Father Junípero Serra established the first San Diego Mission on Presidio Hill. Officially proclaimed a Spanish Presidio in 1774, the fortress was later occupied by a succession of Mexican forces.
Built in 1924, this was originally a grand movie palace. It would later be converted into housing for the U.S. Navy during World War II. It was designated a historic site in 1972 and restored in 2005.
SeaWorld was founded in 1964 on 22 acres by four graduates of UCLA. Their original idea was to build an underwater restaurant. The park grew into a marine park now spanning 189 acres.
Placed in reserve in 1835, this is one of the oldest sites in the U.S. dedicated to public recreational usage. It is named after the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
Midway was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1997. During the decommissioning process, she was used to film portions of the documentary 'At Sea', showing at the Navy Museum in Washington D.C.
The park preserves & recreates the old town from shortly after the Mexican War of Independence through the Bear Flag Revolt. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
In 1927, the Sofia was the first hotel in San Diego to be built with "en suite" bathrooms, its marketing slogan was "A Room and a Bath for Two and a Half."
Wyatt Earp lived in this hotel most of the seven years he resided in San Diego. It was rebuilt on the same plot of land where Ida Bailey's original 1880 - 1912 "cat house" once stood. Beware Room 309.
This restaurant was built on the spot of the burned ruins of José Manuel Machado family's three mansions, which burned to the ground in 1858. He was one of the first settlers of Old Town in 1781.
SAN, dedicated in 1928, is also known as Lindbergh Field. San Diego was the city from which Charles Lindbergh began the journey that would become the first solo transatlantic flight.
The 2,600 ft. long coaster was built in 1925 in less than two months. It closed in 1976. The "Save the Coaster Committee" had it designated a National Landmark in 1987 and it reopened in 1990.
This ship was built in 1863 as a full-rigged iron windjammer named 'Euterpe'. In 1901 she was renamed 'Star of India' & re-rigged as a barque ship (three or more masts).
The Whaley House is said to be the most haunted house in the U.S. The Museum offers a late night paranormal investigation tour every last weekend of the month, co-hosted by The San Diego Ghost Hunters
In March 1978 the original Globe Theatre was destroyed in an arson fire. It was rebuilt & reopened in 1981. In 1984, the outdoor festival stage was also destroyed by arson. It too was rebuilt.
This zoo opened in 1915 & covers over 100 acres with more than 4000 animals. In the 80s an orangutan named Ken Allen became famous for repeatedly escaping from the 'escape-proof' orangutan enclosure.
Seaport Village was built on landfill where the Spanish expedition of 1782 buried those who had died of scurvy. In later years, it served as a railroad yard to send items east that arrived by ship.
The hotel opened in 1888 as the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. It was declared a historic landmark in 1977. Rooms 3502 and 3327 are reported to be haunted!
This overlooks the spot where European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped ashore in 1542 naming the bay San Miguel; explorer Sebastian Vizcaino changed the name to San Diego in 1602.
