The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the largest and most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species. It is also one of the few zoos in the world that houses the giant panda. The zoo offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park. There is an overhead gondola lift called the Skyfari, providing an aerial view of the zoo. Exhibits are often designed around a particular habitat. The same exhibit features many different animals that can be found side-by-side in the wild, along with native plant life. Exhibits range from an African rain forest to the Arctic taiga and tundra in the summertime. Some of the largest free-flight aviaries in existence are here. Many exhibits are "natural" with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).

Get ready for some real fun at the Reuben H Fleet Science Center. It is located in Balboa Park, and is just three miles northeast of downtown San Diego. It was always been well known as an institution that stays on the cutting edge of technology. For example, this location had the first IMAX Dome anywhere in the United States, and that was back in the 1970s. In recent times, it also built the world’s first seamless IMAX dome screen.

There are over 100 hands on exhibits here to help keep the children entertained for hours. You can create colored shadows in one exhibit, or design images with a sand pendulum, and then spend some time examining how guitar strings work. The Virtual Zone has one of the most popular exhibits that is called the Do-Undo. It makes you the theme of the display, as it records the movement of visitors, and allows people to play it forward and backward at different speeds.

You can also enjoy a presentation in a world class Planetarium. You can get the ride of a life time here also in their one of a kind flight simulator.

The Center is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. during the summer. It closes at 5:00 p.m. during the winter months. Admission is $10 for adults and $8.75 for children ages 3 to 12, as well as Senior Citizens. Parking is free.

The Japanese Friendship Garden is one of the true gems of the Balboa Park complex in San Diego, California. It started as a tea house during the Panama-California Exposition of 1915, and has continued to please visitors ever since. It now covers over two acres of ground.

As you wander down its paths, and allow yourself to relax, you will be able to visit a Zen Garden, the exhibit house, and a real koi pond. The designs that are created in the sand are a piece of art all in themselves. You need to note the strategic placement of the rocks and plants, though, as they help tell a story of about how the garden creates harmony among the individual pieces. One of the best features of the area is the bonsai exhibit. There are hundreds of examples of this classic Japanese art. Don’t miss it.

There are a lot of weekend classes taught here, and they cover subjects like sushi making, bonsai gardening, calligraphy, and conversational Japanese. It is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and most major holidays.

This famous garden is located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It derives its name from a famous castle that is located in Seville, Spain. It sits near the Art Institute and the Mingei Museum.

The gardens are well known for more than their beautiful flowers and plants. There are some stunning ornate fountains located here that are covered in Moorish tiles of yellow, green, and blue. In terms of design, it is a formal garden that is surrounded in classic boxwood hedges. You will want to note the designs that get created in the garden displays by the plants themselves. These designs are typical of classic gardening design. The topiaries are beautiful here. It is planted with over 7,000 annuals that bring a cacophony of color to the location all year long. It has been set to replicate the design of the gardens that was put in place in 1935 by architect Richard Requa. He spent two years designing the overall scheme, so it is quite neat that the design has been brought back for modern visitors.

The Alcazar Garden is open all year long, 365 days a year. Admission is free. So, this place can be a real cost saver on a tight vacation.

OK sports fanatics. Get ready for the museum of your life. The San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum is the country’s largest sports institution of its kind. It displays information and memorabilia that tells the story of the area’s sports legacy. There are quite a few famous athletes from here.

There are also some great hands on displays here. Imagine calling play by play for Ted Williams in the media center, or following the evolution of the surf board. There is also a display that lets you sail the skies with Tony Hawk, the skateboard legend. All in all, you will be taken through 70,000 square feet of sports heaven.

One of the newest additions to the museum is the state of the art sailing exhibit. There are several interactive and educational exhibits that will not only teach you about one of San Diego’s favorite sports, but will let you experience being on the water in a sail boat. It also showcases the America’s Cup Sailing event with models of the boats and video clips from the events.

The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It is housed in the historic Federal Building in Balboa Park.

The San Diego Air and Space Museum is dedicated to the world of aviation and space exploration. It is located in the famous Balboa Park. The museum finds its home in the historic Ford Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The history of aviation and space are displays in some really great hands on style exhibits. The story begins with a display that is dedicated to the Montgolfier brothers. In 1783, they built the first hot air balloon in recorded history, and thus became the first people to be able to fly.

You will also be able to see some well preserved historic aircraft and space craft here. There is a great replica of Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis also, as well as the only GPS satellite on display anywhere in the world. You can see some great mint condition aircraft here too, like the Spitfire Mk XVI, a Navy F6F Hellcat, and an A-4 Skyhawk jet, just to name a few.

One of the best hands on displays is the MaxFlight exhibit, which lets you imagine you are flying the Space Shuttle. They also recently added an Interactive Space and Air Technology Kid Zone.

The museum is open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The San Diego Automotive Museum is located in the historic Balboa Park Sector of town. It is simply a wonderful collection of cars and motorcycles from all the various phases of automotive history. You really get to see it all here under one roof.

You can see Louie Mattar’s 1947 Cadillac that has been driven across the whole country. You may be more intrigued by the 1948 Tucker on display, or the 1969 Fiat 500. The nice thing is that the exhibits change about every three months. Traveling auto shows from around the United State come here, as the museum is tied to the Smithsonian Institute. So every time you come back you will get a new treat.

In addition to the wonderful cars on display here, there is a world class automotive library on the premises. They have automobile manuals on practically every car ever made. Imagine being able to go back and find the original manuals on the Model T, or an old Studebaker. It can happen in this library, and the staff is always willing to help you look.

The museum is open every day of the year but Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

The Cabrillo Bridge in San Diego, California is a historic pedestrian and automobile bridge providing access between Balboa Park and the Uptown area of San Diego. It was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Building began in December 1912 under the supervision of Frank P. Allen, Jr. The bridge was designed by Thomas B. Hunter of San Francisco.
The innovative design featured a multiple-arched cantilever structure, the first such bridge in California. It was constructed at a cost of $225,154. One million board feet of wood, mostly redwood, was used to make the concrete forms alone. The length of the bridge is 916 feet (279 m) including approaches. The main span is 450 feet (140 m) long and 120 feet (37 m) high. The seven arches are each 56 feet (17 m) across and are supported by fourteen hollow concrete pillars.