The Top 10 Things to Do and See in Downtown San Diego

No visit to San Diego is complete without stepping just outside of Downtown into this urban oasis. Hosting many of the city’s main attractions, Balboa Park combines museum complex with themed gardens to create an enchanting Southern California landscape. Just a short walk or trolley ride from downtown, this park has hosted many international exhibitions and is one of the largest urban green-spaces in the entire country. Many of the park’s attractions, such as the Desert Cactus Gardenand the Zoro Garden, are completely free to the public.

This aircraft carrier, the largest ship in world when it was christened in 1945, has found permanent harbor in San Diego and is one of the most visited attractions in the city. Featuring aircraft and self-guided tours through living quarters, ready rooms, flight control towers and the brig, the USS Midway has been featured on American Idol and an episode of The Bachelor, cementing its place as a Southern California staple. The USS Midway is the best way to explore San Diego’s status as one of the U.S.’s foremost naval and military bases in history and today.

Created in 1941, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art’s Downtown location is one of the foremost contemporary art museums on the West Coast. The museum primarily features minimalist and Pop Art, especially from Mexican and Californian artists. Large exhibition spaces allow for large temporary installations and over 4,600 pieces in its permanent collection. Don’t miss the Anya Gallaccio exhibit: running until November 2015, it uses 3D printers to create primal art.