Old Town Historic San Diego (Fiesta de Reyes)
add photos(Fromerly Plaza del Pasado)
A recreation of life in the Mexican and early American periods of 1821 to 1872. Visitors are offered a glimpse into yesteryear, as converging cultures transformed San Diego from a Mexican pueblo to an American settlement. The core of restored original historic buildings from the interpretive period are complemented by reconstructed sites, along with early twentieth century buildings designed in the same mode. The Historic Plaza remains a gathering place for community events and historic activity. Five original adobe buildings are part of the historic park, which includes museums, unique retail shops, and several restaurants.
Fun kid activities include Living History Activities Wednesdays & Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Visitor Center & Museums are open from 10am to 5pm daily with free admission. Horse drawn wagon rides through the park for a nominal fee, Fridays & Saturdays afternoons.
21 Reviews for Old Town Historic San Diego (Fiesta de Reyes)
27
00 families found this helpful
"Good shops and restaurants"
Old town is a bit touristry, but the shops and restaurants have a unique flair to them. There are more authentic mexican restaurants and shops and then places that you could find anywhere (burgers and fries, t-shirts, etc). Getting to Old Town is pretty easy as it's directly adjacent to a city bus depot.
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0 families found this helpful
"A Slice of Old Time SD"
Quaint, old world San Diego charm!!! Lots of walking, so stroller friendly, but it is more geared to older kids and adult tourists. AWESOME fresh Mexican food and one restaurant even has a view (through plate glass windows) of ladies preparing FRESH TORTILLAS!!!
0 families found this helpful
"Fun to visit"
It's a fun place to walk around and "window shop." There are a bunch of cute stores to shop in with unusual trinkets. We mostly go for the food! It is truly amazing Mexican food! We've gone with our baby and enjoy sitting out on the patio/terrace. There is usually live music playing in the evenings so we will head over there and listen for a while. It's a fun place to visit, especially if you like to shop!
'11
3 families found this helpful
"History kids welcome"
If you have a little one interested in California History, this is a great place to visit. If not, your kids might be lured by the different buildings and places only for a short time.
The good news is that you can distract them with some awesome mexican food, or fresh tortillas being made on the streets. Parking can be a bit tricky, especially if you come when it is crowded (holidays, weekends). I recommend this location for just an afternoon visit after lunch or before dinner.
2 families found this helpful
"wonderful historical experience"
Old town San Diego is complete with the first school house in San Diego county. Your kids will love exploring the jailhouse, learning how to send a message in morse code, seeing an original stagecoach, and buying freshly made taffy at the candy store, all on the original boardwalk. Parents will love the restaurants and souvenir shops. Old town San Diego is a great few hours to spend in getting something good to eat (fresh tortillas and fajitas, anyone?) and learning about California's rich heritage and history.
Best part- it's free!!
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for adults"
I love this place for a fun activity with adults but our 4 & 2 year old got bored and weren't interested in shopping for mexican decor (which they have many great things) The food is really great everywhere down here though. I would say that this would be a place for 12 and over.
0 families found this helpful
"Old town is awesome"
You never know what you will see or do in Old Town. Its great to just walk around and look at all the different sites. I use to go here when I was little with my school and remember all the houses and someone making fresh tortillas on the street. Now I take my kids to explorer something different in san diego. Great outdoor adventure. The Waley house is also fun if you like haunted houses..I mean a real haunted house
0 families found this helpful
"fun, relaxed"
We love visiting Old Town in San Diego! The kids enjoy walking around and seeing the small exhibits and just playing in the grass in the big grassy area--everyone is very kid friendly. There is a cute candy shop that we always visit there too. The food is WONDERFUL at all the Mexican restaurants. The best time to visit is Halloween--all the little shops handed out candy to the kids that weekend. Fun Fun atmosphere.
0 families found this helpful
"Great dining and shopping"
It's been a while since we were here, and I've heard they have done some revitalization recently but we had a lot of fun. There are some fantastic Mexican restaurants to choose from and a lot of fun history to explore. Plan on doing a little bit of walking while you're there.
0 families found this helpful
"Authentic Mexican food"
Here in San Diego we love our Mexican food. To find the most authentic stuff, you can visit Old Town. Most restaurants feature a woman making tortillas in the front. You can walk down the historic part and watch someone making fresh candy. They have the best version of San diego salt water taffy. There are a lot of varieties of candy in the store too. The Waley house is supposed to be haunted, and something you'd like to check out. There is also a grave yard a few blocks away.
2 families found this helpful
"Fun outing!"
Very convenient if you are staying in Downtown San Diego or Mission Valley. We took the trolley to visit one of San Diego’s earliest towns. Old Town includes numerous Spanish/Mexican style restaurants and shops. Some of the restaurants off the street will offer tortilla samples. Yum! Overall it’s a great place to take in the old Southwest and understand the Spanish influence. There is free parking located throughout Old Town, but it’s always easier to just take the trolley since it sometimes can get busy on the weekends.
On our most recent visit to Old Town, we stumbled across a couple of FREE museums: La Casa de Estudillo (a 170 year old adobe house) and Seeley Stable Museum (houses old wagons and memorabilia). Don't miss seeing the donkeys right outside Seeley! My little guy enjoyed the donkeys the most.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun and Educational"
This is a true gem in San Diego, I remember coming here with my elementry school and acting out the parts of the families that orginally settled this part of San Diego. There is so much history here and it is really interesting to take a guided tour through here.
If you want to explore on your own there is plenty to do. There is an origanl dentist office with all the tools, one of the first post offices, a great candy shop, and wonderful food. You can not go wrong with spending the day in Old Town. Whenever my relatives come into town this is one of the first places they want to go!
1 family found this helpful
"A Little Hard With Kids (But Still Fun!)"
My husband and I LOVE Old Town. Our favorite place is Coyote Cafe which is right next door to a candy store, if you have kids. Coyote Cafe has great mexican food and homemade tortillas.
There are a few grassy areas for kids to run around, however, some of the stores are small with a lot of trinkets and it's hard to navigate them with kids. My preschooler has a great time at Old Town but we go to eat, quickly walk around and then go home.
Parking is also tough on weekends. We usually park at the trolley station and walk.
0 families found this helpful
"A fun little spot"
We happened upon this fun little plaza one afternoon while we were in San Diego. They had some fantastic dancers out in the plaza that our daughter was thrilled to watch. They have some great little shops. It was a fun area of town to just wander a round. We also enjoyed some yummy churros while we were there.
0 families found this helpful
"Step back in time"
Most families will enjoy strolling the plazas, checking out the spanish architecture and historic buildings. There are many Mexican restaurants here, and most are very kid-friendly. But they don't necessarily serve the best food, it's about the ambiance. The mariachi music and colorful papel picado will keep most kids entertained through the meal.
2 families found this helpful
"Enjoying Old Town SD"
I love to take pictures and Old Town San Diego is the perfect place to do just that. There are old historic buildings, excellent restaurants, and so much more.
The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego is listed by the United States Department of Commerce as an authentic haunted house (although it's not scary at all).
0 families found this helpful
"A Lovely Place to Explore"
This is a fun place to visit. It has information about the rich history of California and lots of special events that include costumed docents. They have an awesome candy store as well. Our family likes to take the Coaster train to Old Town, walk around, then head home.
0 families found this helpful
"Family-friendly district"
In 1769, a mere 167 years after Cabrillo arrived, Gaspar de Portolá established the first Presidio Royal (military fort) while Father Junípero Serra founded the first in a string of twenty-one California missions. Since both the fort and the mission were built in San Diego, they earned the city the moniker “birthplace of California.” This is, of course, California-ish hyperbole, because for centuries before de Portolá or Serra, Native Americans—quite successfully, in fact—had prospered from the area’s fertile lands and bountiful seas.
The fort and mission were located originally in what today is called Old Town. The cluster of adobe buildings at the base of Presidio Hill has swollen over time into a fascinating complex of historic landmarks, museums, art galleries, shops, and ethnic restaurants. These include the Black Hawk Smith & Stable, the Colorado House/Wells Fargo Museum, the Courthouse, the Johnson House, La Casa de Estudillo, the Machado-Stewart Adobe, the Mason Street School, the Plaza, the Robinson-Rose House, the San Diego Union Newspaper Museum, Seeley Stables, and the Whaley House. Our best advice is just to go, park, walk, and enjoy this family-friendly district.
Free guided walking tours depart the Robinson–Rose House daily at 2:00 P.M.
1 family found this helpful
"lots of options in Old Town"
Old Town San Diego has a huge variety of options for families. The area has a rich past with many historic sites, art galleries, shopping and restaurants that highlight Old Town's heritage. San Diego has great weather and visiting the Parks is a fun way to enjoy the sunshine while having access to diverse activities and delicious food.
1 family found this helpful
"Nice for all ages"
Old Town is a quaint area of shops and restaurants with the hometown/small town feel. There is a great restaurant - La Pinata - which has GREAT Mexican food and cool decor. The shops range in price and style - but there is plenty here for people to see and do. Good for all ages.
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