Explore one of the country’s best urban cultural parks. Balboa Park has a bit of everything, including grand architecture, diverse museums, cultural institutions, and captivating gardens. You will visit spots that even locals don’t know about.

Tour Highlights

Discover the inspiring, quirky, and fascinating history of one of the nation’s largest urban cultural parks
Uncover historical and architectural treasures hiding in plain sight
Explore a botanical garden’s vibrant collection of more than 2,100 plants
Learn about the early 20th century expositions that shaped Balboa Park
Find the best spots to photograph Balboa Park’s beautiful Spanish colonial revival architecture

PRIVATE TOURS ARE AVAILABLE. CLICK "TICKETS" FOR DETAILS

Country singer Laura Cantrell has balanced different aspects of her musical life over the course of a 20-plus years career, whether as a recording artist, radio host, writer, or working parent of a high-school-aged musician. Well-known as a recording artist with a devoted following in the U.S. and U.K., and as the host of "Dark Horse Radio," a program devoted to George Harrison on SiriusXM's The Beatles Channel, or as a performer curating "States of Country," her monthly live series exploring regional diversity in country music, Cantrell has expressed her passion for country music through various platforms. This June, she returns with "Just Like A Rose: The Anniversary Sessions," an album of original music celebrating her first 20 years of striking this balance. 

Chaired by Board Member Chris Birchby and Adrienne Birchby, this year’s theme is Currents. Contemporary art is a transformative force moving us to think and feel things in new ways, much as ocean currents direct the flow of water from one place to another.

Join us for an exhilarating evening overlooking the shimmering waves in La Jolla as we celebrate contemporary art, artists, and their impact on our community -- the current that runs through us all.

Guests will begin their night with cocktails and fine hors d'oeuvres, leading into a seaside dinner curated by Chef Tim Kolanko of Urban Kitchen Group. The night will come alive with an electrifying performance by singer-songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter, complemented by vibrant live entertainment and dancing.

These popular 90-minute performances are staged aboard the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s 16th-century Spanish galleon San Salvador. Guests will be fully engaged in pirate theatrics at the dock and underway on San Diego Bay. This hilarious interactive show puts visitors right in the middle of the pirate action. Participants will be sworn in as part of the ship crew, trained how to navigate, sword fight, bail water from a sinking ship, escape from the King’s Jail, swab the deck and other pirate skills. Choose from two 90-minute performances at 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Tickets include general admission! So arrive early and check - in 15 to 30 minutes before your show. Then after you return to the Museum docks, continue the fun as your explore the rest of the Maritime Museum fleet and all of the fascinating below decks exhibits!