List of San Diego Historic Landmarks facts for kids

San Diego is a city full of amazing history! Many places here are so special that they've been named "Historic Landmarks." This means they are important parts of San Diego's past and need to be protected. Since 1967, a group called the Historical Resources Board has been in charge of finding and protecting these landmarks. There are now over 1,000 of them! Some are even recognized by the whole country as "National Historic Landmarks." Let's explore some of these cool places!

San Diego's Historic Landmarks

Balboa Park's El Prado Area

Imagine a long, wide path right in the middle of Balboa Park. This is the El Prado area, and it's surrounded by beautiful buildings built in a Spanish style. Many of San Diego's famous museums are here, like the Museum of Us, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Natural History Museum. It's a place where history, art, and science come together!

Old Mission Dam

The Old Mission Dam is super old and important! It was built way back in 1768. This stone and cement dam was the first big irrigation project on the Pacific coast. It helped bring water to the Mission San Diego de Alcalá for farming and a sawmill. Today, it's part of Mission Trails Regional Park, which is California's largest city park.

Presidio of San Diego Site

The Presidio of San Diego is where it all began for European settlement in California. In 1769, Spanish soldiers built a fort here. This was the very first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast! It was the starting point for Spain's efforts to explore and settle California.

Pantoja Park

Pantoja Park is the oldest park in downtown San Diego. It was created in 1850. You can find it on G Street at India Street in the Marina District. It's a peaceful green space with a long history.

Torrey Pines Area

The Torrey Pines Area is a wild and beautiful coastal park near La Jolla. It's one of the most untouched natural areas on the Southern California coast. Here, you'll find a high plateau with cliffs looking over Torrey Pines State Beach. There's also a lagoon that migrating seabirds love to visit.

Villa Montezuma

The Villa Montezuma is a Victorian mansion built in 1887. It was the home of Jesse Shepard, a musician and writer. This house has a very unique and interesting design, making it a special part of San Diego's architecture.

Montgomery Memorial

This park honors John Joseph Montgomery, a pioneer in aviation. In 1883, he flew a glider at Otay Mesa, which was the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air craft! A monument shaped like a wing marks this amazing event and celebrates his early flights.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is like a living museum! It shows what San Diego was like after Mexico gained independence in 1821, through the time it became part of the United States, up until 1872. You can see old buildings and learn about life back then.

Casa de Estudillo

Inside Old Town, the Casa de Estudillo is an adobe house built in 1827. It was considered one of the nicest homes in Mexican California. It was built by José María Estudillo and his son, who were early settlers of San Diego.

Casa de Bandini

The Casa de Bandini is a large, U-shaped house built in 1829 by Juan Bandini. Later, in 1869, it was turned into the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It's another important building in Old Town's history.

Mason Street School

The Mason Street School is a historic schoolhouse located in Old Town. It gives us a peek into what schools were like in the past.

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

This chapel is one of the oldest churches in San Diego, besides the San Diego Mission. It was built in the 1850s as a home and later became a church in 1858. It's even mentioned in the famous novel "Ramona"!

Lighthouse of 1854

This lighthouse was built at the entrance to San Diego Bay between 1854 and 1855. It helped guide ships safely until 1891. Today, it's part of Cabrillo National Monument and was restored and re-lit in 1984.

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

This national military cemetery sits on the Point Loma Peninsula, looking out over the bay and the city. It's the final resting place for many U.S. soldiers, including those who died in the Battle of San Pasqual.

Whaley House

The Whaley House is a famous old home in Old Town. It's known for its history and is a popular spot for visitors interested in the past.

Fort Guijarros

This Spanish fort was built in 1797 on Ballast Point. Its name means "Fort Cobblestones." It was the first defense for San Diego Bay and was even involved in a naval battle with an American trading ship.

Long-Waterman House

This Queen Anne style Victorian mansion was built in the late 1800s. It was first owned by John Long, who ran a fruit packaging company. Later, it belonged to Robert Whitney Waterman, who was the 17th governor of California!

Timken House

The Timken House is another Queen Anne style Victorian mansion. It's special because the art collection that is now in the Timken Museum was first displayed here.

George W. Marston House

This Arts and Crafts style mansion was designed by a famous architect named Irving Gill. It was finished in 1905 and later became a museum.

Horton Plaza and Broadway Fountain

This beautiful fountain is a centerpiece of Horton Plaza. It's a historic spot that adds charm to the downtown area.

Britt-Scripps House

This Victorian mansion was built in 1887 by E. Britt. Later, it was bought by E.W. Scripps in 1897 and stayed in the Scripps family for 40 years. It's now a private home.

Santa Fe Depot

The Santa Fe Depot is a grand train station built in 1915. It was made to welcome visitors coming to the Panama-California Exposition. It's still a busy train station today for Amtrak and local trolleys and buses.

Ford Building

The Ford Building in Balboa Park is a unique building from the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. It was designed to look like a V8 engine! Today, it's home to the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Backesto Block

Built in 1873, the Backesto Block was once a very important business building in downtown San Diego. It housed a grocery store and later San Diego Hardware.

Hubbell Building

The Hubbell Building is another historic structure in the Gaslamp Quarter, dating back to 1886.

Marston Building

The Marston Building, built in 1881, is a significant part of the Gaslamp Quarter's history.

McGurck Block

This Italianate Revival building in the Gaslamp Quarter was home to the Ferris and Ferris Drug Store for many years. The upper floors were once a hotel.

I.O.O.F. Building

This commercial building in the Gaslamp Quarter was built in 1882. It's a great example of the architecture from that time.

Keating Building

The Keating Building is a Romanesque style building in the Gaslamp Quarter, built in 1890. It once housed the San Diego Savings Bank, the public library, and the Humane Society.

Nesmith–Greely Building

This building is another historic landmark in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Louis Bank of Commerce

The Louis Bank of Commerce is a beautiful building in the Gaslamp Quarter, built in 1888.

Yuma Building

The Yuma Building in the Gaslamp Quarter was built in 1886 and has a very fancy front.

Spreckels Theater

The Spreckels Theater was designed by Harrison Albright and opened in 1912. It was called "the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi" when it first opened!

Balboa Theatre

The Balboa Theatre was built in 1924 as a grand movie palace. During World War II, it was used to house U.S. Navy members. It reopened in 2005 as a place for live shows and concerts.

La Jolla Women's Club

This clubhouse was designed by Irving Gill and built in 1914. It's a beautiful building that has served the community for many years.

Adobe Falls

Adobe Falls is a multi-level waterfall on the San Diego River. It's a natural landmark with a unique landscape.

Temple Beth Israel

Temple Beth Israel is San Diego's first synagogue. It's located in Heritage Park in Old Town. The first services were held here on September 25, 1889.

La Jolla Recreational Center

This center was built in 1915 by Ellen Browning-Scripps. It was given to the City of San Diego for the children of La Jolla.

Mission Beach Roller Coaster

This wooden roller coaster, also known as the Giant Dipper, was built in 1925 in Belmont Park on Mission Beach. It's a thrilling historic ride!

Spencer Ogden Building

The Spencer Ogden Building is another historic landmark in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Llewelyn Building

The Llewelyn Building is a historic commercial building in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Grand-Horton Hotel

The Horton Grand Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown San Diego.

Golden West Hotel

The Golden West Hotel is another historic hotel in San Diego.

Red Roost and Red Rest Cottages

These cottages, built in 1894, are the oldest surviving examples of late-Victorian beach cottage architecture. They show what beach homes looked like a long time ago.

Cole Block

The Cole Block is a commercial building in the Gaslamp Quarter built in 1892. It once housed a liquor store run by Theopile Verlaque, who helped develop San Diego's wine-making industry.

Theosophical Institute (Lomaland)

This was a special community founded in 1897 at Point Loma. It became known as Lomaland and was a center for arts. Today, it's the site of Point Loma Nazarene University.

Mission San Diego de Alcalá

This mission is super important! It's the site of the first Christian burial in Alta California. Father Luís Jayme, known as "California's First Christian Martyr," is buried here. The church you see today is the fourth one built on this spot.

El Pueblo Ribera

El Pueblo Ribera is a historic group of buildings.

George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory

This building, built in 1909, is the oldest oceanographic research building in the United States that has been used continuously. It's part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which was the first oceanographic institute in the country, founded in 1903.

Gaslamp Quarter Historic District

The Gaslamp Quarter is a historic neighborhood in downtown San Diego. It started developing in 1867 when Alonzo Horton wanted to create a new city center closer to the bay. Today, it's a lively area with many historic buildings.

Western Metal Building

This building was saved and made part of Petco Park, the baseball stadium! Its old brick walls, wooden windows, and timber frame were kept.

Watts Building

The Watts Building is another historic structure in downtown San Diego.

Medico-Dental Building

The Medico-Dental Building is a historic building in San Diego.

Chicano Park

Chicano Park is a special park located under the Coronado Bridge in Logan Heights. It's famous for its 67 amazing outdoor murals and other artworks that tell stories about Chicano culture and history.

McClintock Storage Warehouse

This stucco and concrete storage warehouse was built in 1925 in the Mission Spanish Revival style. It was later known as the Bekings Building.

Marin Hotel

The Marin Hotel is a historic hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Hawthorne Inn

The Hawthorne Inn is a historic building in San Diego.

Chinese Benevolent Society Building

This building is a historic landmark related to the Chinese community in San Diego.

Images for kids

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  Fort Stockton Site Historical Landmark Plaque

• Calvary Cemetery Site.jpg

  Calvary Cemetery Site

• New San Diego (Dunnell's).jpg

  New San Diego (Dunnell's)

• Sherman-Gilbert House.jpg

  Sherman-Gilbert House

• Davis-Horton House.jpg

  Davis-Horton House

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  Battle of San Pasqual

• Casa de Cota.jpg

  Casa de Cota

• Casa de Pedrorena.jpg

  Casa de Pedrorena

• Casa de Machado-Silvas (de la Bandera).jpg

  Casa de Machado-Silvas (de la Bandera)

• Congress Hall (San Diego, California).jpg

  Congress Hall (San Diego, California)

• Casa de Machado-Stewart.jpg

  Casa de Machado-Stewart

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  The Exchange Hotel Site

• Whaling Station Site.jpg

  Whaling Station Site

• Gill House.jpg

  Gill House

• Ballast Point.jpg

  Ballast Point

• Casa de Lopez.jpg

  Casa de Lopez

• Old La Playa Site.jpg

  Old La Playa Site

• Fort Rosecrans Site.jpg

  Fort Rosecrans Site

• Serra Palm Site.jpg

  Serra Palm Site

• Old Spanish Cemetery.jpg

  Old Spanish Cemetery

• Derby Dike Site.jpg

  Derby Dike Site

• Mule Hill Site.jpg

  Mule Hill Site

• San Diego Barracks Site.jpg

  San Diego Barracks Site

• Kate O. Sessions Nursery Site.jpg

  Kate O. Sessions Nursery Site

• Derby-Pendleton House.jpg

  Derby-Pendleton House

• Spanish Landing Site.jpg

  Spanish Landing Site

• Gatewood House (San Diego).jpg

  Gatewood House (San Diego)

• Presidio Excavation Site.jpg

  Presidio Excavation Site

• Emmet House Site.jpg

  Emmet House Site

• Casa de Aguirre.jpg

  Casa de Aguirre

• Gila House Site.jpg

  Gila House Site

• Franciscan Garden Site.jpg

  Franciscan Garden Site

• San Pasqual Grave Site.jpg

  San Pasqual Grave Site

• Cobblestone Jail Site.jpg

  Cobblestone Jail Site

• Protestant Cemetery Site.jpg

  Protestant Cemetery Site

• Hebrew Cemetery Site.jpg

  Hebrew Cemetery Site

• Melville-Klauber House.jpg

  Melville-Klauber House

• Arthur Marston House.jpg

  Arthur Marston House

• Florence Hotel Tree.jpg

  Florence Hotel Tree

• Brooklyn Hotel (Kahles Saddlery) (Horton Grand Hotel).jpg

  Brooklyn Hotel (Kahles Saddlery) (Horton Grand Hotel)

• List of San Diego Historic Landmarks in the Point Loma and Ocean Beach areas

  Jennings House

• H.E. Watts House.jpg

  H.E. Watts House

• Livingston House Site.jpg

  Livingston House Site

• Litgow-Hackett Torrey Pine.jpg

  Litgow-Hackett Torrey Pine

• Horton's Addition Block 252.jpg

  Horton's Addition Block 252

• Lee House No. 2.jpg

  Lee House No. 2

• Lee House No. 4.jpg

  Lee House No. 4

• Teats House No. 2.jpg

  Teats House No. 2

• Teats House No. 3.jpg

  Teats House No. 3

• Merry-go-round.jpg

  Merry-go-round

• Judge Torrance House.jpg

  Judge Torrance House

• Mary Cassitt House (No. 4).jpg

  Mary Cassitt House (No. 4)

• Teats House (No. 1).jpg

  Teats House (No. 1)

• Alice Lee Residence.jpg

  Alice Lee Residence

• House Lot D, Block 234 Horton Addition.jpg

  House Lot D, Block 234 Horton Addition

• Tyrolean Terrace Colony.jpg

  Tyrolean Terrace Colony

• Sherman-Doig House.jpg

  Sherman-Doig House

• San Diego Rowing Club.jpg

  San Diego Rowing Club

• Waldo Waterman Monument.jpg

  Waldo Waterman Monument

• Cliff Mansion.jpg

  Cliff Mansion

• Pottery Canyon Park.jpg

  Pottery Canyon Park

• Buckner Hotel.jpg

  Buckner Hotel

• Kiessig Corner.jpg

  Kiessig Corner

• U.S. Custom and Court House.jpg

  U.S. Custom and Court House

• McConaughy House.jpg

  McConaughy House

• Hearne Surgical Hospital (Ashforth Building).jpg

  Hearne Surgical Hospital (Ashforth Building)

• Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.jpg

  Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

• Charles A. Martin House.jpg

  Charles A. Martin House

• Tucker House (San Diego).jpg

  Tucker House (San Diego)

• Rynearson House/Mansion.jpg

  Rynearson House/Mansion

• Faulk-Klauber House.jpg

  Faulk-Klauber House

• Residence at 1632 Union Street.jpg

  Residence at 1632 Union Street

• Fulford Bungalow No.14.jpg

  Fulford Bungalow No.14

• Fulford Bungalow No. 24.jpg

  Fulford Bungalow No. 24

• Fulford Bungalow No. 34.jpg

  Fulford Bungalow No. 34

• Heritage Place La Jolla.jpg

  Heritage Place La Jolla

• Sherman Judson House.jpg

  Sherman Judson House

• Golden Hill, San Diego, California

  Greater Golden Hill Historic District

• Galusha B. Grow Cottage.jpg

  Galusha B. Grow Cottage

• Chaplain's House

  Chaplain's Residence

• Broderick-Kenny House.jpg

  Broderick-Kenny House

• Royal Pie Bakery.jpg

  Royal Pie Bakery

• Gorham House (San Diego).jpg

  Gorham House (San Diego)

• Elk's Hall.jpg

  Elk's Hall

• Robert E. Lee Hotel (San Diego, California)

  Robert E. Lee Hotel, Lyceum Theater, Commodore Hotel

• Hotel Knickerbocker.jpg

  Hotel Knickerbocker

• Neresheimer-Tingley House.jpg

  Neresheimer-Tingley House

• Pythias Lodge Building (San Diego)

  Pythian Building

• Stough-Beckett Cottage.jpg

  Stough-Beckett Cottage

• Garrettson House.jpg

  Garrettson House

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in San Diego County
• List of San Diego Historical Landmarks in La Jolla, California
• List of San Diego Historic Landmarks in the Point Loma and Ocean Beach areas