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Parks & Recreation

Tours, Concerts and Special Programs

Balboa Park

Architectural Heritage Tours

An architectural tour is offered on the first and third Friday of each month at 11 a.m. Tours meet at the Balboa Park Visitors Center. For more information, call 619-239-0512, Ext. 8.

Balboa Birders

The Balboa Birders are volunteers who lead monthly birding tours in parks, marshes, and canyons in and around Balboa Park and neighboring communities. Birders meet the first Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Locations vary. For more information, call 619-232-3821, Ext. 7.

Canyoneers Guided Nature Walks

The Natural History Museum's Canyoneers are volunteer naturalists trained in local flora, fauna, and geology. They lead weekend nature walks from September through July in San Diego County's mountain, canyon, lagoon and desert habitats. Walks range from one and a half hours to six hours and are generally of moderate distance (1 to 6 miles) and difficulty. For more information, call 619-232-3821, Ext. 7.

Forever Balboa Park Tours

Forever Balboa Park is a public benefit 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to provide expertise, advocacy and resources to envision, enhance and sustain Balboa Park for all visitors in partnership with the City of San Diego and in collaboration with other organizations in the Park and the community. They offer free public tours of the Central Mesa Tuesdays, and the 2nd, 4th & 5th Friday of the month at 11 a.m. in front of the Visitors Center. Filled with amusing anecdotes, little-known facts, and eye-fulls of gorgeous scenery, the 11am tours are the perfect complement to a day exploring other free cultural offerings. For more information, call 619-239-0512, Ext. 8.

House of Pacific Relations Lawn Programs

The House of Pacific Relations is comprised of more than 30 national groups dedicated to promoting an exchange of values and understanding among people of diverse national origin. This group of small cottages, each home to a different nation, takes turns holding lawn programs on selected Saturday and Sunday afternoons. These lawn programs feature traditional costumes, arts, crafts and ethnic foods. Outdoor programs of folk dancing and music are presented at 2 p.m. For more information, email info@sdhpr.org

Offshoot Tours

Offered every Saturday by volunteer horticulturists, the tours meet in front of the Park's Visitor Information Center at 10 a.m. for a one-hour walk. Tour themes include Balboa Park history (first Saturdays of the month), palm trees (second Saturdays), other trees in the Park (third Saturdays), desert vegetation (fourth Saturdays), and every fifth Saturdays offers the "tour del dia" (exploring the Park Palisades area). Inclement weather or attendance of fewer than four people cancels tour. Offshoot Tours run from the second Saturday in January through the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Sponsored by the Balboa Park Rangers. For more information, call 619-235-1122.

Ranger-led Tours

Tours are available upon request. Call the Park Rangers’ Office at 619-235-1122.

Spreckels Organ Pavilion Concerts

The Spreckels Organ Pavilion, housing the world's largest outdoor pipe organ, was donated to the City of San Diego by brothers John D. and Adolph Spreckels in 1914 for the Panama-California Exposition. The pavilion area provides comfortable seating for 2,400 with wheelchair access. Free year-round organ concerts, featuring Artistic Director and San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez, are held on Sundays from 2 to 3 p.m. Each year a free summer International Organ Festival is presented from mid-June through August on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 619-702-8138.