Ah , Balboa Park . From its array of plant and flowers , to its large collection of museums ( 15 ! ) , to its miles and miles of walk trail , there ’s a circle to love . There ’s also a lot toknow . To that end , here are 12 things you in all likelihood never love about the talkative plot of nation . A historic Beatles concert ? A nudist dependency ? Be a bed - it - all – get learnin ' .
1. Its original name was “City Park”
In 1867 , Alonzo Horton ( not a Dr. Seuss fictitious character ) bought 800 acres of land in what is now downtown San Diego . In 1868 , Horton convinced the city to dedicate 1,400 Acre of public land to a city parking area , which officials creatively named " City Park . " Thankfully , park commissioner had brains implanted and changed the name to Balboa Park for Vasco Nuñez de Balboa , the first European to see the Pacific Ocean , in 1910 .
2. Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park
… by close to double the acreage – the Manhattan common plot is 842 acres . Balboa Park is also far more repose - back . Central Park is all : " Work , work , body of work , " and Balboa Park is all : " Relax , swell , lifespan is short . "
3. The Park wouldn’t exist without the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal , finished in 1914 , change San Diego always . With the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans now link up , San Diego was the first larboard of call on the Pacific Coast of the US . This think big things for the San Diego , and local bigwigs decided this would be the perfect opportunity to throw a celebration , mostly to be selfish and pull attention to ourselves . Thus came the 1915 Panama - California Exposition . Nicknamed " The Garden Fair , " it draw millions of visitors to a previously - sleepy coastal town . Some of the shock of the Exposition were anticipated , like a spike in SD ’s population . Others were surprise . Like how the five miniskirt - zoological garden at the Expo would become our now human race - renowned San Diego Zoo .
4. Native Americans helped build (and lived in) an exhibit on Expo grounds called thePainted Desert
Think kivas and hogans made of real deal materials ( yucca , sagebrush , etc . ) where the War Memorial Building now stands . Apache , Hopi , and Navajo were among the tribe represented as a part of the 1915 exposition , and according to the San Diego History Center , some of the tribe penis made some pretty mind - blowing excursions around the city , for example , riding elevators , and making a trek to OB to see the ocean for the first time .
5. A nudist colony lived there once
Zoro Garden was a nudist colony that coiffe up shop where the butterfly garden ( nakedbutterflies ) are now . This was an draw during the 2d expo held in the parking area – the California Pacific International Exposition – in 1935 . Though the authenticity of the troupe is contested ( actualnudists or public presentation artists ? ) , the fact that there were bare people lallygag around the sunken garden is not . All that rest is a PG mural of butterfly with ' Zoro Gardens ' paint in book .
6. Both The Rolling Stones and The Beatles played in Balboa Park early in their careers
The Beatles played their only San Diego execution in 1965 ( the same yearRubber Soulwas released ) at the Balboa Stadium , and the Rolling Stones made their first appearance in 1964 ( the yr their first record book come out ) at the Balboa Park Bowl , or The Starlight Bowl . slate sales for both concerts were n’t that great , but we ’ll just have to letthatbe .
7. An orangutan named Ken Allen escaped from the Zoo three times
He escaped so many metre , zookeepers had to " go surreptitious " to figure out how he was doing it , e.g. , posing as tourer . Kind of insane .
8. The Park’s buildings were used by the military during WWI and II
During WWII especially , all other plans for the park were dropped . The buildings and grounds were rename Camp Kidd after an admiral belt down in the Pearl Harbor bombing and used for breeding , support quarters , a hospital , etc .
9. There was a massive midnight water-gun fight in front of the Botanical Building
Itsoundslike it would be cool , but the whole account is actually pretty messed up . After its at least 1,500 participant lay waste material ( $ 10,000 in hurt , to be precise ) to the area in 2012 , only two inches of water were left in the lily pond and many koi fish and turtles were seriously " stressed . "
10. There’s a lesser-known spot called Palm Canyon
11. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center houses the first IMAX Dome Theater
San Diego stoner : triumph .
12. The California Tower hasn’t been open since 1935.
Only last year did the beautiful , ornate early 20th Century , first Expo - era structure reopen to the populace . So , go explore that too .
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Natalie Holtzis a writer who remembers when the Moreton Bay Fig tree did n’t have a fence around it , but she ’s all about the fence , because # treehealthfirst . Tweet at her or follow her on Instagram @natalie_holtz .
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Balboa Park
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San Diego Zoo
Balboa Park
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