Historic Places

Explore San Diego’s Military History & Heritage This Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer. It marks the beginning of long sunshine filled days, water-soaked afternoons, and cool nights relaxing at barefoot bars and restaurants along the boardwalk. It brings with it the excitement of change, the thrill of the ocean, and an exhilarating number of activities and celebrations.

You have every right to summer indulgences – enjoying the feel of sand between your toes, ice cream dripping down your fingers, and the kiss of sun on your skin. But, it’s also important to remember that Memorial Day does more than mark the beginning of summer, it’s a time to reflect on and be grateful for the city’s rich military history, heritage, and culture. And to remember those who gave their lives and liberty, so you could have yours.

San Diego’s Kumeyaay Roots

With its Kumeyaay roots, Spanish Mission heritage, Mexican rancheros era, Mormon military legacy, and modern military history, San Diego has been shaped by wave after wave of cultural influences brought to bear through its military history.

The best place to learn about Kumeyaay Native Americans and their role in shaping San Diego, is at Barona Cultural Center and Museum in Lakeside. The Museum of Man in Balboa Park has an exhibit dedicated to the tribe and its history. You can also learn more about Kumeyaay in San Diego at Presidio Park in Old Town. You won’t want to miss the park’s dramatic bronze statue of The Indian on the way to Inspiration Point.

Old Town San Diego: Birthplace of California

Often acknowledged as the birthplace of California, San Diego’s Old Town neighborhood offers visitors one of the best overviews of the city’s historic path to the modern city it is today. Presidio Park and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park tell the stories of the era of Spanish missions and accompanying conquistadors, the ranchero era where missions were confiscated and the lands redistributed to wealthy Mexican rancheros, and the early pioneer experience and California statehood.

Old Town presents carefully preserved architecture, over one hundred specialty stores, twelve art galleries, thirty restaurants, seventeen museums, and twenty-five historic sites and original structures from the 1800s. It’s also home to the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, an iconic must-see where volunteers dress in traditional garb and act out scenes of the past while leading visitors on a tour.

Presidio Park was originally Fort Presidio, the first permanent European settlement. It is home to Junipero Serra Museum, which explores the history Kumeyaay Indians, Spanish explorers, and Mexican settlers via archaeological artifacts. You’ll also find numerous historical statues and murals commemorating the Mormon Battalion from the late 1840s. It was the U.S. military’s only religious-based unit and played a key role during the Mexican-American War. Look for the statue of a Mormon Battalion infantryman.

Traveling further up the coast you’ll find what many refer to as the mother of the 21 missions of California’s shore, the Mission Basilica San Diego de Acala. The largest of these missions, known as the King of the Missions is the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, which was established in 1798 and is nestled in the North County town of Oceanside.

San Diego Military History Tucked into Neighborhoods

Hillcrest is home to Balboa Park, a cultural complex with over a dozen museums including the San Diego History Center, the San Diego Museum of Man, and San Diego Air & Space Museum where you can catch up on much of San Diego’s cultural and military history. The Veterans Museum and Memorial Center is adjacent to Veterans Memorial Garden and San Diego Vietnam Peace memorial garden in the park.

Cabrillo National Monument in the Point Loma neighborhood marks where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived as the first European explorer to the West Coast in 1542. It’s a great vantage point for overlooking Navy ships, submarines, and Coronado Island’s naval aviation hub. Liberty Station, also in the neighborhood, is the former Naval Training Center repurposed into a retail, dining, and cultural hub. The Navy’s Marine Mammal Program is located in the channel between Liberty Station and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. And nearby Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery holds the graves of many Medal of Honor recipients.

You’ll find the Naval Amphibious Base, where Navy SEAL candidates train, on Coronado Island. From Hotel del Coronado, lucky guests may see SEAL candidates during Hell Week completing “rock portage” where teams simulate landing boats on a rocky shoreline and carrying them out of the water above their heads. It’s also a flight line for aircraft landing at the island’s base. Mc P’s Irish Pub is a good place to hang out with off-duty members of the Navy.

Memorial Day Celebrations

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean much of the city’s history comes from its large naval community. Head to the Marina downtown for Legacy Week where you can hop aboard one of the longest-serving aircraft carriers, USS Midway Museum. You can meander through the ship and its twenty-five restored aircrafts and participate in a host of Memorial Day events and activities. Don’t miss Kids Adventure Discovery Zone, Meet the Aviators, and the Veteran’s Wreath Ceremony. Snap a photo next to the iconic 25-foot Unconditional Surrender sculpture nearby.

Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial displays over 4,800 granite plaque tributes to veterans mounted to a wall encircling a cross (for now) at this site overlooking San Diego. Although it is open to the public every day, each Memorial Day there are ceremonies and speakers honoring different aspects of San Diego military history. Catch this and other Memorial Day celebrations throughout San Diego County.

Memorial Day is a day to commemorate the U.S. men and women who have given their lives while serving in the military. It’s a day to show gratitude to them, to honor them, and to appreciate their sacrifices and those of their families. And with the city’s robust military community, it’s especially important to San Diegans. This holiday brings families, communities, and friendships closer through backyard barbecues, beachside bonfires, and an array of day-time activities. It’s a time where we mourn our losses with moments of silence and grand military displays, and celebrate all lives by reflecting on the military history and culture that’s defined us.

San Diego’s Military Celebrations beyond Memorial Day

Besides Memorial Day events and activities, visitors to San Diego at other times of the year can catch additional military-inspired events like Tuskegee Airmen Day earlier in May at the Veterans Museum. Fleet Week San Diego, which is the largest event in the country to celebrate and show appreciation for the military, is held each fall. MCAS Miramar Air Show is also in the fall, often coinciding with Fleet Week. It’s been voted “World’s Best Military Air Show” by the International Council of Air Shows. And, of course, there’s the exuberant San Diego Veteran’s Day Parade where visitors can watch active military, veterans, floats, military bands, and more.

5 Top Historic Sites in San Diego

Founded in 1769, San Diego is known for having deep roots and a rich history. Its storied past is well documented and showcased through its vast array of historical sites, neighborhoods, landmarks, and museums. These beautifully historic places are arguably some of the best aspects of the city and serve as an excellent way to spend the day exploring while also being kind to any budget. History enthusiasts and lovers of all things magnificent will find no shortage of fascinating areas and venues to explore. We’ve compiled a list of five top San Diego historic sites to add to your vacation bucket list.

Gaslamp Quarter

The Gaslamp Quarter is perhaps the most well-known historic site in San Diego encompassing an impressive 16-block section of downtown. This National Historic District offers breathtaking examples of the city’s early Victorian architecture as well as numerous art galleries, theaters, nightclubs, specialty shops, and restaurants. For those who want to get an in-depth history lesson on the Quarter, visit the William Heath Davis House. It features detailed exhibits on the Gaslamp’s history.

Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego is the birthplace of America’s Finest City. It was the original downtown before a group of businessmen, led by Alonzo Horton, moved it to New Town in the 1880s. Visitors to Old Town will get an in-depth look into what life was like in early America and Mexico during the 1800s. Several San Diego historic treasures that can be viewed throughout Old Town’s historic buildings and museums. Historic Old Town includes numerous original adobes as well as a blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, and a carriage collection. Visitors can take free guided walking tours, and experience “living history” every Wednesday and Saturday.

Mission San Luis Rey

Mission San Luis Rey, also known as King of the Missions, is a National Historic Landmark established in 1798. Located in North County San Diego, it was originally the largest historic site in California. Today, this 56-acre landmark features an array of historic buildings including the church constructed in 1815. On the grounds, visitors will find a grand museum with an eclectic mix of artifacts of Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and US Military origins. There are also retreat days available for those who are in need of some quiet, alone time. Guests have a private room, boxed lunch, and access to the beautifully manicured gardens.

Whaley House

The Whaley House is located in the historic neighborhood of Old Town in San Diego. Constructed in 1856 it was the first two-story brick structure ever created in the city. It has served a wide variety of functions over the years, such as being a family residence, county courthouse, general store, and theater. Today, it’s most famously known as the most haunted locale in the world where multiple ghostly sightings and paranormal activities have been documented. During the day visitors can tour the grounds learning about its rich history, and at night they can enjoy quite a fright by partaking in one of their haunted tours.

Cabrillo National Monument

The Cabrillo National Monument is an iconic historic landmark situated in Point Loma. It’s named after legendary Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who arrived in the San Diego Bay in 1542. The vast complex features a museum that depicts Cabrillo’s explorations, as well as those of other early explorers. Its most prominent feature is the Point Loma Lighthouse, which stands at a towering 433 feet above sea level and offers incredibly picturesque views of the city’s skyline and the Bay. Visitors can also take a small hike down to shoreline tide pools. It’s a great place to do tidepooling at low tide, and to watch the waves crashing along the rocky formations at high tide.

But Wait, There’s More…

These sites are just the tip of the iceberg. San Diego’s rich history is vast and filled with historical museums, landmarks, and neighborhoods throughout the city. For those who want to do more than just get their toes wet in our city’s history there are many more places to discover. Visitors can walk historic Little Italy, explore the Mission Basilica San Diego De Alcala, investigate the USS Midway aircraft carrier and museum, visit the Villa Montezuma in Sherman Heights, wander Balboa Park, or follow the Founders’ Trail of Historic Sites.

That wraps up our list, and while we know there are plenty more places to share, we’d rather get you involved in the conversation. What are some of the best historic places you’ve visited in San Diego? Any historic sites you think we completely overlooked that should be on the list? Let us know in the comments below!

Chicano Park: From Embattled, Undeveloped Land to National Historic Landmark

Ceasar Chavez once said, “From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.” Those words reflect the decades-long community efforts that resulted in elevating Chicano Park from an embattled, undeveloped swath of land to a National Historic Landmark. Each April, San Diego celebrates the 1970 resistance that spawned the park on Chicano Park Day.

History, Culture, and Art at the Park

At the turn of the 20^th century, the growing Mexican-American neighborhood at the southern end of Logan Heights became what’s known as Barrio Logan. When San Diego needed a naval presence during World War II, they cut off the neighborhood’s oceanfront access with military installations.

In the 1950s, San Diego rezoned the area to mixed residential and industrial creating noise and pollution, then razed 5,000 homes and businesses to build Interstate 5 down the middle of it in the early 1960s. This was followed by building the elevated onramp to the Coronado Bridge in the neighborhood in 1969.

Like so many other minority neighborhoods across the country, Barrio Logan had fallen victim to eminent domain following the 1956 National Interstate and Defense Highway Act. Other communities across the country with more money and better connections like Cambridge, Beverly Hills, Princeton, and New Orleans’ French Quarter, staved off highways with a “freeway revolt” at the expense of their less well-to-do neighbors.

San Diego struck a deal with the Barrio Logan community to create a park under the Coronado Bridge as compensation for the grove of cold concrete pillars holding up the bridge that marred the neighborhood landscape and destroyed homes and businesses.

On the morning of April 22, 1970, the community was surprised to discover San Diego city workers clearing way for a California Highway Patrol station on the land designated for the park. They immediately mobilized and stopped bulldozers with human chains, and then occupied the park for 12 days until the city agreed to honor the park deal.

In the decades since that day of resistance, Barrio Logan residents, under the direction of and in cooperation with several prominent local artists, have captured the history and culture of Mexican-Americans and Chicanos with a series of murals, including several from a 21-day mural marathon.

Forty-nine park murals feature Aztec divinity, historical and legendary leaders, civil rights activists, prominent Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and several themed murals that address immigration, Mexican colonialism, and other concerns.

One pillar features a larger than life mural of Emiliano Zapata, the inspiration behind the agrarian movement. Beneath the figure, it reads: Es major morir de pie que vivir de rodillas, which translates into English as, “It’s better to die standing than to live on your knees,” a testament to the community’s dedication to their park. Another that reads “All the way to the Bay” celebrates the neighborhood’s reclamation of their San Diego Bay waterfront.

The Park becomes a National Landmark

Chicano Park was listed on the California Register of Historical Resources in 1997, and on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Just months before the community’s 47^th Annual Chicano Park Day, the park was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 11, 2017. To receive such high status, the site must contribute to the national story, not only the state’s history. The designation is also special because only eight percent of National Historic Landmarks in the entire country reflect minority groups. Chicano Park stands alongside 16 other National Historic Landmarks in San Diego County.

The Annual Chicano Park Day

Despite being a national treasure, Chicano Park isn’t a well-known tourist attraction. For those who’ve missed out, the Annual Chicano Park Day toward the end of each April is a great opportunity to become familiar with it. The all-day celebration is a family-friendly event open to the public, and it’s free.

Visitors may wander throughout the seven-acre park and experience the world’s largest collection of Chicano mural paintings in a fun and festive atmosphere. There are musical performances galore, including traditional folkloric and Aztec Indigenous dances. Auto fanatics will love the low-rider cars on display.

No alcohol is allowed at the event. The only pets allowed are service dogs.

Other Things to See and Do in Barrio Logan

Visitors shouldn’t limit themselves to Chicano Park when visiting Barrio Logan. The art scene permeates nearly every aspect of this neighborhood. Another good place to check out murals is the Mercado del Barrio, which also has live music during summer. There are artists’ workshops and galleries spread across repurposed warehouses in Barrio Logan to keep art lovers busy for days.

When hunger strikes, or a hankering for coffee or a cold brew, the neighborhood has a vibrant culinary scene too. For an organic coffee or tea in a down-to-earth coffee shop, visitors should stop by Café Moto or Café Virtuoso.

Border X Brewing is a stylish taproom and beer garden with artistic flair. They serve their own craft brews like the Abuelita, a chocolate stout with 8% alcohol content, and a tasty hibiscus beer called Blood Saison.

For home-style Mexican fare, especially breakfast and brunch, Las Quatros Milpas is the place. Salud is a hip neighborhood favorite serving authentic Mexican street cuisine. Fans love the variety of fresh tacos, yummy salsa bar, craft beer, Chicano art, and outdoor patio. Other favorite neighborhood eateries are MishMash, La Fachada, and for dessert, Paleo Treats.

Chicano Park and Barrio Logan definitely belong on your vacation bucket list.