Presidio Park Park

Address: Presidio Park, San Diego, CA (adjacent to Old Town)

Website: https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/presidio

Hours: Park grounds open daily (hours vary); visitor center hours vary

Admission: Free

Presidio Park is a historic public park on Presidio Hill in San Diego, California, that marks the site of the Spanish Presidio founded in 1769. The park contains grassy terraces, historic markers and a museum building interpreting the presidio period.

Open lawns, walking paths and interpretive signage provide views over Old Town and San Diego Bay, while the Junípero Serra Museum sits within the park and houses exhibits on early California history. The site is used for picnics, guided history programs and sightseeing.

The original Spanish Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá were established at the hilltop in 1769. In the early 20th century the site was preserved and a museum building was constructed to interpret the presidio era and local history.

The park is immediately adjacent to Old Town San Diego and overlooks the downtown skyline and San Diego Bay, located on a prominent hill in the central part of the city.

• Founding site: The park marks the site of the Spanish Presidio established in 1769, the first European settlement in what became Alta California.
• Panoramic viewpoints: The hilltop offers panoramic views over Old Town, San Diego Bay and downtown from its grassy terraces and picnic areas.

What to See#

• Junípero Serra Museum: A reinforced stucco museum building sited on the park hill that interprets the early Spanish presidio and San Diego history.

Presidio Park is adjacent to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. From downtown San Diego take the I-5 north to the Old Town exit or use local buses that serve Old Town; the park is a short walk from Old Town Transit Center (trolley and buses). Street parking is available but can be limited during events.

• Walk from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park-the two sites are adjacent and share the same early-Californian atmosphere.
• At dusk the park's eucalyptus groves cool rapidly; bring a light jacket even in summer evenings.
• Seek out the Junípero Serra museum marker and the worn flagstones near the presidio site-small touches that reveal layers of the city's Spanish and Mexican past.