| Old Town SD tips and photos posted by real travelers and San Diego locals.
North of Downtown
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 | San Diego Old Town SD Reviews | 1 - 10 of 76 |  |
 Cigarette Shoppe, Old Town San
Diego, CA by travelgirl3
A lot of the shops are staffed by interpreters in period costume, and some of the buildings are very authentic. The Cigar ette Shoppe pictured, for example, is part museum, part cigar store, so much so that in looking through the cases, it was difficult to tell what was part of the exhibit, and what was actually for sale.
You should also visit 'Bazaar del Mundo', a fascinating collection of shops selling wares from various latin countries.
There are several great restaurants (we enjoyed Casa de Bandini), so you can easily spend the day exploring Old Town. Be sure to give yourself enough time to stroll and enjoy.
Old Town is easily accessible by the San Diego Trolley (the red ones), the Old Town Trolley (green & orange), or its about a 10 minute drive from Gaslamp. Leave a Comment
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 Old Town Square by Yaqui
Admission is FREE
Open
10AM-5PM
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park Historical Marker No.830 Leave a Comment
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 interior shop at Bazaar by PawtuxetLeave a Comment
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 Old Town San Diego by IceBear7
If you try and not see the souvenir shops it is like stepping back into San Diego's past, with the first Spanish settlers having just arrived, the city being governed by the Mexicans and a beautiful city in a great climate starts to rise.
They have wonderful restored houses with shops selling crafts, pottery, soap, mexican food and clothes, chocolates...There is a dentist house, newspapers ediorial office, courthouse, stables, blacksmith and houses where people were living.
Entrance is free, and they have free guided tours once or twice a day which I highly recommend! You learn a lot about San Diego's past and present, and our guide was a wonderful old lady who loved telling stories. Leave a Comment
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In 1857 Thomas Whaley began building his Greek revival style house. The San Diego Herald claimed that the house was the, "finest new brick block in Southern California." It was constructed primarily by the areas Native Americans and the final cost was estimated around $10,000.
The Thomas Whaley House has been purported as the most haunted house in California. The US Commerce Department officially declared the house haunted in the 1960's. Only one other home in California can lay claim to this distinction and that's the Winchester Mansion in San Jose California.
The home was built over the land where the town's hanging gallows once stood. James "Yankee Jim" Robinson was hung on this spot but sadly he did not die right away. He was a very tall man and his feet kept scraping the ground taking him over 45 minutes to die. His presence can be felt in the home. Visitors report hearing heavy footsteps, others experience the tightening of the throat, while others have reported having the sense of strangulation. During my visit I experienced the latter.
The ghost of a young girl is often seen but there seems to be a good deal of debate as to who is child is. A neighbor's child supposedly died in the mid-1800s after she ran into a low clothesline that fractured her neck.
Located in the historical Old Town District of San Diego the Whaley House offers tours Wednesday through Monday:
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The house is closed on Tuesdays
Nighttime tours:
9:30 p.m. and on as available Leave a Comment
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 by Yaqui
Admission - Charge
Open 10am-4:30pm daily
Closed Tuesday
10am-7pm Friday and Sat
The Whaley House Historical Marker No. 65 Leave a Comment
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 Fred's, A Popular Place
for Tourists and Locals by lmkluque
On VT there are two pages for this area that I'm in the process of developing.
Old Town San Diego This is the section of San Diego that was originally the center of town until Alonzo Horton came in and developed the present downtown area along the harbor of the bay.
And Old Town San Diego State Historical Park This is a section of Old Town San Diego that has been restored and preserved by the State of California as it was in it's glory days. Most people refer to both areas as Old Town and both are usually swamped with tourists. However, much of Old Town SD is a residential area of San Diego and many of the "tourists" are actually locals as well.
In Old Town San Diego State Historical Park, the food at Bazar del Mundo's "Casa de Bandini" or "Casa de Pico" is quite genuine, especially the tortilla lady making tortillas is a display of life as lived in the early days of San Diego's history .
The old adobe buildings that house other restaurants, museums and shops are restored originals or replicas of the first buildings of San Diego. Some people dress in period costumes, such as the calveryman who patrols the area on horseback. He will stop for a photo with you if asked.
The old court house can be seen, as well as the first newspaper office, even a haunted house can be toured.
After a day of walking around, keep in mind that there are many restaurants and bars to satisfy all the tourists and residents alike! Just pick your spot, order a Margarita and say, "Salud!"
The photo is of nightlife in Old Town San Diego. Leave a Comment
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 Just Up The Hill From Old Town by lmkluque
The entrance fee is a nominal donation and the book store offers great value in unique and historical reading material of this area.
The ground level of the Presidio is set out as a museum that changes from time to time. With furniture, clothing, maps and various artifacts the story of San Diego's development is told. Climb the stairs to see recreations of rooms used during the time Spanish soldiers lived here and protected the priests and citizens of this new land.
At the top landing the view from the windows is far reaching and revealing.
The hours it is open seem to change so check before arriving. Leave a Comment
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 Fountain at the Rancho El
Nopal by joanj
The Bazaar up in the Old Town has some lovely small colourful shops, music, fountains, seats in a small garden, and a couple of eateries.
The waitresses in the Mexican outdoor restaurant were dressed in costume, which added to the ambience. The photo shows an elaborate fountain at the Rancho El Nopal Restaurant and Cantina. Look closely and you can see one of the waitresses in blue/white costume.
Photo by joanj Leave a Comment Phone: (619) 296-3161Directions: From Interstate 5, Exit at Old Town Avenue, turn left on San Diego Avenue, right on Twiggs and left of Juan St. From Interstate 8 exit at Taylor St. follow Taylor and turn left on Juan St.Website: www.bazaardelmondo.com
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 PLAZA DEL PASADO, OLD TOWN SAN
DIEGO by travelgourmet, 1 more photos
Old Town is alive and well. The restaurants of Old Town dole out thousands of Margaritas (drink)and a heck of a lot of tacos (hand food) that can be found in Mexico but now throughout the United States, but the feel of Mexico is in Old Town. Shops, restaurants, and history. Old Town is considered the "birthplace" of California. In 1769, on top of a hill overlooking what was to become Old Town, a mission (the first of 21) and presidio were built under the leadership of Father Junipero Serra. El Pueblo de San Diego was named in 1835 and in 1846, the American Flag was raised in Old Town San Diego. Many historic buildings built in the 1800's are all within walking distance of the Plaza. Leave a Comment Directions: South of I-8 exit Taylor St. and East of I-5 exit Old Town Avenue.Website: http://www.oldtownsandiego.org/ Other Contact: www.plazadelpasado.com
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