In 2015, Balboa Park will celebrate its centennial. The 1,200-acre park, hailed as the “Smithsonian of the West,” comprises 15 museums and eight gardens, as well as San Diego Zoo. Throughout 2015, the institutions of the park will feature exciting exhibits commemorating San Diego’s history and cultural contributions. There are many ways for groups to experience this exciting centennial event.
Throughout 2015, San Diego History Center will present Splendor in the Scrub, commemorating the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The exhibit will showcase the inventions of that time period as well as the role of the exposition in introducing San Diego to the world stage. Other special exhibitions during the centennial year include Dr. Seuss and the Art of Ingenuity, focusing on the beloved local author’s artwork; and INGENIOUS! San Diego’s Unfolding Innovation Story, which presents the city as a center for progress in the U.S. and in the world. The museum can welcome groups as large as 250 for receptions in the atrium. There is also a 50-seat theater and a 15-seat conference room.
Traveling back through time to long before the 1915 exposition, a new interactive exhibit at San Diego Natural History Museum will recreate San Diego’s ancient landscape. It will detail the region’s stunning biodiversity and the habitats of many unique animals and plants. The museum can host receptions for as many as 1,400 and banquets for as many as 270.
The future is green, and Balboa Park is a leader in innovation. Through 2015, Balboa Park Sustainability Program will showcase the park’s ecologically friendly buildings with a series of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) tours and workshops. There are currently three buildings in the park with LEED certification, and the park’s goal is to attain certification for seven more buildings by 2015. The tours and workshops will offer behind-the-scenes education about the park’s efforts to become a sustainable destination.
