Old Town
San Diego celebrates Mexican and Spanish Colonial history.
On the hilltop overlooking Old Town is the site where, in 1769, Padre Junípero Serra established Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá. In 1774, Serra’s mission was moved to a location six miles east, but a colony of residents remained and the area became known as California’s first permanent European settlement. Today, the Junípero Serra Museum (2727 Presidio Drive) stands on that same hill, overlooking the festive neighborhood now called Old Town San Diego.
Living History and Culture
Old Town State Historic Park, a pedestrian-only area spanning six blocks, is home to more than a dozen of San Diego’s earliest buildings—some original, others reproductions—including a general store, Wells Fargo Bank, adobe homes and the first office of the San Diego Union, the city’s oldest newspaper. You’ll also find the Casa de Estudillo, the 1825 home of Spanish aristocrat Don Jose Antonio de Estudillo, the newly renovated Cosmopolitan Hotel and Seeley Stable Museum, a reconstruction of the 1850s-era stagecoach stop that now houses a collection of vintage carriages. Park aides lead tours of the sites, leaving from the Old Town Visitor’s Center in the Robinson Rose building, located on the plaza. No reservations are necessary and tours are free (619.220.5422).
Adjacent to the plaza, Fiesta de Reyes (2754 Calhoun St.) is filled with restaurants and shops that celebrate Mexican and American history; check out Hacienda de las Rosas, a winery and tasting room whose wines are made from locally grown grapes, and The Urban Seed, which not only has a huge selection of heritage vegetable seeds but also French antiques and elegant home décor pieces. Costumed storytellers and artisans throughout the plaza add to the ambiance.
Up the hill at Harney and Juan streets you’ll find the Mormon Battalion, which tells the story of the church military unit that came west to help with the Mexican-American War, and Heritage Park, the site of seven restored Victorian buildings that were moved to this site from downtown San Diego after World War II to escape demolition due to modern development. The park also houses Southern California’s first synagogue, Temple Beth Israel, built in 1889.
More historical sites line San Diego Avenue, which leads out of Old Town State Park to the south. Construction on the gorgeous Church of the Immaculate Conception, still an active Catholic church, began in 1868 in an effort to replace the existing adobe church with a brick structure, but was not completed for more than 50 years.
Farther up San Diego Avenue, behind an adobe wall, is El Campo Santo, the city’s first cemetery, established in 1850, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Museum and Educational Center (2384 San Diego Ave.), built 100 feet from where San Diego’s original cobblestone jail once stood. It features exhibits displaying weapons and equipment used by the county’s 28 sheriffs over the past 150 years.
The Casa del Rey Moro Museum (2471 Congress St.) is a small house transformed into a scholarly treasure of African world history, with a focus on the Afro-Spanish, Afro-Mexican and African-American heritage in Old Town and California.
Hungry for more? Take in a show at the Old Town Theatre (4040 Twiggs St.), operated by the critically acclaimed Cygnet
Theatre Company. Cygnet’s main spring show is Parade, about a factory manager accused of murder in Atlanta (March 8-April 22).
Old Town’s many shops offer everything from authentic goods to touristy tchotchkes. Check out Miranda’s Courtyard (2548 Congress St.) for a large collection of Mexican folk art, or browse women and children’s fashions made from eco-friendly cotton and alpaca at Wandering Sage (2415 San Diego Ave.).
On the back side of the park, Taylor Street is home to Bazaar del Mundo (4133 Taylor St.), a two-story emporium of international folk arts, fashion, jewelry and home décor.
Wind down your shopping day with a glass of pinot at Wine Cabana (2539 Congress St.)
