Heritage Park is one of the county parks in the San Diego area. It is located near the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and takes up approximately eight acres. The prime purpose of this establishment is to help preserve the architectural heritage of the Victorian buildings located there - a big part of the cultural heritage of the city. In fact, during WWII, expansion of the city of San Diego was happening so fast that these old homes were in danger of being demolished. A group of private citizens banded together to keep that from happening. So in the current day, you can find some classic examples of Italiante, Queen Anne, and classic revival architecture as well, that tell a story about the fine homes of San Diego.

The homes were moved to this location during the 1940s. The Senlis Cottage from 1896 is here, as well as the McConaughty House of 1887. You can even see the Temple Beth Israel from 1889 in the park.

It is open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. During the summer, it stays open one hour later. The actual times you can visit these amazing homes may vary a bit.

The Immaculate Conception Church was founded in 1917, and yet it is one of the newer Catholic Churches in town. The formal dedication ceremony was two years later, and was conducted by the Right Reverence John Cantwell, who was the Bishop of Los Angeles and San Diego at the time. It has been in constant service since then. It is located in the Old Town sector of San Diego.

Two of the original mission bells from the Mission San Diego still ring in the area. One of them is located at this church. It was put back into service after the location was renovated in 1997.

The church is a classic example of Spanish Revival architecture. It has a beautiful sanctuary, so you will want to get a chance to go in and see it. There is also a gift shop you can visit, that is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. It is also open 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The Casa de Estudillo is a very old and historic adobe house located in San Diego, California. It was built in 1827 by Jose Maria Estudillo and his son Jose Antonio. It was considered the finest house of its day in Mexican California. It is now part of the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, but it is also listed as a National Historic Landmark on its own.

It is one of the oldest examples of Spanish architecture in the country. The house is made of dried mud adobe bricks and encloses three sides of a peaceful central courtyard which belies the unexplained phenomena occurring in surrounding rooms. You will want to check out the chapel that is built here as well, as it has a very ghostly feel to it.

It gained some fame in 1884 when Helen Hunt Jackson wrote a novel about the place, called Ramona. On another note though, the location is considered to be haunted. No one knows exactly who it is that is supposed to be haunting the house though. The chapel seems to be the location that is most often reference in the haunting. So, ghost hunters will love to pay a visit to this old Spanish home.

The Mason Street School is one of the wonderful attractions to see at the Old Town State Historic Park, which is located at 3966 Mason Street in San Diego, California. It was built in 1865, and was the first publically built and owned school in the county.
It was a modest structure, having just one room. It was made of wood, and had a shingles roof. It measures 24 by 30 feet, and has a ten foot high ceiling. Now imagine the fact that grades one through eight were all taught in this tiny space. You can see the wonderful old pot bellied stove that heated the entire building, and an old water bucket had to be used for water. Grades one through eight were taught here at the same time. So, it was reminiscent of a “Little House on the Prairie” kind of school experience.
The building was moved in 1873, to make room for a new two story school on the original location. The original one room schoolhouse was brought to the State Park and rebuilt for preservation.

Plaza del Pasado is the place that brings San Diego's early history to life. Here, you can find unique specialty and gift shops and amazing restaurants. You can also enjoy live Mariachi bands and local artisans demonstrating glass blowing.

The Robinson-Rose House is located at 4002 Wallace Street. It is a part of the Old Town State Historic Park venue of classic old time homes in San Diego, California. The building was erected in 1853. The two story home was used as both a house and a law office. It is a classic example of Victorian style architecture, and was a fairly large size house for its time in history, when people tended to build small.

James Robinson came to San Diego in 1850. He was formerly from Texas, and became a well to do lawyer and businessman there. Over time, he was involved in all aspects of the development of the town. He also was quite successful as a lawyer who was known not to lose cases in court. After his death in 1857, the spot was used by a variety of local businesses like the San Diego Herald, Wells Fargo, and several other businesses. Sadly, the building had fallen into disrepair over time, until the State rebuilt the location in 1989, and added it to the Historical Park.

It is open to the general public daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Admission is free, so that can be a real budget saver.

The McCoy House Museum is part of the Old Town State Historic Park, and is located at 4002 Wallace Street in San Diego, California. It was originally built in 1869, and was the home of Sheriff James McCoy and his wife Winifred. McCoy came to the area in 1849, after he finished his tour of duty with the United States Army. Being fluent in Spanish made it easy for him to seek public office, and service in several positions, not the least of which was the sheriff of San Diego. He was also a State Senator for a while.

It is a wood framed residence that is done in a Greek Revival style of Architecture. It was a large home for its day, and also had a classic big front porch that was so very popular among the wealthy of the late 19th Century. The California Park system restored the house in the year 2000.