Old Town San Diego is known as the birthplace of California. With the construction of a mission and a fort it became the first settlement in California. Today, Old Town is a bustling historic district filled with charming shops and cafes, historical architecture, parks, cultural events, and museums. While planning your family vacation to San Diego, your kids will love exploring these 6 things to do in Old Town San Diego!
*And if you’re planning a road trip, be sure to check out these 6 cool stops from San Diego to Oceanside!
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6 Kid-friendly Things to do in in Old Town San Diego
Table of Contents
- 1. Explore Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
- 2. Shop at the Old Town San Diego Market
- 3. Pan for gold at the Mormon Battalion Center
- 4. Visit the Little Adobe Chapel and El Campo Cemetery
- 5. Take a tour of the haunted Whaley House
- 6. Admire the homes at Heritage County Park
1. Explore Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
- Location: Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is located on San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street.
- Parking: There are several free parking lots around the park and nearby,
- Admission: Admission is free to the Old Town State Historic Park and all museums. Guided tours are offered for a fee.
- Museum Hours: October through April | 10 am- 4 pm Monday-Thursday. 10 am- 5 pm Friday- Sunday; May through September | 10 am-5 pm daily
The Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is only about one mile long and a half mile wide, but it is the most visited state park in all of California. As you wander the streets you’ll get a glimpse of yesteryear.
The park was established in 1968. It is a living history museum of San Diego’s early beginnings as it transitioned from a Mexican Pueblo into an American city.
Five preserved original adobe buildings can be found in the historic park as well as reconstructed buildings. Several early 20th-century buildings have also been constructed to reflect the American wood-frame architecture of the 1800s. These buildings have since been converted into museums, shops, and restaurants.
Here is a map of the park and some notable places worth visiting at the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park:
Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center
Start your visit off at the Robinson-Rose House Visitor Center, a reconstruction of the original 1853 structure.
James W. Robinson came from Texas and spent seven years helping to develop the town of San Diego. He built this stately home as his residence and offices for his successful law practice.
The building also later served as a school room, office space for the county clerk and local newspaper, a store, residential apartments, the Freemason Lodge, and even a jail cell.
Robinson’s widowed wife later sold the home to a German entrepreneur, Louis Rose which led to the name “Robinson-Rose House”. The original home was demolished in the early 1900s and the replica was reconstructed in 1989.
Today it serves as the visitor center for the historic park. Stop by to pick up a map and learn some history and information about visiting the park. They also offer a self-guided tour booklet for a small fee.
In the visitor center you can also view a diorama of Old Town San Diego as it appeared in 1872.
The Colorado House
The Colorado House was the first two-story hotel in San Diego and was built by Lieutenant Cave Johnson Couts.
He later subdivided the rooms and rented space out for business offices, the newspaper, a surgeon, hairdresser, jeweler, and various other businesses.
In 1872 the building burned to the ground and was reconstructed in 1992 to house the Wells Fargo Museum. The museum is filled with displays and exhibits chronicling the history of mining, banking, and stagecoach travel in Old Town.
NOTE: The museum was recently closed permanently, check the park website for updates.
The Mason Street Schoolhouse Museum
The Mason Street School is a one-room wooden structure built in 1865. It served as the first public school in San Diego County.
Students from grades first through eighth were all taught in this single room. The only source of heat was a pot-bellied stove and instead of indoor plumbing they used a bucket and ladle.
A new school was built in 1872, so the original building was moved and served as a private home then a tamale restaurant.
In 1952 portions of the building were moved back to this location and reconstructed. Today, visitors can step inside to see the vintage desks and experience what school would have looked like back in the 1800s.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant
The Cosmopolitan Hotel is one of the five original structures in the park and is the second oldest building in Old Town San Diego. La Casa de Bandini was an upscale sun-dried adobe brick home built on the plaza in 1827 by Juan Bandini.
He had a flair for the exquisite things in life and would host grand dance parties that would last an entire week.
Bandini sold the elegant home just before his death. It was purchased in 1869 by Albert Seeley who operated a stage line between Old Town San Diego and LA.
The Seeley’s purchased the home with the intent to make it a stagecoach stop and hotel for travelers. After some renovations, The Cosmopolitan Hotel was opened and attracted society’s elite with its lavish galas and balls.
The original adobe home only had one story, but the Seeley’s added the second story with a grand wrap-around balcony. From here, guests could enjoy performances and celebrations in the plaza, such as circus performances, mule races, 4th of July festivities, and even bull and bear fights!
Today guests can spend the night in this meticulously restored historic Victorian-style boutique hotel, or enjoy fine dining at the hotel’s restaurant.
The Seeley Yard and Blacksmith Shop
Just behind the grand Cosmopolitan Hotel, you can find the Seeley Stable. This two-story barn was used as a stable for Albert Seeley’s horses and storage for his stage coaches.
He built the stable shortly after purchasing and renovating the hotel. The original structure was demolished in the 1920s and reconstructed 50 years later.
Today visitors can visit the Seeley Stable Museum to view the extensive collection of coaches, horse-drawn carriages, and wagons.
After you visit the stable, walk around the Seeley Yard to see the reconstructed Tunsten Windmill that was originally built to pump water to the property. And be sure to stop by the corrals and visit the resident Burros, Don and Dulce.
Special events and activities are often held in the Seeley Yard, especially on the weekends.
The Blacksmith Shop is also located in the yard. This was originally the Blackhawk Livery Stable that was purchased by Seeley to expand his stagecoach business. The stable may have also been used as Bandini’s servants quarters.
Today visitors can stop by the Blacksmith shop to see blacksmith and woodworking demonstrations as well as live re-enactments.
Miner’s Gems & Minerals
The Miner’s Gems & Minerals shop is housed in the historic 1869 adobe “Casa de Pedrorena”, and is also one of the five original remaining structures in the park.
This home was built by Miguel de Pedrorena Jr., an aristocratic Spaniard. He and his wife lived in this home with their four children, one of which continued to occupy the home until the 1890s.
This building has been in commercial since 1907 and today serves as the Miner’s Gems & Mineral’s shop.
My boys loved visiting this shop and perusing through all of the gems and stones that they have on display and for sale.
They especially loved the fossils and Megalodon teeth and picking out inexpensive souvenir rocks to take home.
The shop is full of information and knowledgable associates who are happy to answer questions. They also offer mineral panning for $6.
Toby’s Candle Shop
While this candle shop is not housed in an original historic building, it is still worth a stop.
Visitors can have the unique experience of making their own candles. They offer a variety of hands-on demonstrations and activities making hand-dipped and hand carved candles.
There is also a wide selection of handmade candles for sale in the shop if you want to stop by and browse their sumptuous smells. Each candle is uniquely made by the employees and makes for a great gift or souvenir.
Be sure to admire the utterly charming Spanish tile steps on the side of the shop as well. It is also located near Cousin’s Candy which I’m sure your kids would love to step in a pick out a sweet treat.
RUST General Store
RUST General Store is housed in the historic La Casa de Alvarado. It is designed to reflect what an authentic 1860s General Store would have looked like.
The shelves are lined with vintage favorites like black licorice and chocolate cordials.
In addition to picking out some souvenirs to take home, you can also grab a bite to eat at the RUST Bistro. Order a hot sandwich and bowl of soup, or hot dogs for your kids. Be sure to save room for a homemade cookie from the bakery!
Fiesta de Reyes
Fiesta de Reyes is a vibrant plaza within the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. It features 19 specialty shops, 2 restaurants and the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant.
Stop in at the Old Town Jerky and Root Beer shop where you can sample and purchase unique types of jerky such as Elk and Alligator as well as traditional beef jerky.
They also sell over 50 brands of root beer and their root beer floats are always buy one get one free!
The Fiesta de Reyes stage offers free daily entertainment where you can enjoy live music while dining on the outdoor garden patio. Weekend entertainment includes a mariachi band and traditional folklorico dancers.
Other things to do in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park:
- Browse the collection of kids books at Captain Fitch’s Mercantile
- Get a churro from La Panaderia or ice cream from Old Town Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt.
- Stop by Casa de Estudillo, one of the oldest surviving adobe mansions in California with a beautiful courtyard.
- See the Casa de Machado y Silvas and Casa de Machado y Stewart, two of the five original structures in the park that served as family residences, a boarding house, and a restaurant.
- Stop by the Courthouse. It was built with the help of the Mormon Battalion and was the first public building in Old Town to be constructed from fired bricks. The Courthouse served as the town hall and also housed the mayor’s office and a school room. You can even find an old jail cell in the back.
- See the working letter press at the restored newsroom in the San Diego Union building. In 1868 the first edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune was published here. This wood-frame building was one of the early prefabricated structures that was shipped from the east coast and reassembled at this location.
- Take a free tour of the McCoy House Museum. This beautiful two-story wood home with a white picket fence is a reconstruction of the original home built by Sheriff James McCoy as a wedding present for his bride.
- Take a hop-on-hop-off narrated tour.
2. Shop at the Old Town San Diego Market
After exploring the State Historic Park, walk to the Old Town Markets on the next street over for a south-of-the-border experience.
The whole city block south of Twiggs Street is filled with cute open-air markets, wall murals, specialty shops, food stands, and restaurants.
My boys loved window shopping for rubber band guns, at The Covered Wagon.
They also stopped at every stall begging me to buy them a Luchador Mask like the one on Nacho Libre.
We browsed through trinkets at the General Store, shared a churro, and picked up a cute $10 Mexican blanket for the beach from Bonita Blanket.
You can also take a souvenir old fashioned photo from Old Town Photo. But my boys’ favorite thing to do was trying unique Mexican candy from the Mexico Candy Shop.
We bought a few to sample then ate it on the steps across the street.
They weren’t fans of the chili powder watermelon sucker, but the pina colada sucker got a thumbs up. The Mazapan was also unique but good!
3. Pan for gold at the Mormon Battalion Center
The Mormon Battalion Center is a free visitor center. It is dedicated to the 500 Latter-day Saint men who marched nearly 2,000 miles from Iowa to San Diego to join the US Army during the Mexican-American War.
They are considered the Army’s only religious based unit, and while they never saw battle they still had an impact on the history of California.
The center features artifacts and an interactive video tour where visitors learn about the treacherous trek.
They also offer hands-on activities for kids such as gold planning, a free photo booth, and brick making demonstrations. My kids loved visiting here, along with these other fun kid-friendly places in San Diego.
4. Visit the Little Adobe Chapel and El Campo Cemetery
The Little Adobe Chapel was originally a home built by Don Jose Aguirre and was one of the first homes constructed in Old Town.
After his death, the family donated the home to the Catholic Church where it was converted into a chapel. It later served as the Saint Anthony’s Industrial School for Indians.
The chapel has been reconstructed but contains many of the original artifacts for visitors to view. Aguirre’s tombstone is even laid into the floor.
The El Campo Santo Cemetery is nearby and also worth a stop. It is the first Catholic cemetery in San Diego and is where many of the prominent early citizens are buried.
As the city began growing, several graves were relocated in order to make room for a horse-drawn streetcar line that went right down the center of the cemetery.
Several graves were left untouched and were later paved over to make a modern road. The spirits that have been sealed under the road are said to haunt this area!
5. Take a tour of the haunted Whaley House
The Whaley House was built in 1857 and is the oldest brick structure in San Diego.
It is also considered one of the most haunted houses in America, according to LIFE magazine and The Travel Channel.
Thomas and Anna Whaley along with their 6 children lived in this home. It was built on the site of the public execution of Yankee Jim Robinson. The family claims they heard and saw his ghost on multiple occasions.
Tragedy struck when their 18-month old baby died of scarlet fever. Later, one of their daughters committed suicide after she discovered her husband was a con artist and left her on her honeymoon.
Four more Whaley family members later died in the home due to natural causes. Today guests and staff at the house report hearing noises and seeing apparitions of the Whaley family members.
Today visitors can tour the elaborate home that was once considered the finest mansion in all of Southern California. The home is furnished with original Whaley family heirlooms, such as the ornate mahogany furniture and heavy damask drapes, as well as a collection of period pieces.
During the tour, you can see the upstairs bedroom that was rented out by a local theater troupe and became San Diego’s first commercial theater.
San Diego County also leased several bedrooms and it became San Diego’s second county courthouse. The family even ran the Whaley & Crosthwaite General Store out of the home.
Day time and night time tours are available daily for $10/adults and $8/kids. Ghost tours are held on the last weekend of every month with additional tours around Halloween.
6. Admire the homes at Heritage County Park
Just behind the Whaley House, you’ll find Heritage Park with a collection of old Victorian homes. Some even believe that these houses are haunted!
I was smitten with this row of Victorian homes lining Heritage Park Row, they paint a romantic picture of simpler times. The boys and I had fun picking which house we would want to live in, but it was hard to choose!
You’ll find six elegant historic homes and the city’s first synagogue. All of which have been transported from locations around the city before finding permanent residence on Heritage Row.
Only the exteriors of the homes have been restored and the interiors of the home are closed to the public, with exception of the Senlis Cottage, McConaughy House, and the Temple Beth Israel.
The Senlis Cottage has a small one-room historical display with information about the homes and how they were transported here. Public restrooms are also located on the north side of the building.
The McConaughy House has transformed the dining room into the charming Coral Tree Tea House. Reservations must be made in advance, but it is such a unique experience to enjoy sandwiches and scones in a historic 1887 Victorian home.
The Temple Beth Israel is the first Jewish synagogue in San Diego and is open for guests to step inside and look around.
It was also used as a temporary house of worship for many religious sects before they built their own churches. As in interesting side note, the church was actually cut in half in order for it to be moved here.
Outside each house you’ll find a placard with the history of the home. It includes information about who built it, who lived in it, the year it was built, and other interesting facts.
The manicured gardens are a quiet respite from the bustle of the city. On warm summer weekends an outdoor movie is often shown in the sprawling park.
Other things to do in Old Town San Diego with kids:
- Try the homemade tortillas at the Old Town Mexican Cafe, and enjoy the best cheese dip at Miguel’s Cocina!
- Visit the historic Presidio Park. It is located on the hill upon which the San Diego Presidio Fort and the first mission were built in 1769. This 40-acre park is a designated National Historic Landmark. While none of the original structures remain, the park has several memorials, including statue of a soldier from the Mormon Battalion. The park also offers scenic picnic areas with views of the ocean and San Diego Valley.
- The Junipero Serra Museum can be found in Presidio Park. This free museum delves into the history of early San Diego with informative exhibits and displays.
- Your kids will love the Old Town Model Railroad Depot. The model trains travel around a 2,000 square foot scale-model city and countryside. The intricate details are mind blowing!
- Climb aboard a Trolley Tour. There is so much history and culture packed into this area. A guided trolley tour is a great way to learn more details and your kids will get a kick out of riding on a trolley!
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