Map
Introduction
Learn more about these historical and cultural sites on the Latino Legacy Foundation’s online book project,“San Diego Latino Legacy: Timeline-Milestones-Stories.”
Chicano Park Murals
Chicano Park has been a National Historic Landmark since December 2016. The heart of Chicano Park is the largest outdoor mural display in the nation. Painted by local and international artists on the Coronado Bridge pylons, the murals celebrate Mexican culture, storytelling, historical events, Mesoamerican influences and mythology. Chicano Park was founded by the community in 1970, and the first murals were painted in 1973.
Chicano Park Museum
Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center depicts the history of one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods—Barrio Logan—in the City of San Diego, as told by the people who lived there. The Center opened its doors on October 8, 2022. South of the Center is a community renaissance with art, restaurants, and shops.
Centro Cultural de la Raza
Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park, founded by Latino artivists in 1970, functions as an alternative space for artists and cultural exchanges in the San Diego/Tijuana region. The facility is actually a water tank donated by the City of San Diego but was converted to the artistic space to create and promote Chicano, Mexican, Indigenous and Latinx art and culture.
Logan Heights Veterans Memorial Monument
Logan Heights Veterans Memorial Monument honors the diverse group of veterans from the Logan Heights community who served since World War I to present day. The monument was dedicated on November 11, 2012, and features the insignias of different military branches and has memorial engravings in English and Spanish.
Veterans Memorial Garden
The Veterans Memorial Garden at Balboa Park pays tribute to heroes like Brig. General Robert L. Cardenas, U.S. Air Force. Cardenas was a key figure and a decorated war hero of Mexican descent who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War. The memorial is located in front of the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center.
Lemon Grove
Lemon Grove is home to one of the first successful school desegregation cases in the nation: 1930 Robert Alvarez Jr. v. the Lemon Grove Board of Trustees. The case impacted Lemon Grove’s Latino community. Parent Juan Escobedo Gonzalez organized the parents of the students. The Lemon Grove Parsonage Museum offers additional historical information on this case and is home to the Lemon Grove Historical Society.
Old Town State Park
Old Town State Park sits on the ancestral land of the Kumeyaay people. Established in 1769, it is California’s first Spanish settlement (city). Mexican culture is present and celebrated in the history, food, art, and architecture, brought to life after the 1848 Mexican-American War.
Border Field State Park
Border Field State Park is located at the western-most point of the U.S.- Mexico border, where the U.S. government-constructed fence in 2006 extends into the Pacific Ocean. The border was defined by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.
The House of Mexico
The House of Mexico is one of the 33 international cottages in Balboa Park. It features the rich culture, art, food, and history of Mexico. As one of the original casitas dating back to the 1930s, it lay dormant for 80 years but began flourishing as the nonprofit House of Mexico in 2001.
The Military Zone Memorial at San Diego Padres Petco Park
The Military Zone Memorial at San Diego Padres Petco Park also pays tribute to the first-ever Padre minor league player, Manuel “Nay” Hernandez, who fought in World War II and was killed in the line of duty. Next time you go to a Padres game, visit the Military Zone, which is located beneath the right field stands at Petco Park.
Parque del Sol
Parque del Sol, a small strip of land located at the end of César Chávez Parkway in Barrio Logan, pays tribute to thousands of Latino employees who worked for local tuna canneries as early as the 1940s. It is located 3 blocks west of Mercado del Barrio, anchored by a major Mexican supermarket.
Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station. More than 120,000 American heroes are buried there, including U.S. Army Capt. Jennifer Moreno (2013) and U.S. Marine Sgt. Raphael Peralta (2014). For her sacrifice, the San Diego Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in 2022 was renamed in Captain Moreno’s honor. To honor Sgt. Peralta’s bravery and sacrifice, the USS Rafael Peralta, a Navy guided missile destroyer, was launched on October 31, 2015.
Liberty Station
Liberty Station was once known as the Naval Training Center San Diego (1923-1997), where 1.75 million Navy recruits trained, including the late civil rights leader, César Chávez who served in the Navy from 1946–1948. The USNS Cesar Chavez, a cargo ship built at NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, was launched on May 5, 2012. The City of San Diego gained ownership of the Naval Training Center property in 2000, repurposing the 361-acre site to create a community hub for artists, eateries, and public park gathering spaces, which also include military displays.