Sandiegovacation.com - San Diego Attractions

San Diego has whatever you are looking for when it comes to attractions. Our city is mostly well known for its famous San Diego Zoo, but you can also find other great attractions to visit.

The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, located in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, is not your typical zoo experience. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in Southern California and houses a large array of wild and endangered animals in their natural habitats, including species from the continents Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. A family friendly adventure, ride a safari or tour-guided caravan and experience a close-up encounter, or live the excitement of an overnight excursion.

he world-famous San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is one of the largest zoos in the world with more than 4,000 animals of more than 800 species. The San Diego Zoo is on top of the list of largest tourist destinations in San Diego. It's a great place for kids and adults of all ages!

Celebrate the wonders of the sea at SeaWorld San Diego. Experience Shamu's show "Believe," and thrilling rides, plus see marvelous sea creatures and animals. Get up close and personal with dolphins, sharks, Beluga whales, penguins and polar bears. Create a lifetime of memories.

LEGOLAND California is an amusement park located in Carlsbad with more than 50 Lego block-themed family rides and attractions. The Park is aimed specifically toward youngsters ages 2 up to 12. It is the third LEGOLAND to open and is the only one outside of Europe. LEGOLAND is split into nine areas: The Beginning, Dino Island, Explore Village, Fun Town, Knight's Kingdom, Miniland USA, Pirate Shores, Imagination Zone, and Land of Adventures.

nott's Soak City waterpark is located in Buena Park, Chula Vista, and Palm Springs. The parks attractions include Gremmie Lagoon, Malibu Run, Laguna Storm Watch Tower, Banzai Falls, and four waterslides.

The USS Midway is docked at the Navy Pier in downtown San Diego. The ship has a variety of exhibits and activities, including a flight simulator, watching active duty military ceremonies or listening to pilots share their stories. The museum also includes a self-guided audio tour narrated by Midway sailors that brings you to 60 different locations throughout the ship. Touring the museum is a great learning experience for the whole family.

The Birch Aquarium is located at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla. Annually, the aquarium receives more than 400,000 visitors, many of which are students. It is located on a hill, which allows for gorgeous views of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography as well as the Pacific Ocean. Exhibits include the Hall of Fishes with more than 60 fish tanks, a 13,000-gallon shark reef with brown-banded bamboo sharks, and the Tide Pool Plaza featuring three living tide pools.

Balboa Park is one of San Diego's most popular tourist spots. It has 15 museums, including the San Diego Air and Space Museum, the Museum of San Diego History, and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Balboa Park also offers a unique variety of performing arts and venues, such as the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater and the Old Globe Theater. Lastly, it is home to the world famous San Diego Zoo.

Seaport Village overlooks the beautiful San Diego Bay. The area consists of more than 50 one-of-a-kind places to shop, plus galleries, restaurants, cafes, different eateries, a lagoon, carousal and a marina on 90,000 square feet of waterfront property. The village is themed from Victorian to Mexican styles.

Cabrillo National Monument

The Cabrillo Monument is located in the southern-most part of Point Loma. It was created to honor Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo for being the first to stand on West Coast land. From the monument, you can see many different areas of San Diego, including the San Diego Harbor, downtown, Coronado, the Naval Air Station and, on clear days, as far as Tijuana.

The Gaslamp is a popular spot in San Diego with a wide variety of things for both visitors and locals. It is known for its shopping, exquisite dining, and vibrant nightlife. At Horton Plaza on Fourth Avenue, you will find five levels of stores in an outdoor shopping mall with something for everyone. On Fifth Avenue, there are many restaurants of all kinds. Whether you're looking for fine Italian cuisine or a carne asada burrito, you will find it here.

Maritime Museum of San Diego Park

The Maritime Museum has an amazing collection of exhibits, including the world's oldest active ship, the Star of India. It also displays the USS Dolphin, which is the deepest diving submarine in the world. At the museum, group tours are available as well as public events, private events, and sailing adventures. The San Diego Navy exhibit demonstrates the incredible history of the United States Navy in San Diego and is the only one of its kind. » Buy tickets

Museum of Making Music

The Museum of Making Music is located in Carlsbad, California. Their goal is to "celebrate the rich history and encourage the future of music making." The museum's galleries contain more than 450 vintage instruments and artifacts, hundreds of audio samples of popular music, and a place for visitors to interact with an assortment of live, hands-on instruments. They often host events such as International Guitar Night and Local Flavor with legendary songwriter Jack Tempchin.

Balboa Park has 15 museums, including the San Diego Air and Space Museum, the Museum of San Diego History, and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Explore the coy fishpond at the Japanese Friendship Garden, or learn about the evolution of photography at the Museum of Photographic Arts. Balboa Park's wide selection of museums will amaze and excite people of all ages

Museum of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art has two locations, one in downtown San Diego and one in La Jolla. It holds more than 4,000 works that were all created after 1950 including sculpture, paining, works on paper, video, and photography. The La Jolla museum has a European-style bistro café that serves breakfast and lunch using organic ingredients grown by local farmers. Visit the museum and take a tour, attend a special event, or listen to a public lecture by an artist discussing his or her work.

The New Children's Museum

The New Children's Museum is located across from the Convention Center in downtown San Diego. The museum features exhibits, performances and other ways for children of all ages to learn. Each month, the museum chooses one exhibition artist to name its “artist of the month.” Studio projects, one-of-a-kind gallery games, and events are then created and inspired by the works of this featured artist. The museum is generally designed for children ranging from toddlers to teenagers.