DAY TRIP Balboa Park

Proud to call itself the largest urban cultural park in the nation, Balboa Park near downtown San Diego houses 15 major museums, concert venues, a world-class zoo and more. Spanish Revival architecture and lush botanical gardens are a feast for the eyes, and cafes offer everything from sushi to hot dogs.

 GETTING THERE

Take Interstate 5 south toward San Diego and merge left onto Interstate 805 south. Exit onto CA-163 south toward downtown San Diego. Take exit 1B for Park Boulevard. Turn left at Park Boulevard. Make a U-turn at Village Place. Maps and a public transportation route planner are available at www.balboapark.org.

 CHILDREN’S ATTRACTIONS

The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater has entertained three generations of children since it was founded in the late 1940s. Puppet shows are given throughout the year by numerous performance troupes at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. and 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Kids can ride the rails on a half-mile trip through four acres of the park on the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad. The rare G16 model train is one of about 50 still in use.

The Balboa Park Carousel next to the San Diego Zoo is one of the few in the world that still gives riders a chance to grab a brass ring.

The carousel and miniature railroad are open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during the fall and winter months, and daily during school holidays.

These attractions are only a few of the numerous children’s activities at Balboa Park. Aside from rides, gardens and museums, playground and picnic areas dot the park. Visit www.balboapark.org/ just-for-kids/ for more.

 SAN DIEGO ZOO

San Diego’s world-famous zoo in Balboa Park is home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animal species and subspecies. One of the zoo’s major attractions is its family of giant pandas, the youngest of which was born Aug. 3 at the zoo. An elephant calf can be viewed daily.

 DEAD SEA SCROLLS

The San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park is hosting an exhibition of 24 of the Dead Sea Scrolls through December. The scrolls are the oldest-known copies of biblical manuscripts and are considered to be one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures. The six-month San Diego exhibition marks the first time the scrolls have been shown outside of Israel for longer than three months. Visit www.sdnhm.org for more information.

 BOTANICAL GARDENS

Balboa Park’s 1,200 acres are home to more than eight exotic gardens, many of which offer free admission. The Alcazar Garden is patterned after the grounds of Alcazar Castle in Sevilla, Spain. Planted with 7,000 annual blooms, the garden features ornate fountains and Moorish tiles.

 FOOD

The Balboa Park Food and Wine School offers observational cooking classes and wine-tasting courses. Visit www.balboawinefood.com for more information.

The Tea Pavilion in the Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park dishes up traditional Japanese fare, such as sushi, rice bowls and miso soup. Call (619) 231-0048 for more information.

— Brianna Bailey

For a slideshow of photos, click here.