San Diego History Center facts for kids
Entrance of the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Former name | San Diego Historical Society |
|---|---|
| Location | Casa de Balboa San Diego, California, US |
| Founder | George Marston |
The San Diego History Center is a museum that tells the story of San Diego. You can find it in the city's famous Balboa Park.
Contents
Exploring San Diego's Past
The San Diego History Center helps visitors learn all about the city's rich history. It's a great place to discover how San Diego grew over time.
How the Center Started
The museum was founded in 1928. A businessman named George W. Marston helped create it. Back then, it was called the San Diego Historical Society.
Its first home was the Junípero Serra Museum. This building was on Presidio Hill. This spot is very important because it's where the first European settlement in San Diego began.
Moving to Balboa Park
In 1982, the San Diego Historical Society moved. It found a new home in the Casa de Balboa building. This building is right in Balboa Park.
Even after moving, the Serra Museum stayed open. It became a special place for learning and education. In 2010, the society changed its name. It became the San Diego History Center, which is what we know it as today.
Amazing Collections to See
The museum has many cool things to explore. One special collection is about clothes and textiles. It has over 7,000 items! These items show how fashion has changed from the late 1700s until now.
There's also a great art collection. It features paintings from the early 1900s. You can see works by artists like Maurice Braun and Alfred Mitchell.
Research and Learning
Beyond the exhibits, the History Center has a huge library. It's a place where students and researchers can learn even more. This library holds over 45 million documents!
These documents include old records, maps, and diaries. They help people understand San Diego's past in detail.
A Treasure of Photographs
The center also has a massive collection of photos. There are 2.5 million pictures! It's one of the biggest photo collections in the United States.
Many of these photos show San Diego in the 1800s and early 1900s. The collection also includes photos from the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. You can even see special photos of the African-American community in Logan Heights from 1939 to 1985.
Partnerships and Publications
Since 1955, the center has worked with the University of San Diego. Together, they publish a magazine called the Journal of San Diego History.
In 2013, the San Diego History Center became a Smithsonian Affiliate. This means it's connected to the famous Smithsonian museums.
