San Diego / Balboa Park-Hillcrest Activities

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The Botanical Building

• Balboa Park's many gardens provide a scenic and quiet escape from the bustle of the city or a relaxing break between museum visits. Many of the gardens follow specific themes, with desert species, flowers, native species, a Moorish garden, a rose garden, and a Japanese garden. The highlight of Balboa's botanical collection is the Botanical Building, a historic structure which contains an adjacent lily pond and numerous species of ferns, orchids, palms, and other tropical plants.
• Near the entrance of the San Diego Zoo, the Balboa Park Carousel and the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad provide an entertaining diversion for kids. Each charges $2 per ride per person. The Spanish Village Art Center www.spanishvillageart.com/index.html, a historic landmark built for an exposition in the 1930s, is a community home to many artists and art studios.
• There are numerous hiking and biking trails through Balboa Park. One of the most popular running/walking trails is a 5.5-mile route that’s compatible with all fitness levels and starts and ends at C Street and 6th Avenue in Downtown and heads north, running past bridges, canyons, creeks, flower-covered hillsides, and gardens. There is also a 0.41-mile Balboa Park bike path which begins at Upas Street and Seventh Avenue, near the northwest corner of Balboa Park. The level of difficulty is well above average here as there are several steep descends, sharp turns, and a bridge that crosses highway 163. In several areas, bicyclists must dismount and walk, for safety.

San Diego / Balboa Park-Hillcrest Photos

• www.spanishvillageart.com/index.html