following year two historic park structures burned down in two separate arson fires: the Aerospace Museum in the former Electric Building, and the 1935Old Globe Theatre.[79] The Aerospace Museum (now theSan Diego Air & Space Museum) lost over $4 million in exhibits, and was reopened after moving into the oldFord Building.[79] The Old Globe Theatre produced its 1978 season on a temporary outdoor stage, which was later upgraded to become one of the Globe's three theaters. The Old Globe Theatre itself was rebuilt and reopened in 1981.[80] QueenElizabeth II presented at the dedication ceremony for the theatre in 1983.[81]
Throughout the 1980s, there were multiple reports throughout Balboa Park of vandalism, murder, rape, arson, and minor petty crimes.[82] The resulting negative publicity during this period inspiredBruce Springsteen to write a song entitled "Balboa Park" focusing on the unpleasant aspects of the park. One of the Old Globe Theatre's starring actors was stabbed to death in the middle of the day in February 1985.[83] A 36-year-old woman was gang-raped and murdered in the park in June 1986.[84] To counter the increase in crime, city officials expanded police patrols in the park, and many of the individual museums hired security guards.[82] After two murders in 1993 and the shooting of a young drama student walking across theCabrillo Bridge in 1994, nighttime lighting in the park was increased, and video cameras were installed in several locations to allow park rangers and police to better monitor the area.[85]
In 1998, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center opened a larger building at its present location. The following year, the Hall of Champions Sports Museum moved to the old Federal Building.[86]
By 2001, over 12 million people visited the park each year.[87]
The Balboa Park Conservancy, a non-profit group to preserve and promote the park, was proposed[88] in 2009 and was officially launched on September 14, 2010.[89]
On the night between August 11 and 12, 2012, the 100-year-old Lily Pond at Balboa Park was vandalized overnight. Officials said the water level in the pond was reduced to 2 inches and a pipe was broken.[90] No fish or turtles were killed, but damage to the pond and surrounding landscaping was estimated at several thousand dollars.[91] There had been reports of a "midnight water gun fight" planned for that night,[92][93][94] and a video of such an event was later uploaded to YouTube.[95] In early 2013, work began on repairing the Lily Pond, including removing the fish and plants to temporary homes, draining the pond, and repairing the concrete lining. In addition, plumbing repairs were completed, and 27 new plant platforms were constructed to hold the lilies in place.[96] After the reservoir was filled with water and the fish were re-introduced, the Lily Pond opened once again to the public in late February, 2013.
In 2017, the State of California designated Balboa Park as a cultural district, given its central role in the culture of San Diego.[97]
As the centennial of the 1915 exposition approached, there was talk of a grand year-long celebration "on the scale of the 1915 and 1935 fairs".[98] A nonprofit organization, Balboa Park Celebration Inc., was formed in 2011 to organize the festivities and "reintroduce Balboa Park to the world."[99] However, fundraising faltered and plans failed to materialize. In March 2014 the nonprofit organization disbanded, turning over its records and responsibilities to the city less than a year before the celebrations were supposed to start. MayorKevin Faulconer and City Council PresidentTodd Gloria, who had been major proponents of a large-scale celebration, expressed disappointment with the group's "lack of significant progress achieving its goals" and said they would work together to "move forward with a more practical and realistic celebration."[99] A City Council committee ordered an audit of the organization's finances to find out what became of the $2.8 million in public funds allocated to it by the council.[100]
The 2015 "Celebration" of the Centennial became a grassroots movement with all the Parks's institutions celebrating with special exhibits and events. On Dec. 31 Carol Williams, with special guests, ushered in the year with an evening of music at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. On Saturday, May 9, The Garden Party of the Century invited Garden enthusiasts from throughout the county to come enjoy the park. A floral wagon parade highlighted the event.
For the Centennial the Park's Department working together with Friends of Balboa Park created an Adopt-a-Plot program. Throughout the park various volunteer organizations have adopted garden areas and have started a transformation to enhance the park's beauty for the next 100 years.
In 2016, the Electriquettes returned to Balboa Park. They had been planned for the Centenniel celebration and several were on display in 1915, but it took until the Spring of 2016 for them to return to be driven on the Prado. They are electric-powered wicker carts which can be rented and driven in the main Prado area of the park.
In 2017, it was announced thatSan Diego Comic-Con would be opening a museum in the park, displacing the San Diego Hall of Champions, which will move toPetco Park.[101]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2024) |
In August 2010 a proposal was unveiled by then-MayorJerry Sanders and philanthropistIrwin M. Jacobs to divert traffic away from the central Prado areas of the park, such as the Plaza de Panama in front of the Art Museum and theCalifornia Quadrangle in front of the Museum of Us, and restore the areas to pedestrian use. The plan would provide replacement parking via a two-level parking garage at the site of the current Spreckles Organ Pavilion parking lot.[102] The plan also called for changes in access to the park via theCabrillo Bridge. The bridge would become eastbound only so that people could enter the park via the Cabrillo Bridge but could exit only via Park Boulevard. Inbound traffic would be deflected via a new bridge offramp through the current Alcazar Gardens parking lot toward the new parking garage. The Alcazar Gardens parking lot would be for disabled parking only and for loading and unloading of passengers. The new parking garage would house 750–900 cars and would be landscaped on top.[102] The plan became controversial because of its alteration to the appearance of the bridge and the possibility of charging for parking in the parking garage.[103] In July 2012 the City Council voted to proceed with the Jacobs plan. Construction was due to begin in October 2012 and be completed in time for the park's centennial in 2015. However, the scheduled start of construction was pushed back to February 2013 due to a legal challenge from the Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO).[16] In February 2013 a judge voided the project, after which Jacobs withdrew his offer to finance it.[104] Since the Park's master plan already called for removing the 67-space parking lot from the Plaza de Panama, the city went ahead with that portion of the proposal removing all parking from the plaza and converting it into a pedestrian area with tree planters, seats, and tables.
Eventually the courts ruled against the challengers and in 2016 the City Council re-approved the project with its original cost estimate of $45 million now expanded to $79 million. The project will remove all traffic from the Plaza de Panama and theCalifornia Quadrangle, diverting it toward a 3-level underground parking garage with a rooftop garden and 797 paid parking spaces. All other parking in Balboa Park will remain free. The cost of the project will be divided between the city, which plans to use the parking lot as a revenue source, and private philanthropy. The proposed completion date is July 2019.[17]
In December 2016, opponents of the traffic redirect and its associated 'bypass bridge' sued to stop it from moving forward on the grounds that it would fundamentally change the historic monument. City Attorney Mara Elliot called this an "unjustified attempt" to delay the project, but SOHO claimed it would have adverse effects on the park and its historic integrity.[105]
Balboa Park frequently holds events throughout its museums, venues, and plazas. These events include free weekly concerts at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion each Sunday at 2:00 p.m., guest speakers, and annual parades, cultural festivals, and fairs. The festival "December Nights" (originally called "Christmas on the Prado")[106][107] takes place in Balboa Park on the first full weekend in December each year.[108] EarthFair, described as one of the largest free annual environmental fairs in the U.S., is held in the park every April. The event celebratesEarth Day, and includes a parade, musical performances, children's area, international food, exhibit booths and information on various topics related to the environment. In 2010, over 70,000 people attended the fair.[109][110] The two-daySan Diego Pride Festival is held in the Marston Point area of Balboa Park each July; the 2011 event was attended by more than 150,000 people.[111] In 2016,WikiConference North America was held at the park.[112] Acherry blossom festival is also celebrated annually in March in theJapanese Friendship Garden.
Each summer, free outdoor concerts are performed Monday through Thursday at theSpreckels Organ Pavilion. Free organ concerts are held each Sunday at 2:00 p.m., year round.
Several races and marathons include the park in the courses. TheFoot Locker Cross Country Championships were held in Balboa Park annually from 1979 to 2024, taking place in Morley Field.[113] Marathons such as theSan Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and theAmerica's Finest City Half Marathon, as well as theAmerican Cancer Society "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk, and the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" and other annual events begin or end in Balboa Park.[114][115]
FlixBus services the park with a stop on Presidents Way near Pan American Plaza.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) andAccompanying 18 photos, undated (6.37 MB){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
