The Casa de Balboa has undergone many changes during the course of its history. The building, located on the southern side of the Prado, was originally known as the Commerce and Industries Building; later it became first the Canadian Building, then the Palace of Better Housing, and finally the Electric Building. Now it is the elegant home to the San Diego History Center, the Museum of Photographic Arts and a small café offering various savory and sweet bites.
Those of us who visit Balboa Park on a regular basis sometimes don’t notice the finest of details in the buildings lining the Prado. For instance, above the doors and walls of Casa de Balboa, did you know you’ll find detailed carvings of women?
Once again, the exotic and whimsical architecture is due to the construction of a memorable park for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. To this day, the architecture beckons us to take a few minutes to study the details. Casa de Balboa was finally completed in 1919 by architect Bertram Goodhue and later his assistant, Carleton Winslow, for the World’s Fair Exposition.
Today, the San Diego History Center is the spot-on place to learn everything about San Diego’s past, present and future. Much information is available for study on San Diego’s past, including that of Balboa Park. Students who are writing papers about any part or subject of this Finest City will find a wealth of research in the archives. The ongoing film, “Balboa Park: The Jewel of San Diego” is sure to delight and educate.
As you step into the halls of the History Center, you will also encounter exhibits, such as Be Here Now. The exhibit is a visual arts inquiry into the stories of artists born in San Diego or those who lived in the area for a long time. It invites the visitor to look deeper into the art by pondering questions such as “What does it mean to be here?” For those ecologically minded, as they study the art, they can ask “How does the land change how we live?” And for the politically minded, the question of “Who decides who belongs here?” can add potent meaning.
Another exhibit within the San Diego History Center is the ongoing Marston’s History Emporium. In the early 1900s, the phenomenally elegant and popular Marston Department Store was owned and operated by George Marston. Both young visitors and adults alike will enjoy thumbing through endless files holding uncovered stories of long-ago San Diegans. The riches of San Diego history are revealed through the lives of little-known Marita Redondo, Sylura Barron and the Bandini Family, whose original “Casa” in Old Town is now a museum with gorgeous gardens and fountain in its courtyard. Documents and photos of these and many other important figures of San Diego’s history tell their stories.
Before exploring the Museum of Photographic Arts just a few hundred feet down the hall, you can stop in at Café at the Park for a savory or sweet treat and a coffee or tea. A small seating area is available inside, or you can walk outside to get some fresh air and watch the action on the Prado.
The Museum of Photographic Arts, which recently merged with the San Diego Museum of Art, is a study of images made with the camera. This pay-what-you-want museum has several fascinating exhibits. Immediately to your left as you walk into the museum’s lobby, you’ll find “Self/Reflection.” It is a pixelated composition of the faces of countless numbers of people from all over the world adding up to your own image in the special module. The exhibit is excellent for reflecting on the reality that each of us is mirrored in others, no matter how different we think we are.
“Picture This,” which now is a collection of recent acquisitions, is also located within the lobby area. It is sure to sharpen your curiosity about the other exhibits and to watch the films within the gallery.
MOPA’s gift shop is worthy of a good perusing. Books of every imaginable kind about photography and its history—even for the young visitors—will inspire and educate. Within the shop are funny, charming and practical gifts such as bags, t-shirts, keychains and disposable cameras.
When you are done touring the museums in Casa de Balboa, it is time to step outside. Camellia plants with both bright and delicate pink add to the charm of the building. A sprawling but well-maintained lantana plant with orange and pink candy-like blossoms attract butterflies and bees.
Look up through the palm trees framing the building and you’ll find yourself intrigued and humored by the ladies of the frieze. Other architectural details include French-style windows with artificial balconies speak of gentler times than ours.
All in all, Casa de Balboa offers more than simply a glimpse into our city’s rich history. It will help you become much more knowledgeable and appreciative of all the work that has gone into making the city—and our beloved park—what it is. Such work goes on at a continual basis. Knowing our history helps preserve it while planning for the future.
