Fodor's Expert Review Marston House Museum & Gardens
Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, and San Diego Zoo
Historic Home
George W. Marston (1850–1946), a San Diego pioneer and philanthropist who financed the architectural landscaping of Balboa Park—among his myriad other San Diego civic projects—lived in this 16-room home at the northwest edge of the park. Designed in 1905 by San Diego architects Irving Gill and William Hebbard, it's a classic example of the American Arts and Crafts style, which emphasizes simplicity and functionality of form. On the 5-acre grounds is a lovely English Romantic garden, as interpreted in California. The house may only be visited by guided tour.
Call for information about specialty tours of the gardens, historic 7th Avenue, and the Bankers Hill neighborhood.
