Filed under: architecture, attraction, historic neighborhood, top-feature
Tour the Historic Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego
San Diego’s Historic Gaslamp Quarter is known for its many beautifully restored Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings that were built between the Civil War and World War I. The quarter gets its name from the gas lamps that were common in San Diego in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1980 the Historic Gaslamp Quarter was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the next two decades it underwent a period of revitalization and urban renewal. Today, electric versions of old gas lamps line the streets and architectural tours of the district are a great way to learn about an area that has been dubbed the Historic Heart of San Diego.
Historic Gaslamp Quarter Attractions
The Historic Gaslamp Quarter is eight blocks long and two blocks wide. It stretches north to south from Broadway to Harbor Drive and west to east from Fourth to Sixth Avenues.
The best time to tour the Gaslamp Quarter is during the day and the entire district can be easily explored on foot.
Begin your tour on the south side of Broadway between Third and Fourth Avenues at Horton Plaza, a half-block park created in 1871. The fountain in the park was added in 1910 around the same time of the opening of the U.S. Grant Hotel (map). Extending from Broadway to G Street between Fourth and First Avenues is the Horton Plaza Shopping Center (map) a modern shopping, dining and entertainment complex.
The plaza wraps around the Spanish Renaissance-style Balboa Theater (map) at the southwest corner of Fourth Avenue and E Street and the Watts-Robinson Building (map) on the opposite corner. Built in 1913, the Watts-Robinson building was one of San Diego’s first skyscrapers. Here you’ll also find the twin-towered baroque Louis Bank of Commerce (map).
Continue along Fourth Avenue along the western edge of the quarter to Market Street. The Hotel Lester (map) dates back to 1906. On the opposite corner, the Frey Building (map) was made famous in the 1950s when it became Crossroads, San Diego’s first jazz club. In the middle of the block is the famed Royal Pie Bakery Building.
Interior of the William Davis Heath House
On the northeast corner of Fourth and Island Avenues you’ll find the William Heath Davis Historic House Museum (map), downtown’s oldest surviving building and now home to the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. Self-guided tours of the home and museum are available (Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 9am-3pm; $5 per person or $4 for seniors).
The Horton Grand Hotel (map) is actually comprised of two hotels, the original Grand Horton and the Brooklyn Hotel, both of which date back to 1886. They were moved to the current location in 1981 and joined by a glass atrium. Wyatt Earp lived upstairs at the Brooklyn Hotel for most of his 7 years in San Diego.
Take a left on Third Avenue where you’ll find the Chinese Mission (map), now the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum (temporarily closed for renovations). Originally built in 1927, the Chinese Mission welcomed new immigrants and helped them to learn English and find jobs. Today, this area of the Historic Gaslamp Quarter contains various other Chinatown influences.
Circle around and head north on Fifth Avenue. The Metropolitan Hotel is located on the southeast corner of Fifth and Market Street and the classical revival and Victorian-style Backesto Building (map) takes up much of the block. At the turn of the 20th century, this part of the quarter was known as the Stingaree, the city’s notorious red-light district.
Continuing north you’ll also find the Yuma Building, originally built in 1882 by Captain Wilcox, and the Florentine Italianate building. Dating to 1874 this building once housed the city’s library and in 1890 became the City Hall. The Spencer-Ogden Building (map) on the next block also dates back to 1874. These buildings are two of the oldest in the Historic Gaslamp Quarter.
Across the street and dating back to 1890, the Keating Building (map) is considered the heart of the historic district’s revival. It’s a San Diego landmark and was once one of the city’s most prestigious office buildings. Continue walking past the Louis Bank of Commerce and the F. W. Woolworth Building (map), turn east on E Street and arrive back at the Horton Plaza Shopping Center complex.
Visitor Information
If you’d rather opt for a guided tour, the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation offers guided walking tours of the quarter. Tours are led by a trained guide and focus on the history and architecture of the district ( Saturdays at 11am; $10 per person or $8 for students, seniors and military personnel).
The Historic Gaslamp District is located in downtown San Diego across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, Petco Park and the city’s core business district. It’s just a few blocks from Seaport Village.
The San Diego Trolley travels between the Historic Gaslamp Quarter and the Mexican border, South Bay, East County, Old Town and Mission Valley. Take the Orange Line to the Gaslamp Quarter Station or get off at the 5th Avenue Station and walk one block south.
If you’re planning to do a good bit of sightseeing while in San Diego, the Go San Diego Card provides access to over 35 San Diego attractions, tours and activities including the William Heath Davis Historic House Museum and the Chinese Historical Museum. Passes are available for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days.
Photos: daniel.knott on Flickr; Smart Destinations on Flickr; chrislee-cm on Flickr
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