Old Town

Back to San DiegoOld Town Walking Tour

Old Town

Start: The McCoy House, overlooking the San Diego Trolley's Old Town station.

Time: 2 hours, not including shopping or dining.

Best Times: Weekends (except the first one in May -- Cinco de Mayo). There are daily 1-hour free tours at 11am and 2pm, so you'll either want to plan to avoid or join those.

Worst Times: Weekdays, when numerous school groups are touring (although it's fun to watch on-site education in action). On Cinco de Mayo weekend, the first weekend in May, Old Town is a madhouse. (The holiday celebrates Mexico's defeat of the French on May 5, 1862, in the Battle of Puebla.)

Old Town is the Williamsburg of the West. When you visit, you go back to a time of one-room schoolhouses and village greens, when many of the people who lived, worked, and played here spoke Spanish. Even today, life moves more slowly in this part of the city, where the buildings are old or built to look that way. The stillness inside the state park is palpable, especially at night, when you can stroll along the unpaved streets and look up at the stars. You don't have to look hard or very far to see yesterday. Begin at the McCoy House, at the northwestern end of this historic district, which preserves the essence of the small Mexican and fledgling American communities that existed here from 1821 to 1872. The core of Old Town State Historic Park is a 6-block area with no vehicular traffic and a few businesses.

Start at the intersection of Wallace and Calhoun, the location of the:

1. McCoy House

This interpretive center and main entryway is a historically accurate replication of the home of James McCoy, San Diego's larger-than-life lawman/legislator who lived on this site until the devastating fire of 1872. The house contains exhibits and artifacts.

After checking in here and getting your bearings, head to the neighboring:

2. Robinson-Rose House

Built in 1853 as a family home, it also served as a newspaper and railroad office; now, it's the visitor center for the park. Here you'll see a large model of Old Town the way it looked prior to 1872, the year a large fire broke out (or was set). It destroyed much of the town and initiated the population exodus to New Town, now downtown San Diego. Old Town State Historic Park contains seven original buildings, including the Robinson-Rose House, and replicas of other buildings that once stood here.

From here, turn left and stroll into the colorful world of Mexican California called:

3. Plaza del Pasado

Located at 2754 Calhoun St., this is where colorful shops and restaurants spill into a flower-filled courtyard. Costumed employees and weekend entertainment create an early California atmosphere, taking over what was once a 1930s motel (albeit one designed by acclaimed architect Richard Requa).

Take A Break -- This is a good opportunity to sample the Mexican food in and around Plaza del Pasado. In addition to Casa Guadalajara, there are several other restaurants in the immediate area -- Jolly Boy (tel. 619/291-3200), The Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel (tel. 619/209-3525), and Casa de Reyes (tel. 619/220-5040). All offer indoor and outdoor dining, a lively ambience, and steaming platters of enchiladas, burritos, and other familiar fare. The food, prices, and atmosphere are pretty comparable at all four; if the wait for a table is long at one, put your name on the list at another. The Cosmopolitan is in historic Casa de Bandini, completed in 1829. It was the home of Peruvian-born Juan Bandini, who became a Mexican citizen; in 1869, the building, with a second story added, became the original Cosmopolitan Hotel. The restaurants are open from 10 or 11am to 9 or 10pm, and Plaza del Pasado shops are open from 10am to 9pm, with shorter winter hours.

From Plaza del Pasado, stroll into the grassy plaza, where you'll see a:

4. Large Rock Monument

This commemorates the first U.S. flag flown in Southern California (on July 29, 1846). In the plaza's center stands a flagpole that resembles a ship's mast. There's a reason: The original flag hung from the mast of an abandoned ship.

Straight ahead, at the plaza's eastern edge, is:

5. La Casa de Estudillo

An original adobe building dating from 1827, the U-shaped house has covered walkways and an open central patio. The patio covering is made of corraza cane, the seeds for which were brought by Father Serra in 1769. The walls are 3 to 5 feet thick, holding up the heavy beams and tiles, and they work as terrific insulators against summer heat. In those days, the thicker the walls, the wealthier the family. The furnishings in the "upper-class" house are representative of the 19th century (don't overlook the beautiful four-poster beds); the original furniture came from as far away as Asia. The Estudillo family, which then numbered 12, lived in the house until 1887; today family members still live in San Diego.

After you exit La Casa de Estudillo, turn left. In front of you is the reconstruction of the three-story:

6. Colorado House

Built in 1851, it was destroyed by fire in 1872 -- as were most buildings on this side of the park. Today it's the home of the Wells Fargo Historical Museum, but the original housed San Diego's first two-story hotel. The museum features an original Wells Fargo stagecoach, numerous displays of the overland-express business, and a video show. Next door to the Wells Fargo museum, and kitty-corner to La Casa de Estudillo, is the small, redbrick San Diego Court House & City Hall. (A reconstruction of the three-story Franklin House is planned to the right of the Colorado House.)

From here, continue along the pedestrian walkway 1 short block, turn right, and walk another short block to a reddish-brown building on your right. This is the one-room:

7. Mason Street School

An original building dating from 1865, this school was commissioned by Joshua Bean, uncle of the notorious "hanging judge" Roy Bean; Joshua Bean was also San Diego's first mayor. If you look inside, you'll notice the boards that make up the walls don't match; they were leftovers from the construction of San Diego homes. Mary Chase Walker, the first teacher, ventured here from the East when she was 38 years old. She enjoyed the larger salary but hated the fleas, mosquitoes, and truancy; after a year, she resigned to marry the president of the school board.

When you leave the schoolhouse, retrace your steps to the walkway (which is the extension of San Diego Ave.) and turn right. On your left, you'll see two buildings with brown shingle roofs. The first is the:

8. Pedroreña House

No. 2616 is an original Old Town house built in 1869, with stained glass over the doorway. The shop inside now sells fossils, minerals, and gems. The original owner, Miguel Pedroreña, also owned the house next door, which became the:

9. San Diego Union Printing Office

The newspaper was first published in 1868. This house arrived in Old Town after being prefabricated in Maine in 1851 and shipped around the Horn (it has a distinctly New England appearance). Inside you'll see the original handpress used to print the paper, which merged with the San Diego Tribune in 1992. The offices are now in Mission Valley, about 3 miles from here.

At the end of the pedestrian part of San Diego Avenue stands a railing; beyond it is Twiggs Street, dividing the historic park from the rest of Old Town, which is more commercial, with shops, galleries, and restaurants.

At the corner of Twiggs Street and San Diego Avenue stands the Spanish mission-style:

10. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

The cornerstone was laid in 1868, making it the first church built in California that was not part of the Mission system. With the movement of the community to New Town in 1872, though, it lost its parishioners and was not dedicated until 1919. Today the church serves about 300 families in the Old Town area.

Continue along San Diego Avenue 1 block to Harney Street. On your left is the restored:

11. Whaley House

The first two-story brick structure in Southern California, it was built from 1856 to 1857. The house is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including that of Yankee Jim Robinson, who was hanged on the site in 1852 -- for stealing a rowboat. The house is beautifully furnished with period pieces and features the life mask of Abraham Lincoln, the spinet piano used in the film Gone With the Wind, and the concert piano that accompanied Swedish soprano Jenny Lind on her final U.S. concert tour in 1852.

From the Whaley House, walk uphill 1 1/2 blocks along Harney Street to a Victorian jewel called:

12. Heritage Park

The seven buildings in this grassy finger canyon were moved here from other parts of the city and are now used in a variety of ways. Among them are a winsome bed-and-breakfast inn (in the Queen Anne shingle-style Christian House, built in 1889), a doll shop, a teahouse, a lingerie store, and offices. Toward the bottom of the hill is the classic revival Temple Beth Israel, dating from 1889. On Sundays, local art is often exhibited in the park. If you've brought picnic supplies, enjoy them under the sheltering coral tree at the top of the park.

Winding Down -- You've been immersed in California's Mexican culture, but two of Old Town's best restaurants don't follow suit, serving sushi and South American fare. At the end of your walk, wend your way back down Harney Street, past San Diego Avenue to Harney Sushi, 3964 Harney St. (tel. 619/295-3272). If this hip and lively sushi joint isn't your style, continue to Congress Street, make a right, and head 1 block to Berta's Latin American Restaurant, 3928 Twiggs St. (tel. 619/295-2343). This unassuming eatery offers a travelogue of dishes that roams from El Salvador to Argentina.

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