Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Old Town San Diego, San Diego, CA

Photo: Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFamily Favorite

Old Town San Diego

2415 San Diego Ave, #104 · San Diego, CA

Why you should go…

Old Town San Diego is the site of the region's first Spanish settlement and is promoted as the birthplace of California. Its center, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, recreates life from the Mexican-American period of 1821 to 1872 through living-history programs, and the surrounding district holds more than 20 museums, artisan shops and galleries within walking distance of each other. The Old Town San Diego Chamber of Commerce runs a visitor center for the district near the San Diego Trolley Old Town Transit Center.

  • #history
  • #museum
  • #shopping
  • #family
  • #historic district

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Old Town San Diego, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Historic

    Whaley House Museum

    Under $25

    An 1857 Greek Revival brick house in Old Town San Diego that served as courthouse, theater and store, now a museum famed for its ghost stories.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego

    $25–$50

    Hop-on hop-off trolley tour looping through San Diego's top neighborhoods and Coronado.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

    Free

    A recreated 19th-century Mexican and early-American village on the site of California's first European settlement.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Old Town Trolley Tours San Diego

    $25–$50

    A hop-on, hop-off open-air trolley loop connecting Old Town, downtown, Balboa Park, and Coronado.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    San Diego

    Free

    San Diego's official visitor information center on the downtown Embarcadero, with maps, guides and trip-planning help for the city.

    1.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Hotel del Coronado

    Free

    A red-turreted Victorian beach resort from 1888, one of the last of America's great wooden seaside hotels.

    5.1 mi awayMore like this