Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
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| Old Town San Diego State Historic Park | |
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| Location | San Diego, California, USA |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 29.08 acres |
| Governing body | California State Parks |
| Old Town San Diego Historic District | |
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| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
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| Location: | San Diego, California |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1825 |
| Architect: | Multiple |
| Architectural style(s): | Colonial, Other |
| Added to NRHP: | September 03, 1971 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 71000182 |
| Governing body: | State |
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. The park preserves and recreates the old town of the city, from shortly after the Mexican War of Independence during its pueblo Alta California period beginning in 1821, through the Bear Flag Revolt, the American period, and ending in 1872, 22 years after statehood. Between 2005 and 2006, California State Parks listed Old Town San Diego as the most visited state park in California.
On September 03, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Old Town San Diego Historic District.
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[edit] Facilities
Five original adobes are part of the complex, which includes shops, restaurants and a museum. Other historic buildings include a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, San Diego's first newspaper office, and a stable with a carriage collection. Plaza del Pasado, a four-acre plaza that sits inside the park features shops, an activity center for students and school groups, and local artisans demonstrating their craft.
- Casa de Estudillo, a National Historic Landmark
[edit] Dining
The Historic Park and surrounding area are a popular tourist destination, known especially for its authentic Mexican restaurants. The park itself hosts four eating establishments: The Cosmopolitan Restaurant, which is currently closed for renovations, The Jolly Boy Restaurant and Saloon, Casa de Reyes, and El Fandango.
[edit] Transportation
The Old Town Transit Center serves the area with trolley, bus, Coaster, and occasional Amtrak service.
[edit] Recent Changes
In the Spring of 2005, the Department of Parks and Recreation along with Plaza del Pasado transformed the park, its cultural center and marketplace to connect its visitors with a better understanding and appreciation of life and commerce in San Diego as it was from 1821 to 1872. Strolling storytellers in period costume, live music, shopping and restaurants inspired by 19th century San Diego life make the history of San Diego's oldest non-native neighborhood accessible and real to both tourists and locals who visit the park. The park also offers educational programs and an activity center to inspire children of San Diego to learn about the region's early history.
Additionally, there was a local uproar in 2005, when the California Department of Parks and Recreation did not renew the lease of Diane Powers, who had run the heart of the Old Town area, including the collection of shops and restaurants known as Bazaar del Mundo, and instead leased the area to Delaware North, a corporation whose business includes the concessions stands at Petco Park and restaurants in Yosemite National Park. In 2006, the first year under the new management, business was down 60% from the previous year.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ {http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060621/news_1b21oldtown.html San Diego Union-Tribune: Troubled Transition]
[edit] External links
- Official site
- The San Diego Union Tribune Casa de Reyes: A Familiar Taste of Old Town
- San Diego Metropolitan Magazine Historic Accuracy Highlights The Newest Old Town Menus
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