A cult favorite at local farmers markets. The Cravory opens a brick-and-mortar bakery this month. Get the classic pancake and bacon flavor (2$ each, pictured) or a Teaser Box cookie membership, which arrives monthly with six new flavors ($16). 3960 West Point Loma Boulevard, Point Loma
For more than 80 years, the North Chapel has been one of Liberty Station’s defining silhouettes. Opened in 1942, the multi-faith chapel has hosted Navy services, weddings, memorials, and countless community milestones during wartime years. Its story stretches from religious services for military men and women to cultural anchor.
Then came a stalemate. In 2018, a new tenant, 828 Events, proposed a modernization of the building’s interior, sparking fierce pushback from preservationists and neighbors. The San DiegoUnion Tribune reported that the online leasing opportunity boasted the chapel would be “perfect for a restaurant or retail tenant.” The suggestion that the historic chapel may become a restaurant caused uproar from local community members. According to Congressman Scott Peters’ official website, his office requested an investigation by the City Attorney. The plan was halted, but what remained was a structure in limbo.
In the years following, Liberty Station reshaped itself; breweries opened, restaurants buzzed with crowds, and gelato melted on children’s hands in sunny courtyards. The chapel remained unopened in a district otherwise reborn—until now, when Snake Oil Venue Company became its new stewards.
Photo Credit: Theshukans Film & Photo
If you’re wondering why a company known for cocktails is reopening a historic chapel, the answer is simple: they’re no longer just a cocktail company. In 2019, after a decade crafting cocktails, Snake Oil launched its first venue, Julep, and pivoted into full-service events. Growth snowballed from there. This April, it opened Bramble Bay in Imperial Beach, followed quickly by Vesper at Liberty Station. In just one year, its footprint jumped from 32,000 square feet of event space to more than half a million.
But, even as experienced venue operators, the chapel was a unique endeavor. “This wasn’t acquisition; it was responsibility,” says Snake Oil’s CEO Michael Esposito.
Photo Credit: Theshukans Film & Photo
The first time he walked inside, the neglect was unmistakable. “Here was a sacred San Diego landmark sitting quietly in a deteriorated state,” he recalls. Curtains were stained, corners layered with dust, and the once-ornate woodwork was overshadowed by a red carpet that “smelled like damp newspapers.”
The chapel had sat unoccupied since 2019, according to Joe Haeussler, executive vice president of Pendulum Properties Partners, which acquired the leasehold to the chapel and several other Liberty Station properties in 2018. After considering several proposals for the dormant space, Pendulum brought Snake Oil on in 2023 to reopen and steward the building. “We felt their plans were the most respectful of the historic asset and would open the building to the public in the right way,” Haeussler explained.
Photo Credit: Theshukans Film & Photo
Rather than impose a new vision, Snake Oil chose preservation. While it’s now an events space, it has retained its original intent as a gathering place for the community. Restoration, in this case, meant listening to the building. When the team began pulling up the carpeting, they uncovered exquisite, period-specific 1940s Douglas Fir flooring. They refinished the planks rather than replace them, breathing life back into the chapel’s historic foundation. Even the stained glass windows, which were not part of the original Navy design, remained. The earlier plans featured frosted panes that brought in soft, controlled daylight, but the stained glass had become part of the chapel’s collective memory. The restoration cost nearly $1.2 million.
Photo Credit: Theshukans Film & Photo
Beyond sentiment and preservation, the North Chapel’s renewed functionality includes a main hall which offers 4,000 square feet of flexible space and seats roughly 425 guests, with additional pew seating on a mezzanine. An adjacent side chapel adds another 600 square feet for more intimate gatherings. Outside, three connected exterior zones (over 3,000 square feet total) provide ample room for receptions, cocktail hours, or garden-style events.The venue will have a preferred-vendor list, with some flexibility for outside vendors. Beverage and cocktail service is handled exclusively by Snake Oil Cocktail Company.
“The building itself was the inspiration,” he says. Rather than dramatic alteration, the work focused on careful adjustment. “The building needed small, yet thoughtful, modifications to allow the building to be used for the new use. We worked through many options for how the building would function and at each stage thought through the potential historical ramifications.”
Photo Credit: Theshukans Film & Photo
As word spread of the restoration, the stories came streaming in, carried by people whose most meaningful life moments unfolded within its walls. “For some, it was a grandfather who found a moment of resolve here before leaving to serve in World War II,” says Esposito. “For others, a bride who walked down the aisle as a young woman, or the loved one of a first responder whose life was honored within these walls.” The stories varied, but the sentiment was shared: the chapel’s legacy matters.
Ingrid Yang, M.D., J.D. is a hospital-based physician in San Diego, CA, certified yoga therapist, and longevity specialist. She loves *double hearts* San Diego and spends her days helping people fully engage in long, healthy lives through evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Her books include Adaptive Yoga, Zen Mindfulness, and Hatha Yoga Asanas. When she’s not leading international wellness retreats, she is chasing sunsets, handstanding in nature, or geeking out over mitochondria.
If you search “crab rangoon roll” on any search engine or AI chatbot, you’re likely to get one result—Slurp in San Diego.
The ultra-rich, decadently crabby, cream cheese-stuffed, deep-fried burrito served sliced with a side of sweet chili sauce went mega-viral last June, when a few food influencers started posting videos of themselves crunching, dipping, and moaning over the indulgent Thai-California fusion dish at Slurp’s first location in Liberty Public Market and second in Escondido.
Views went from a few hundred… to a few thousand… up to a few million.
“Our business exploded,” explains Gene Kim, partner and CFO of Slurp. “We used to sell 100 in a week, if that, and now we’re selling 300 to 500 per day.”
Somebody should check on the global crab supply, because they’re probably about to sell quite a few more. The third Slurp space soft opens on Friday, January 9 at Westfield UTC, with a grand opening planned for later in the month.
Gene’s wife and Slurp CEO Bella Kim came up with the now-immortalized crab rangoon recipe and entire Slurp concept. She came to the United States from Thailand in 2018 with an F-1 student visa, and missed street food dishes like barbecue pork, wontons, chow mein, and spicy fried rice. “Every item on the menu, that’s all my favorite things from my hometown,” she explains.
Despite the massive influx of different Asian cuisines to Westfield UTC, from Sichuan hot pot at Haidilao to Taiwanese soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung, Slurp will be the first Thai restaurant at the mall. That’s part of their calculated (and ambitious) growth plans, says Carlo Perez, the group’s third partner brought on to open UTC and facilitate their expansion across San Diego, which they hope to seriously focus on in the coming year.
Courtesy of Slurp San Diego
The group is actively eyeing sites near colleges, universities, and in the second phase of the San Diego Airport terminal redevelopment. With a few more prime locations and some long-term social media strategy, Gene says Slurp could become an iconic local chain as ubiquitous to San Diego as Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Phil’s BBQ, or Hodad’s.
But the Slurp phenomenon has already spread far beyond Southern California. Perez’s niece, a student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison sent them a screenshot of a friend asking where they could get a crab rangoon roll in Wisconsin. He laughs. “You have to come to San Diego to come and get it.”
Slurp soft opens on Friday, January 9 at Westfield UTC (4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E-25). Hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
They say the third time’s the charm, but what if the first two are already pretty damn charming? I guess we’ll find out when Cesarina Restaurant Group goes for a trifecta of Italian joints. They’ve announced plans to open a new spot on Shelter Island next spring called Corallino at 1101 Scott Street.
The restaurant group is known for its round-the-clock-made pasta, consistently named some of the best in the city. Founded by chef Cesarina Mezzoni, her husband Niccolò Angius, and longtime friend Giuseppe Capasso, they first opened Cesarina in 2019 in Loma Portal (that stretch between OB and Point Loma on Voltaire St.). Then came Elvira in 2023, a Roman grandma–centric spot in the iconic hobbit-restaurant location at the entrance to Robb Field in OB (formerly Thee Bungalow, Bo Beau). Corallino will keep things close by, just on the eastern side of the peninsula in the former Pummarò restaurant space.
Photo Credit: Arlene Ibarra
Angius and Mezzoni have opened all three in the Point Loma area because that’s where they live; the restaurants are them sharing their Roman heritage with their neighborhood. They tapped the same architect who handled the Elvira remodel—Limes Architetti—to redo the 3,100-square-foot space, which is only slightly larger than Cesarina (2,700-square-feet) and Elvira (2,400-square-feet). It’s cozy and manageable, but can still hustle and bustle like an authentic Roman ristorante.
Corallino (Italian for “coral”) is still in early stages as far as design and menu, but the group says they’re planning to continue their vision of neighborhood-centric comfort food with handmade pastas and a modern Italian.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos Interior of Elvira from Limes Architetti
And, while some local outlets have claimed that Corallino is a partnership with Cohn Restaurant Group, this is untrue, say its reps. CRG co-owner David Cohn is a financial investor—much like he is in Callie and other high-end restaurants.
It’s an important clarification. For instance, Tony Hawk is an investor in Puffer Malarkey restaurants Animae and Herb & Wood, but the relationship wouldn’t be billed as a “partnership” because Hawk isn’t in there making restaurant decisions.
So, Corallino will be operated and run by the Roman trio, not Cohn, and it will not be part of the Cohn Restaurant Group. And, with the Cesarina trio having won “Best Pasta” three years in a row for SDM’s annual “Best Restaurants” issue, only time will tell if their third location can make it four.
Rendering Courtesy of BASILE Studio
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
La Jolla Expands Its Culinary Footprint with Station8 Public Market
UCSD is a behemoth that just keeps getting bigger. The campus’ Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood spans around 1.5 million square feet and 11 acres (not too shabby in pricey La Jolla), and in August 2026, 20,000-square-feet of that will become Station8 Public Market. Designed by Basile Studio (Roseacre, Born & Raised), STATION8 is Tiger Hospitality’s latest project, an on-campus food hall with 10 different vendors, two bars, and a 5,122-square-foot mezzanine concept that’s still TBD.
A year past a planned opening date is right on time for most restaurants, and Cherryfish is no exception. The modern American izakaya opened this week in Pacific Beach. With chef Marcus Twilegar busy with Dockside Fish on weekends, working with a nonprofit to fight food insecurity, and opening a restaurant. I’m surprised he’s still able to dish out toro rolls and spiny lobsters—but dish them out he does.
The year 1985 brought us the discovery of the Titanic wreck, the first Back to the Future movie, and the first Woodstock’s Pizza at SDSU. On Nov. 20 the classic pizza shop celebrates 40 years of pie slinging in the College Area with pizza and beer specials. Hey, maybe bring your parents. They probably remember when it opened—and how much a pint of beer cost back then, too. (Cue quiet sobbing.)
Much has been made of San Diego’s recent bagel wave, but wait, there’s more! East Coast-based PopUp Bagels is opening its first SoCal spot at 637 Pearl Street in La Jolla on Friday, November 21, bringing its signature “Grip, Rip and Dip” bagels meant to be torn and dipped in your topping of choice rather than cut and smeared. I’ll admit the disorderly eater in me who secretly hates cutlery is intrigued by the concept. If anyone’s already tried it out and has thoughts to share, let us know at [email protected].
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
For Executive Chef Emily Brubaker, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa feels like home. She grew up just a mile-and-a-half away from the 400-acre property and fondly recalls walking the golf course perimeter as a kid. Though her ambitions led her away from San Diego for nearly two decades in which she honed her craft in some of the highest of high-profile Las Vegas restaurants—including triple Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand—they ultimately brought her back to North County.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Today, the classically French-trained chef, who’s fresh off a victory on NBC’s Yes, Chef!, judged by Martha Stewart and José Andrés, oversees Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s seven distinct dining concepts. Her goal is to elevate the resort’s culinary program with her creative, hyperlocal ingredient-driven approach while maintaining the Spanish- inspired flavors and fresh California coastal cuisine that are the bedrock of its culinary identity.
“The San Diego food scene is really growing, and in North County alone, it’s really exploded in the last five years,” Brubaker says. “There are Michelin stars, beautiful tasting menus, craft bakers, and all this food—when I was growing up in La Costa, it was fish tacos. Now there are really cool things popping up, and I’m so happy to be here to see where it’s going to go.”
Brubaker gives chefs de cuisine at each individual restaurant autonomy, however, her influence is evident across the resort.
For example, lobby restaurant Bar Traza serves as Omni La Costa’s culinary centerpiece and features bold Spanish flavors in a lively, social atmosphere. Brubaker overhauled the menu to be more consistent and centered on casual bites with that signature vibe. Think smoky paprika, vibrant citrus, and Spanish meats and cheeses.
At VUE, the focus is on seasonal offerings, California coastal cuisine, and Baja-inspired dishes. She and Chef de Cuisine Cameron Dixon change the menu biannually, which heading into summer, will highlight farm-fresh produce and hyperlocal ingredients—the resort even has its own herb garden and honeybee hives.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Poolside dining options are leaning into the country’s 250th this summer with a selection of classic American dishes with an Omni La Costa twist. And Bob’s Steak & Chop House (Brubaker is a trained butcher) offers a classic steakhouse experience with elevated service.
The chef and company also plan menus for special events at the resort where her creativity can really shine. For an upcoming National Ski Association dinner, the banquet hall will be transformed into an Alpine-themed winter wonderland complete with a snow machine, savory sausages, and melty, decadent raclette. A recent dinner was built around the Carlsbad Flower Fields and each course was matched to a color of ranunculus (Did you know pink dragonfruit are grown in North County? You do now.).
“It’s my zen to be in the kitchen playing with food,” Brubaker says.
Omni La Costa’s culinary program is a key part of the resort experience. And with Brubaker’s leadership, it’s becoming a draw for visitors and locals alike.
“These aren’t just hotel restaurants, these are restaurants that you should go to. They’re destinations, and I’m really hoping for the future that’s where we’re going,” Brubaker says.
Courtesy of Omni La Costa
Brubaker is also channeling her experience on Yes, Chef! into the culture at Omni La Costa—more emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, empowering her staff to share constructive critiques, and embracing different perspectives. Alongside her leadership role, Brubaker has become an advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry, serving as chief ambassador for the Burnt Chef Project and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Apex Culinary Program, where she mentors and develops future talent.
Move aside, New York City. Chicago, make way. Don’t trip, Detroit. There’s a new contender for the best pizza city.
Us, it’s us.
San Diego’s pizza scene has exploded, with accolades pouring in not just from San Diego Magazine but from outlets like 50 Top Pizza, the Washington Post. The bar for measuring pizza excellence keeps rising like a 48-hour ferment.
When Bianchi Pizza & Pasta opens this weekend at the Bahia Resort Hotel, it kicks up another notch.
Photo Courtesy of Bahia Resort Hotel
Palermo, Italy-born chef Ignazio Tagliavia is the man behind the new pizza program. His resume starts in his teenage years and reads like an atlas: restaurants from Italy to Egypt, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, before eventually landing at Elvira in Ocean Beach. So when Bahia general manager Stefan Peroutka was looking for the person to launch the property’s completely reimagined Tangier Bar—the classic spot perched in the southeast corner of the bayfront property—Tagliavia had the right experience, authenticity, and passion.
Tagliavia’s menu goes hard on pizza and pasta (obviously), utilizing the gold standard of serious pizza ovens: a Marra Forni Pizza Oven designed in Italy and made in the U.S. The chef knows the oven well, even recently slinging slices for team Ferrari in Miami. The machine looks just as sleek as one of the sports cars, but Peroutka says its ability to heat up to 950 degrees isn’t something your standard pizza oven can typically do.
“The oven produces an authentic product, because it’s really all about getting the oven to the right temperature,” he explains. “[It’s] the market leader.”
Photo Courtesy of Bahia Resort Hotel
Pizzas range from margheritas to the signature Bianchi (smoked mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, fennel sausage, Italian speck, mushrooms, and parsley). Plant lovers can grab an Ortolana (moz, crushed tomato, eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, basil); meat lovers will have the standard options plus Calabrian soppressata, prosciutto di Parma, or mortadella.
Pastas embrace simplicity and showcasing ingredients, like a bolognese, spaghetti with clams, and penne al pesto. Both pizzas and pastas come with gluten-free options, which may not be strictly Italian, but this is Southern California. They’ll have tableside tiramisu, made with vanilla sponge cake, espresso, mascarpone cream, amaretto, and a dusting of cocoa.
To create a comfortable, retro take on an Italian trattoria, the hotel took inspiration from vintage car and bike ads by the Italian brand Bianchi. Evans Hotels’ principal designer Kristine Smith brought in pops of Bianchi’s signature shade of blue-green, called Celeste, alongside lots of white and other neutrals for a calming bayside space. The 1,600-square-foot restaurant seats 75 total, roughly split between indoor and outdoor seating, with 10 seats at the bar and a private dining room that holds up to 20.
Photo Courtesy of Bahia Resort Hotel
Beverage director Benjamin Dunn’s menu will cover everything, including an after-dinner selection like Bianchi’s Sgroppino (an Italian palate cleanser made with Prosecco, vodka, and lemon sorbet). Expect the usual suspects (Negronis, spritzes, Peroni), plus some specialty concoctions like the Bicicleta (Belvedere vodka infused with lemon and basil, blue curaçao, and Cointreau) or the Fiore (Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla gin, Italicus liqueur, black tea lavender syrup, pineapple, and lavender bitters).
Bianchi GM Jacqueline Rixe rounds out the team, bringing along plenty of experience after running the food and beverage programs at the Bower Hotel and its new rooftop bar, Dive, as well as The Nolen’s rooftop bar. (Bianchi is firmly planted on terra firma, but I’m sure the bay views make up for the lack of altitude.)
Bianchi opened for hotel guests last week, but will officially debut on May 23. Peroutka says that despite Bianchi being a hotel restaurant, he hopes it draws in everyone from around San Diego.
“Our whole overall vision is that this becomes the place where you just want to stop by for a glass of wine and a great pizza or a bowl of pasta on your way home from work, but also come and have your celebration here, or your date night out,” he says.
He had me at wine and pizza.
Bianchi Pizza & Pasta opens at the Bahia Resort Hotel at 998 West Mission Bay Drive in Mission Beach on Friday, May 23.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
This is the year to just go for it. Thinking of growing your pop-up business? You definitely should. Want to open your first restaurant? Why not? The future is uncertain, eggs are scarce, and tariffs are going to be expensive, but enterprising restaurateurs across San Diego are saying YOLO and doing the damn thing in spite of it all. I mean, we’ve all gotta eat.
The latest partners throwing caution to the wind are brothers Teodulo and Gaspar Mauricio, along with Teodulo’s son Brayan Mauricio. After working in restaurants like Allegro and Vincenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy and Osteria Panevino in Gaslamp Quarter for over 30 years, the brothers are finally taking the leap to open their own restaurant—Pezzi Del Mio Cuore.
Courtesy of Pezzi Del Mio Cuore
The concept opened this week in Point Loma, and it’s been years in the making. The Mauricios came to the United States from Mexico when Bill Clinton was president, and have been in the heart of San Diego’s restaurant scene ever since. Pezzi Del Mio Cuore, which translates to Pieces of My Heart, is a love letter to the city’s culinary scene. “This is about creating a place where people feel at home,” explains Teodulo.
To craft that homey vibe, the Mauricios developed a menu of classic Italian comfort foods, emphasizing fresh pastas and house-made sauces. Look for familiar favorites like lasagna alla bolognese with homemade pasta smothered with meat sauce and bechamel au gratin. Their take on linguine ai frutti di mare spotlights all the best fruits of the sea in olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes in a white wine marinara sauce. (If there’s a better combination than garlic, white wine, and seafood, I have yet to find it.)
Courtesy of Pezzi Del Mio Cuore
They’ll also serve plump gnocchi with melted mozzarella and fresh burrata; ravioli stuffed with lobster meat in a vodka cream sauce; cioppino made with calamari, shrimp, clams, mussels; and a fish of the day—I’ll have one of each, please. Beer and wine (mostly Italian) round out the menu, and there are also gluten-free options to accommodate a variety of diets. That’s intentional, the brothers say. Offering alternatives means all guests feel welcome, comfortable, and cared for.
The restaurant is now open in the former Sabor Brazilian Grill space. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a short break between lunch and dinner. Dinner hours resume from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Photo Credit: Becka Vance
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
La Mesa Launches First Annual Taste of La Mesa Village
It’s about time! There are “Taste Of” events for pretty much every neighborhood across San Diego by now, and with La Mesa’s ongoing revitalization, especially with new food and drink concepts coming to the quaint East County town, means it was due for its own version. The first annual Taste of La Mesa Village is Thursday, April 24 starting at 5 p.m., with over a dozen restaurants, breweries, bars, and coffee shops already signed on with the promise of more to come. There will be boba from Boba Life, beer at Helix Brewery, fancy cheese from Bougie’s, pizza, pasta, and lots more. It won’t be nearly as crowded at the largest Oktoberfest in San Diego, but I’m betting it will be equally as delicious.
The days of dollar oyster nights are gone. (Thanks, inflation!) But the next best thing is $2 oyster nights, which Finca in North Park now offers on Sundays from 3 p.m. until close. Grab a bottle of bubbly and a dozen oysters as you like them—raw, Rockefeller, smoked, or fried.
Camellia’s Brunch is the latest spot to open in Bonita, and if their Instagram stories are any indication of what’s in store, I’ll be heading there shortly for some chilaquiles and mimosas.
Congrats to the family behind Sisters Pizza, who recently opened their second location in the heart of North Park. They have big shoes to fill in the former Sicilian Thing location, but when you make it onto San Diego Magazine’s “Best Ofs” list in a few categories (Best Pizza and Dog-Friendly), you know it’s gotta be good.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
The iconic 1,200-acre preserve’s history dates back more than 150 years, evolving from a scrub-filled plot atop a mesa overlooking what’s now Downtown to an urban oasis—the largest of its kind in the country—filled with an array of museums, attractions, gardens, trails, restaurants, and more. Balboa Park is an epic playground where San Diegans and visitors alike can experience the great outdoors just as easily as they can enjoy a world-class performance or explore groundbreaking discoveries.
Tucked away in the Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture are 18 diverse museums that allow visitors to spend the day learning about, well, anything. A great place to start is the San Diego History Center. Located in the Casa del Balboa building, the museum tells the story of the city’s past, present, and future through photographs and art, clothing and textiles, and interviews with people who witnessed history-making events firsthand. The San Diego Natural History Museum takes visitors even farther back with interactive exhibitions that show what the region was like up to 75 million years ago.
Blast off on a simulated trip to space at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, then check out artifacts from aviation legends, including the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Buzz Aldrin. Discover new perspectives revolutionizing the science world, learn about an often overlooked but overutilized utility, and exercise your creativity at the Fleet Science Center.
Calling all theater-lovers, Balboa Park has something for you, too. The San Diego Junior Theatre will present their musical take on beloved children’s book A Bad Case of the Stripes from June 26 through July 12. And laugh, cry, and marvel in awe as the pros of The Old Globe perform Kim’s Convenience, the award-winning comedy that inspired the popular series, from May 15 to June 14.
There’s nowhere else in Balboa Park quite like WorldBeat Cultural Center. The institution celebrates African diaspora and indigenous cultures around the world using art, music, dance, and education. The building, a renovated water tower covered in colorful murals, houses a performing arts center, museum, gift shop, cafe, and outdoor classroom.
If you’d like a side of nature with your culture, Balboa Park has you covered there, too. Stroll through the gardens of the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, a monument to the relationship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama, Japan. Inspired by traditional Japanese design dating back centuries, the 10-acre respite features a living exhibition that showcases plants native to both cities.
If there seems like a lot going on in Balboa Park, it’s because there is. Let theBalboa Park Cultural Partnership be your guide. The organization is the umbrella for 24 of the park’s institutions and offers an Explorer Pass that allows visitors to access multiple museums for one affordable price. The hardest part is picking where to start.
16 Museums, One Pass
Save on admission to San Diego’s top museums with the Balboa Park Explorer Pass. Explore 16 museums of art, science, history and culture across Balboa Park — all with one affordable pass. Choose the option that fits your pace: the Limited Pass (one day for up to four museums), the Parkwide Pass (seven consecutive days of access to all 16 museums) or the Annual Pass (365 days of unlimited exploring).
Looking for an experience-driven gift? Let the museum lover in your life enjoy their favorite museums all year with a Balboa Park Explorer Annual Pass gift voucher.
Bigger experiments, brighter ideas, and boundless curiosity await at the newly reimagined Fleet Science Center. This summer, the Fleet debuts Element 8 Cafe, an expanded theater queuing and concessions space, two new gallery spaces, and, for the first time, a free entrance gallery exploring science in and around San Diego. The transformation marks a new chapter for the Fleet, keeping it a vital, innovative, and accessible science hub for the region. Visitors are invited to explore the experience this summer and connect with the power of science like never before.
Address: 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:FleetScience.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Phone: 619-238-1233
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
An accredited cultural gem, the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum brings traditional Japanese garden design to life with koi ponds, curving walkways and layers of greenery. Guests explore bonsai trees, streams and peaceful nooks while taking part in exhibits, educational programs and festivals that illuminate Japanese culture. Situated in the heart of Balboa Park, the garden doubles as a meditative retreat and a dynamic gathering place, welcoming visitors to slow their pace and connect more deeply.
Address: 2215 Pan American Road E, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:Niwa.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; last admission at 6 p.m. Phone: 619-232-2721
The Old Globe
A San Diego summer favorite, The Old Globe invites audiences to experience a beloved local tradition in its outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
This summer, the 2026 Shakespeare Festival presents two thrilling tales of power, passion and romance. Measure for Measure, running June 14 through July 12, 2026, is a riveting story of justice and hypocrisy that asks who holds power, who is punished and what it truly means to be virtuous. Much Ado About Nothing, playing Aug. 2–30, 2026, is a classic rom-com packed with schemes, sparks and laughter as opposites attract. Audiences can enjoy both shows for $44.
Address: 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:TheOldGlobe.org Hours: Box office open Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m. to final curtain Phone: Box office, 619-234-5623
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Aviation and space exploration come to life at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. See an airworthy replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, a Gee Bee racer and historic aircraft from World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam eras. Get up close to the Apollo 9 command module — one of only 11 of its kind in the world — along with Mercury and Gemini capsules, Mission Control and space shuttle simulators, and a selfie spot beside a lunar lander on the moon. Running through 2026, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brings oddities from around the world to Balboa Park.
Address: 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:SanDiegoAirAndSpace.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-234-8291
San Diego History Center
History belongs to everyone. At the San Diego History Center, two experiences bring that history to life this summer: America at 250 and the Center for Women’s History. America at 250 traces San Diego’s place in 250 years of U.S. history, while summer programs invite children to learn and explore. The Center for Women’s History amplifies the voices of women whose leadership and creativity have shaped our region.
By understanding our past, we build a more vibrant and inclusive community together. These vital educational experiences are only possible through generous community support. Discover your roots, spark meaningful dialogue, and help keep San Diego’s stories alive for future generations.
Address: 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SanDiegoHistory.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday Phone: 619-232-6203
San Diego Junior Theatre
Junior Theatre is San Diego’s longest-running youth theatre program, empowering students ages 4 to 18 to explore storytelling, performance, and collaboration in a supportive environment. Through classes, camps, and productions, young artists build confidence, creativity, and lifelong skills onstage and off. Each season features a wide range of opportunities, from introductory experiences to advanced training in acting and musical theatre.
Looking for a summer adventure? Junior Theatre’s Summer Camps deliver dynamic programs for grades K–12, including musical theater intensives, acting academies and immersive JT Studio experiences. It’s a place where imagination truly takes center stage.
Address: 1650 El Prado, Suite 208, San Diego, CA 92101 Website:JuniorTheatre.com Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 619-239-1311
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
This summer, The Nat is talking trash—literally. Their newest exhibition, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, features larger‑than‑life marine sculptures made of ocean debris collected from beaches. It invites visitors to explore the impact of plastic pollution and discover ways to take action.
But the experience doesn’t stop at the gallery doors. Friday nights, the exhibition transforms into an ocean-themed “dive bar” during Nat at Night. Select Sundays bring something brand new: a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views. Add two new giant-screen films and five floors of nature to explore, and The Nat is shaping up to be one of the season’s must-visit destinations.
Address: 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Website: SDNat.org Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays in summer Phone: 619-232-3821
WorldBeat Cultural Center
The WorldBeat Cultural Center is a nonprofit multidisciplinary cultural organization dedicated to promoting, presenting and preserving Indigenous cultures worldwide through music, art, dance, education, sustainability and community programs. WorldBeat elevates multicultural artists, expands opportunities for cultural enrichment and fosters deeper understanding across traditions. WorldBeat offers a holistic cultural experience that inspires pride, unity, connection and belonging for all ages.
Address: 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101 Website:WorldBeatCenter.org Hours: Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 6–9 p.m. Exhibits and café: Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Phone: 619-230-1190
Event Calendar
Throughout 2026: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Step into a world of the weird and wonderful at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. Explore hundreds of bizarre artifacts, interactive displays and unbelievable stories that celebrate the curious and the extraordinary.
Presented in partnership with the San Diego Museum of African American Fine Arts, San Diego’s Lost Neighborhoods uses augmented reality, oral histories, and archival materials to explore communities and residents displaced by redlining, freeway construction, and other discriminatory policies.
Spend a summer night at The Old Globe. The Lowell Davies Festival Theatre stages Measure for Measure (June 14–July 12) and Much Ado About Nothing (Aug. 2–30), offering two unforgettable Shakespeare productions for just $44.
The Old Globe | 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, CA 92101
June 8–Aug. 7: Theatre Summer Camps
Summer camps at Junior Theatre spark creativity for grades K–12 with hands-on training, musical theatre intensives, acting academies, and JT Studio experiences.
A museum visit turns into a Sunday Funday with the addition of rooftop brunch, featuring mimosas, bloody Marys, and brunch bites from Wolfish by Wolf in the Woods (June 14, August 9) and Hash House a Go Go (July 12).
Nagashi at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum by floating a lantern to honor loved ones who have passed. Stroll merchant booths, enjoy cultural performances in the Inamori Pavilion, and sample food vendors plus a beer and sake garden in the lower garden.
Explore arts, science, history, and culture in the Balboa Park Cultural District with one convenient, affordable Pass. The Balboa Park Explorer Pass is your ticket to up to 16 museums and endless fun! Purchase your pass at BuyMyExplorer.com.
