Some of my best memories come from wandering around museums. I guess this all started when I was a 4 year old living in San Diego and having access to the wonderful museums in Balboa Park. I guess I have taken this opportunity I had for granted. While at B.P. with Thor, he was impressed and pointed out to me that the buildings that house these museums were built in 1915, "for the express purpose of housing places of learning, museums, and cultural centers" to add to the lives of the people that who visit them. I had never thought about that before.
So now I am; and yes, it is amazing that this entire park was built for that reason alone. This doesn't seem to happen as often in our current place in history. We get a building here and there, but never an entire portion of a city dedicated to museums of all kinds, with botanical gardens, theatres, opera houses, mini United Nations, and a zoo!
I look back on the photos I took of the grounds, the attention to details on the buildings, the flow of the park and the sheer beauty of the trees and flowers; and realize it was, and still is, intended to draw one in and give to them an "experience". The buildings were adorned on the outside- knowing treasures would lay inside. Some of the facades are human figures, primarily women, who hold up buttresses and eaves, faces that smile, grimace, and stand as sentinels at entry ways calling you inward to learn and enjoy.
The top photo shows the ship of Balboa sailing into the bay and dates the building at 1915. For me 2005 is a date that I will remember fondly as the year I sailed back into a time of renaissance; and the wonderful gift these museums continue to give all who enter this great park.
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4 comments:
Balboa Park is my favorite place in SoCal. There is so much to do you could spend three full days there and never be bored. Thanks for taking me along down your memory lane.
The arboretum is my favorite place other than the zoo. It's so 'wet' and so much greenery, it's alomst like stepping into a terrarium. I love it there. Another that's great about it is the silence. Everyone who goes in gets quiet there.
I LOVE that about it too! haha, guiess we *are* sisters.
we have only been there once, but we LOVED it. Oh so much!
We have a grandma that lives in Oceanside and visit the area each year, usually at Thanksgiving time.
My kids would tell you, this was there absolute FAV
Lisa,
As little kids, we lived in O'side in several different houses over the years. I have good memories of wandering all over the place there also! (the beach,the "Sisters of perpetual sorrow" and "E"Fellowship,etc., playing on the freeway just of Mission...seriously!) But not of constantly tearing open my feet because I refused to wear shoes. (There's mom's voice again...) Oh the stories!
Are you guys headed there this year?
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