|
Balboa Park,
San Diego, CA -
Dedicated to the Public Since 1835 - Saved by
Dedicated Citizens!
Back in 1835, when
San Diego belonged to Mexico, newly elected
Mexican officials decided to preserve a 47,000 acre
tract of land for the public to use for recreational
purposes. The land sat undeveloped until the
Mexican-American War and San Diego and the rest of
California became property of the USA. In 1868 a
request was made to use 160 acres of the land as a
public park. The request was honored but the amount
of land was increased to 1,400 acres for use as a
city park.
In order to protect
the park, a law was passed in 1870, making sure the
land would be held in trust forever by the city
officials specifically for the purpose of a park. As
the people of San Diego grew to love their park,
land speculators--with the help of the city attorney
and a state senator--attempted to repeal the 1870
law so they could grab the land for themselves. The
press found out and exposed the ploy, citizens took
action to protect their park by forming a public
safety committee. They collected signatures
supporting the retention of the park and were
successful in killing the bill in the legislature.
What a fine example of how people can and should be
able to protect our public lands from special
interest groups and corrupt officials.
Balboa Park is named
after Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish
explorer/conquistador who crossed the Isthmus of
Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513--the first
European to lead and expedition to the Pacific from
the New World.
The "Mother of Balboa
Park," botanist/horticulturalist and landscape
architect Kate Sessions, was given 30 acres of land
in Balboa Park for a nursery in exchange for the
planting of 100 trees. Today the park has cypress,
pine, oaks, pepper trees, eucalyptus trees and
jacaranda trees, thanks to her efforts. The park
also has cultural attractions, shops, gardens,
restaurants, museums, theaters, the San Diego Zoo
and was declared a National Historic Landmark in
1977. The buildings are a mixture of Spanish and
Latin American architecture, ornate and beautiful.
Attractions include
the San Diego Museum of Man, the San Diego Museum of
Art, the Museum of Photographic Arts, the San Diego
Art Institute the San Diego Model Railroad Museum,
the Natural History Museum, the San Diego Historical
Society, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and the
Timken Museum of Art the Reflection Pond, the
latticed Botanical Building, and the Bea Evenson
Fountain. Adjacent to the promenade is the San Diego
Air & Space Museum.
The
gardens include Alcazar Garden,
Botanical Building, Cactus Garden,
Casa del Rey Moro Garden, Inez Grant
Parker Memorial Rose Garden,
Japanese Friendship Garden, Marston
House Garden, Palm Canyon and Zoro
Garden.
Theatrical and musical venues
include the Spreckels Organ
Pavilion, featuring the world's
largest outdoor pipe organ; the Old
Globe Theatre complex, which
includes a replica of Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre as well as an outdoor
stage and a theatre in the round;
and the outdoor amphitheatre
Starlight Bowl. The Casa Del Prado
Theater is the home of San Diego
Junior Theatre, the country's oldest
children's theatre program.
A
collection of "international
cottages"; the Botanical Building
with its accompanying reflecting
pool; bridge, chess, horseshoe,
petanque, and lawn bowling clubs are
also located in the park.
Located in the northeast corner of
the park is the Morley Field Sports
Complex. Included in this complex is
the largest tenant of the park, the
Balboa Park Golf Complex with an
18-hole golf course and a 9-hole
executive golf course, the San Diego
Velodrome, baseball fields, the USTA
awarded Balboa Tennis Club, archery
ranges, the Bud Kearn Swimming Pool,
and a disc golf course.
This
is truly one of the places where
there is something for everyone,
whether it be part of a vacation
plan or a weekend retreat for
locals. Take a sneak peek at our
video selection, and plan a
visit--you will see why the citizens
rallied to keep what was theirs.
|
 |
