San Diego Old Town

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7 Reviews | Add review

Address: San Diego Avenue at Twiggs Street, San Diego
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free

ATTRACTION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Monument - Historical, Neighborhood

4:32 PM Sunday, May 19
Passing clouds. Mild.
7 day forecast

San Diego Old Town is a pleasant place to soak up some history, browse for souvenirs, and perhaps enjoy a Mexican meal. Old Town is the site of the original pueblo (village) that sprang up in San Diego below the mission and fortress back in the 18th century. It preserves five of the original adobe (mud brick) buildings alongside scores of recreated structures, including a schoolhouse and a newspaper office.

Your first stop should be the Old Town State Historic Park Visitors Center, which has memorabilia and a video of local history. The center is located in the main plaza. Across from the visitor center is Casa de Estudillo, a restored adobe home filled with authentic period furniture, which is worth a look. Just off the plaza's northwestern corner is the Plaza del Pasado, which has a colorful collection of import shops and restaurants.

Latest Reviews

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All San Diego Old Town Reviews

Review by James M, May 2013
Doing what: San Diego Tour: Hop-on Hop-off Trolley

Excellent service, prompt, clean, interesting. Drivers gave a good narrative bit bit put off by those who told you at the end of every sentence that they accept tips. The more professional drivers never mentioned tips. Enjoyed all stops especially Old Town which was like the Wild West.

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Review by virginie, February 2012
Doing what: Tequila, Tacos and Tombstones Culinary Tour

I really enjoyed this tour and highly recommend it! it is a great way to visit the Old Town in San Diego and learn a bit more about the birthplace of California. Our guide Michelle was lovely. We had some great tacos and tequilas, going from one restaurant to another. It was a small group of nice people and the atmosphere in the restaurants were very cheerful.

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Review by Blanca, United Kingdom, February 2012
Doing what: Tequila, Tacos and Tombstones Culinary Tour

This tour was a great introduction to the Old Town of San Diego! We tried a few local specialties which were very tasty, and we really enjoyed the fact that we were in 4 different local restaurants in one evening, and trying different typical food and drinks. We also loved that it felt like being in Mexico for the evening, but without having to travel there and feeling very safe! I would really recommend it!

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Practical Info

San Diego Old Town is located northwest of downtown, bordering Presidio Park, and is easily accessible via public transportation. The Old Town transit center, on Taylor Street, at the northwestern edge of Old Town, serves San Diego trolleys and buses. Plan to spend a few hours strolling the area.

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