Old Town San Diego

Visit Old Town San Diego for a fun day for the whole family!

old town san diego

You can’t visit San Diego without going back and finding the place where it all began, Old Town San Diego. Called the birthplace of California, this is where the very first Christian mission was built in 1769. By the 1830's, a small community had grown around the mission and was known as El Pueblo de San Diego. And, in 1846, two military officers, one Naval and one Marine, planted an American flag in the town’s plaza.

Today, this entire area is now a state park and offers many attractions for visitors to enjoy. You can take one of the many town tours, including a city wide sightseeing tour, and a haunted tour for those who would rather see the town after dark. Or, if you'd rather, take our self-guided San Diego ghost tour and learn about the spirits haunting many of these Old Town attractions.

Most all of the exhibits here are free to the public and you will find that they are fun and educational for people of all ages. Below is a brief list of some of the most popular historical sites in Old Town San Diego. Kids especially seem to get a kick out of visiting these sights!

The Robinson-Rose House

This house was built in 1853 by James Robinson who was a lawyer from Texas. He built the two story house to handle both his living space as well as space for various businesses that he rented the space to. The Robinson-Rose house was home to the first ever newspaper of San Diego called the "San Diego Herald". The Rose part of the name came into play when Robinson's widow sold the house to Louis Rose, who lived there at the house until it was demolished in a fire in 1874. The building has since been restored and serves as the home to the Old Town State Historical Society visitor center. They have an intricate model display of the city back in 1872 that is a must-see. Find the buildings you plan to visit in the display to see how they looked a hundred years ago! Admission to the Robinson-Rose House is free and everyone is encouraged to stop by here to start their tour of California's beginnings at Old Town San Diego.

Seeley Stable

These stables are named for Alfred Seeley, who operated the San Diego to Los Angeles Stage Line, sending passengers and mail via horse-drawn coach. Seeley also purchased the building next door that eventually housed the Cosmopolitan Hotel, adding a second story to the existing home. At the Seeley Stables, you can see the reconstructed barn and stables that hold a spectacular compilation of western memorabilia, wagons, horse drawn buggies and carriages. The stables are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free to the public.

Blackhawk Smithy

This building offer demonstrations on blacksmithing, as well as other services needed for repairing coaches and taking care of the horses. The original Blackhawk Smithy was founded by J.B. Hinton, who started his business in the 1860's. He offered his services to those in need of blacksmith services and coach repair. He provided the horses and their teamsters' food and shelter while they were using J.B. Hinton's services. The Blackhawk Smithy is open Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mason Street School

Mary Chase Walker was the first teacher in the first public school in San Diego. The school was built in 1865 and the school paid Mary a total of $65 per month for her teaching services. She taught at this school for 11 months before she quit to become Ephraim Morse's wife. At that time, Morse was president of the school board. When you visit this school, you can be taken back in time as you sit in the desks that were used in Mary's class. Fourth graders in the San Diego-area often visit the school and receive first-hand tours of the school house, educating them on the history of California. The School is open to the public and admission is free. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

La Casa de Estudillo

This is known as the most famous Old Town San Diego adobe, which took two years to be built with it being completed in 1829. The commander of the San Diego Presidio, Captain Jose Maria de Estudillo is the man responsible for building this adobe. He died just two years after completing the construction and the adobe house was given to his son, Jose Antonio Estudillo. Jose Antonio lived there with his wife until 1887 and he served as the treasurer, revenue collector, alcalde and judge for San Diego. The home was later restored in 1920 and was donated to the state. Today you can visit the adobe house museum and see some of the older furnishings from the late 1800's and early 1900's. It is open daily to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission.

Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo Bank has its own historical display in Old Town which displays a detailed historical agent's office from Wells Fargo Bank. Here, you will also see such displays as a pocket watch from the 19th century, authentic telegraph machines, a concord stagecoach from 1867 and a 1855 panoramic painting of San Diego. You will learn about mining , banking and overland travel in the mid 1800's. Admission is free and the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Heritage Park

This county park, just across the street from Old Town State Historic Park and Old Town San Diego, is home to many restored Victorian homes that were moved in right from where they were originally built. San Diego's first synagogue is also located here and still serves as a location for many weddings, bar mitzvahs and receptions. You can see such glorious houses as the Sherman -Gilbert House which was built in 1887, Bushyhead House also built in 1887, (You can rent a room here through Heritage Park with rates ranging $125.00 and $300.00), Burton House which was built in 1893 and the Christian House which was built in 1889. Heritage Park offers accommodations in two of the historical Inns. The price ranges from $125 to $300 per night for single/double occupancy.

Sheriff's Museum

This is a fun and exciting museum to visit as it offers interactive exhibits for you to try out and learn from. Located at the far end of Old Town San Diego, this museum was a recent discovery for our family! All of our boys, even the grown-up one, thoroughly enjoyed the various exhibits shown here. The Sheriff's Museum displays a total of 150 years of history with such displays as a helicopter, a patrol car, motorcycle, jail cell, sheriff's tools (gun, badge and handcuffs) and even a courtroom. This is also open to the public and admission is free. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When you're done with your tour of Old Town San Diego, complete your visit by poking through some of the great shops and restaurants that line the area. A visit here wouldn't be complete without a trip to any of the many Mexican restaurants located here. To find out what some of our visitors' favorite restaurants are visit here.