History · San Diego · United States
8 historic sites to see in San Diego
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with USS Midway Museum, Hotel del Coronado and Cabrillo National Monument. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 14–17 hours across 7 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 14–17 hours
- Areas
- Embarcadero, Coronado and Point Loma
Historic sites in San Diego
Museum · Embarcadero
1.USS Midway Museum
Visitors explore the flight deck lined with restored aircraft, the island bridge, crew quarters and engine rooms, often with commentary from volunteer veterans.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Architecture · Coronado
2.Hotel del Coronado
Non-guests can walk the lobby, the historic corridors and the beachfront in front of it, which is one of the widest stretches of sand in the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Couples
- History
Historic site · Point Loma
3.Cabrillo National Monument
It has the restored 1855 Old Point Loma Lighthouse, wide views over the bay and downtown, and rocky tide pools on the ocean side.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Kids
- Nature
_crop.jpg){kind=link}
Historic site · Old Town
4.Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Mexican restaurants and craft shops surround the central plaza.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Food
Neighbourhood · Gaslamp Quarter
5.Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Museum at the William Heath Davis House, the oldest surviving structure in the area, runs walking tours of the district.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- History
Museum · Embarcadero
6.Maritime Museum of San Diego
Others include a Soviet-era submarine, a steam ferry and a replica of Cabrillo's galleon San Salvador.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Religious site · Mission Valley
7.Mission San Diego de Alcalá
The whitewashed church, campanario bell wall, gardens and small museum are still an active parish.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Park · Barrio Logan
8.Chicano Park
The park was created after community protests in 1970 and is a National Historic Landmark.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Embarcadero | USS Midway Museum and Maritime Museum of San Diego | 3–4 hours + 2 hours |
| Coronado | Hotel del Coronado | 1–2 hours |
| Point Loma | Cabrillo National Monument | 2–3 hours |
| Old Town | Old Town San Diego State Historic Park | 2 hours |
| Gaslamp Quarter | Gaslamp Quarter | 2 hours |
| Mission Valley | Mission San Diego de Alcalá | 1 hour |
| Barrio Logan | Chicano Park | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 free, 2 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is USS Midway Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Embarcadero): USS Midway Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Embarcadero and Coronado): Maritime Museum of San Diego → Hotel del Coronado, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Point Loma and Old Town): Cabrillo National Monument → Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Gaslamp Quarter, Mission Valley and Barrio Logan): Gaslamp Quarter → Mission San Diego de Alcalá → Chicano Park, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- November: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 4 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and quieter, with lower hotel rates outside the Thanksgiving weekend.
- January: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild, sunny days with some winter rain; good for whale-watching as grey whales migrate south past Point Loma.
- February: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Often the wettest month, but with plenty of clear days; Anza-Borrego's desert wildflowers may start blooming after a wet winter.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Gaslamp Quarter — Victorian-era blocks of restaurants, rooftop bars and hotels around Fifth Avenue
- Little Italy — Restaurant terraces, a Saturday farmers' market and harbour views along India Street
- Coronado — Wide sandy beach, the Hotel del Coronado and a calm small-town main street
- Old Town and Mission Valley — Historic adobes, Mexican restaurants and the Hotel Circle chain hotels
More of San Diego
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in San Diego?
USS Midway Museum. The aircraft carrier USS Midway served from 1945 to 1992 and is now moored on the downtown waterfront.
+Which of these are free in San Diego?
Hotel del Coronado, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Gaslamp Quarter and Chicano Park.