|
Take advantage of great accommodations with San Diego California hotels. Top 10 Free Things to Do
What are our favorite free things to do in San Diego? You don’t have to have big bucks to have big fun in this top 10 list for your family. Whether you’re vacationing from another state or you're a local San Diegan, here are 10 ideas to make memories with your kids, absolutely free!
|
Free First Tuesday
3. Seaport Village. Located downtown on West Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway, Seaport Village is 14 acres of waterfront shopping, dining and entertainment. But you don’t have to buy anything to have a good time. Parking is free for 2 hours. Just ask someone to validate your parking ticket when you’re browsing in their store. Favorite places to look around for kids are Apple Box (toy store specializing in wooden toys), Carousel Music Box Company, Kite Flite, Safari Animal Collection, Rip Squeak and Friends Gallery and Harley Davidson for your little biker. Also, the carousel is great for younger kids at $2 per ride.
5. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. This year-round facility is home for U.S. Olympic athletes training in track and field, canoe/kayak, cycling, field hockey, soccer, archery and rowing. Your kids will be inspired to go for the gold (and even have the chance to take their picture on a medal stand!). The Olympic Training Center is located at 2800 Olympic Parkway. The Copley Visitor Center is open from 10 am – 5 pm. Free tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Call 619-656-1500 for reservations.
6. Walk around La Jolla. Drive down Prospect Street, head down towards the Cove and find a parking spot along the water. Walk along the sidewalk and take in one of California’s most beautiful shorelines. Bring a Frisbee and let your kids play on the large grassy areas, or bring sand toys and head towards the beach. Search for crabs or sea anemones in the tide pools. Visit the sea lions near the Children’s Pool. And then there’s always window shopping. Browse in quaint shops ranging from t-shirts to fine art.
7. Coronado Library. Of course you know any library has wonderful books for kids, but when you visit the Coronado library, you’ll find much more! Railroad buffs will love the train that runs along a track overhead. Your kids can entertain you at the well-stocked puppet theatre. They can grab their favorite books and sit in a little kid-sized gazebo to read. This library is lovingly designed to delight the heart of a child and inspire them to read.
Story Hours are held on Tuesdays and Fridays in the Ruby Room.
Toddlers 10:10 am for infants through 2 ˝ or 3 years old
-A 20 minute session for our youngest library users. Toddlers sing, play, and read stories geared for the very young set.
Pre-Schoolers 10:45am for children 3 to 6 years old
-A 30 minute session of songs, finger plays, puppets and a variety of stories chosen for the older pre-school crowd.
Children's craft programs are held on Tuesdays at 3pm several times a month in the Ruby Room. Check the library calendar for dates and projects. Crafts include holiday celebrations, puppetry and story themed projects. The Coronado Library is located at 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 92118. Call 619-522-7390 for more information.
8. The New Children’s Museum.
Every second Sunday of the month, admission to the New Children’s Museum is absolutely free. Sponsored by Target, this will save you $10 per ticket (adult or child ticket is normally $10).
The museum is located at 200 West Island Avenue. For more information, call 619-233-8792.
9. Old Town. Here’s where you can combine a little history lesson with some fun. Old Town San Diego is the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1769, Spanish priest Father Juniper Serra found California’s first mission here.
Today, Old Town includes a state historic park and related historic sites, plus lots of shops and restaurants. The State Historic Park is nine square blocks. You’ll find California’s first schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, the state’s first newspaper office and a stable. In between all these preserved buildings, you’ll find Spanish themed shops. Check out the visitor center for daily free guided tours.
10. Free Sunday Concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. John and Adolph Spreckels donated the Spreckels Organ to the City of San Diego in 1914. For decades, organists have been giving free concerts using this unique organ containing over 4,500 pipes ranging in length from the size of a pencil to 32 feet!
Free concerts are given every Sunday from 2:00-3:00 pm.
Oh by the way, there's more! Here are a few more ideas for your family...
11. Drive to the top of Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. You'll find breathtaking, 360-degree views of San Diego, including the gently curving La Jolla coastline and Mission Bay.
12. Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. If your kids like airplanes, they'll love this free museum near the Miramar Marine Corps Base. There are at least 25 vintage aircraft and an indoor display of memorabilia from the earliest days of Marine Corps Aviation.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Enter the base through the Museum Gate (off Miramar Road in Mira Mesa). For general information, call 1-877-FLY-USMC (359-8762).
