This museum stands atop Presidio Hill, the site of California's first settlement and its first mission, known as Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded here in 1769 before being moved 6 miles east in 1774. Inside the Spanish Revival building, a small collection of artifacts and pictures offers insight into the earliest days of European settlement.
ClaudineVM/Getty
Junípero Serra Museum
San Diego
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.8 MILES
Built in the 1930s behind a wave-cutting seawall, La Jolla’s Children’s Pool was created as a family beach but has since been invaded by herds of seals…
8.04 MILES
This state-of-the-art aquarium is a wonderous underwater world home to 5000 fish. Visitors can watch sharks dart, kelp forests sway, and even meet a…
2.92 MILES
Next to the new Waterfront Park, this collection of 11 historic sailing ships, steam boats and submarines is easy to spot: just look for the 100ft-high…
3.79 MILES
This interactive children’s museum offers interactive art meant for kids. Installations are designed by artists, so tykes can learn principles of movement…
16.06 MILES
For a glimpse at what a wall between neighbors really looks like, find your way to binational Friendship Park. On the Mexico side of the wall in Playas de…
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
0.42 MILES
On the site of San Diego's first European settlement, Old Town consists of a cluster of restored or rebuilt historic 19th-century buildings filled with…
4.19 MILES
A couple blocks east of Petco Park, the city's recent landmark is a beauty. Crowned by a steel-and-mesh dome, the futuristic, nine-story library features…
7.64 MILES
Waves have carved a series of caves into the sandstone cliffs east of La Jolla Cove. The one below the Cave Store, a shop selling vintage curios, is 200…
Nearby San Diego attractions
0.08 MILES
In 1769 Padre Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolá established the first Spanish settlement in California overlooking the valley of the San Diego River…
0.33 MILES
Just north of Old Town, this house dates from about 1820 and is said to be the oldest house in San Diego. It is now the pro shop for the public 18-hole…
3. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
0.42 MILES
On the site of San Diego's first European settlement, Old Town consists of a cluster of restored or rebuilt historic 19th-century buildings filled with…
0.48 MILES
Two blocks from the Old Town perimeter sits the city’s oldest brick building (circa 1856), officially certified as haunted by the US Department of…
0.56 MILES
Continuing east, after San Diego Ave forks right at Conde St, you’ll find this cemetery which dates from 1849. It is the resting place of some 20 souls, a…
1.87 MILES
Opened in San Diego in 1964, SeaWorld became one of California’s most popular theme parks. Visitors shuttle between aquatic-themed rides, animal…
2.06 MILES
The Hillcrest sign was first hung in 1940; a newer version was erected in 1984.
2.12 MILES
Historic building with kitsch ornate plaster work of fruits at its top. It was recently transformed into 'The Hive,' housing a collection of different…