Last updated: March 21, 2023
Place
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Accessible Rooms, ATM/Cash Machine, Baby Changing Station, Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Rack, Bus/Shuttle Stop, Cellular Signal, First Aid Kit Available, Food/Drink - Bar/Alcohol For Sale, Food/Drink - Cafeteria, Food/Drink - Coffee, Food/Drink - Ice Cream, Food/Drink - Restaurant/Table Service, Food/Drink - Snacks, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Pets Allowed, Picnic Table, Public Transit, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Family, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Telephone, Toilet - Flush, Water - Bottle-Filling Station, Wheelchair Accessible
One family who lived in Old Town during its heyday were Robert and Maria Israel (born Maria Machado), who served as lighthouse keepers at the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in our park for 20 years. Robert was a Mexican War veteran and skilled chairmaker who moved to Old Town in 1851 and worked a wide variety of jobs including saloon manager, justice of the peace, jailhouse keeper, and marshal. Maria and Robert lived in Old Town until 1871, when they moved to what is now Cabrillo National Monument. Maria's family had deep roots in Old Town. Her father, José was deployed to San Diego by the Spanish military in 1781; he ended up owning several ranches and became a city councilman in the 1830s. Maria's family had lived in San Diego since its Euro-American colonization began. The Machados were an enormous family with 15 children including Maria. Maria's oldest sibling, Juan, had an even larger family of 19 children and his landholdings included Ballast Point, not far from the lighthouse his sister would later tend. The large Machado family left a major imprint on San Diego's early history and their descendants can be found in our region to this day.
Among the many attractions in Old Town are museums like the Wells Fargo Museum which details the history of finance, the Gold Rush, and stagecoach transportation in 1800s California. The Seeley Stable contains historic stagecoaches and wagons that give visitors a sense of how transportation operated in San Diego's early years. Casa de Estudillo recreates the life of San Diego's elite during the 1820s. Other house museums include the James McCoy House, home of California's first sheriff, the Robinson Rose house, which served as a prison, school, and surgical operating room as well as a residence, and several homes where Maria Israel’s family lived such as Casa Machado Silvas and Casa Machado y Stewart which contain early 1800s furnishings. The Whaley House, built by Thomas Whaley in 1857 and reputed to be the most haunted house in San Diego due to the trials and tribulations that the Whaley family suffered, is also a major attraction.
Old Town's well-manicured grounds are a pleasant and atmospheric place to stroll and take in regular free entertainment such as mariachi bands and the Ballet Folklorico dancers at an outdoor stage. The park also features numerous restaurants, craft vendors, and souvenir shops where visitors can refresh themselves or purchase period objects or clothes.