For the moment, forget about the parking fees and savor the fact that Balboa Park is San Diego’s crown jewel, celebrated for its gardens, museums, and stunning Spanish-style architecture. But beyond the popular paths and iconic landmarks lies a treasure trove of secrets and surprises. From a hidden trolley tunnel to miniature trains and tropical oases, the park’s past is as eclectic and vibrant as the city itself. Even locals often discover something new with every stroll through the Prado, Alcazar Garden, or Palm Canyon.
Hidden Stories
Miniature Railroad Circulated the GroundsIn the 1930s, a tiny train looped around parts of the park, giving visitors leisurely tours of the gardens and Exposition buildings. Model railroading in Balboa Park began during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, when pioneer railroader Minton Cronkhite designed several scale railroads. Today, the Balboa Park Model Railroad Museum, opened in 1982, preserves this legacy and is the world’s largest operating model railroad museum at 28,000 square feet.
Balboa Stadium Hosted Midget Car RacingBalboa Stadium, originally opened in 1915 as City Stadium, became a hub for midget car racing in the late 1930s and 1940s. Racing paused during World War II but resumed after 1945, drawing huge crowds as part of the UnitedRacing Association’s Red Circuit. A 1949 advertisement below highlights the final races of that season.
A 1949 advertisement for the last race of the season at Balboa Stadium. (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives)Palm Canyon: A Hidden Tropical OasisPalm Canyon spans two acres and contains more than 450 palms, including original Mexican fan palms planted around 1912. A scenic wooden footbridge connects the canyon to Alcazar Garden, and the trail linking it to the Old Cactus Garden was restored in 2001 by the California Conservation Corps.
Palm Canyon is a tropical oasis, containing more than 450 palms (58 species) within its 2 acres. A hidden spot in Balboa Park, the winding paths lead into a shady, lush canyon. The original group of Mexican fan palms dates to 1912. In 2001, the California Conservation Corps restored the historic trail that connected Palm Canyon to the Old Cactus Garden. A picturesque wooden footbridge leads from the Alcazar Gardens parking lot across the street from the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives)Spanish Renaissance Beauty: San Diego Museum of ArtThe Museum of Art’s Spanish Renaissance plateresque-style building, built in 1925–26 and designed by William Templeton Johnson and Robert W. Snyder, features heraldic sculptures, life-size depictions of Old Master painters, and coats-of-arms celebrating Spain, California, the U.S., and San Diego.
Top of the San Diego Museum of Art Building (Fine Arts Gallery). The Spanish Renaissance plateresque style building was designed by William Templeton Johnson (1877-1950) and Robert W. Snyder (1874-1955) and built in 1925-1926. Architectural sculptor Chris Mueller enhanced the facade with the addition of sculptural elements, such as heraldic images, life-size sculptures of Spanish Old Master painters, and coats of arms of Spain, the United States, California, and the city of San Diego (below). (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives) (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives)Alcazar Garden: A Moorish MasterpieceModeled after Seville’s Alcazar Castle gardens, Alcazar Garden features ornate fountains, vibrant Moorish tiles, and 7,000 annuals for year-round color. The 1935 design by architect Richard Requa was faithfully reconstructed and is available for weddings and special events.
View looking east into Alcazar Garden. The garden’s design is patterned after the gardens of Alcazar Castle in Seville, Spain, and is known for its ornate fountains, exquisite turquoise blue, yellow, and green Moorish tiles, and a shady pergola. This formal garden, bordered by boxwood hedges, is planted with 7,000 annuals for a vibrant display of color throughout the year and may be rented for wedding ceremonies. The garden has been reconstructed to replicate the 1935 design by San Diego architect Richard Requa. (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives)Old Cactus Garden: Restored to GloryThe Old Cactus Garden, one of Balboa Park’s earliest horticultural exhibits, dates to the 1915 Exposition. By the 1970s, decades of neglect had left it overgrown and partially in ruin. A major restoration project in 1978 revitalized the garden, preserving its original layout, pathways, and collection of succulents and cacti. Today, it’s a peaceful oasis that blends historic charm with desert beauty.
1915 photo of a small cactus garden just northwest of the Laurel Street Bridge. The California Tower can be seen in the background. (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego Digital Archives)The Zoo Was Planned … Then MovedThe San Diego Zoo began as a modest menagerie in 1916 within the park. Early planners envisioned lions, bears, and tropical birds near the botanical gardens. Eventually, the zoo outgrew the site and evolved into the world-renowned institution it is today.
View of people standing in front of a row of wooden cages off Park Boulevard in about 1916. This was the first site of the San Diego Zoo, which began in 1916. (Photo from the San Diego Sun Newspaper Collection via the San Diego Historical Society)A Secret Trolley Tunnel ExistsBeneath the park, some say, lie remnants of a streetcar tunnel built in the 1910s to carry visitors from downtown directly to the Exposition grounds. Now, only researchers and urban explorers can glimpse the hidden passage.
Archival photo of Class 1 Streetcar No. 125 at 5th and Broadway in San Diego. (1915). San Diego Electric Railway streetcars like this were part of the system that connected downtown San Diego with outlying neighborhoods and, later, the beaches. (Photo via Wikipedia/Public Domain)Balboa Park isn’t just gardens and museums; it’s a living chronicle of San Diego’s history, creativity, and community spirit. The next time you wander its walkways or explore its hidden corners, remember: there’s always a story waiting to be discovered.
Sources
San Diego History Center ArchivesBalboa Park Historical SocietyBalboa Park: A Centennial History, Richard AmeroSan Diego Union-Tribune archival articles, 1910s–1930s
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