New Historic Markers in Palisades

As part of the Balboa Park Committee of 100’s restoration work in the Palisades, three new historic markers are being fabricated for installation this fall.

The signs will be placed at the entrances to the San Diego Automotive Museum, the Municipal Gymnasium and the Comic-Con Museum, the three buildings where C100 has worked for years to restore their original 1935 appearances at the California Pacific International Exposition.

At the fair they were called, respectively, “California State Building,” “Palace of Electricity and Varied Industries” and “Federal Building.”

United Design Group, C100’s contractor,  is following the city’s most recent Balboa Park sign manual that promises to replace the park’s blue with brown signs and include Spanish translations where needed.

The signs will carry a logo for the 1935-36 fair, for which the Palisades area was specifically developed to include these three permanent buildings. Also built for the fair were the Ford Building (today’s San Diego Air & Space Museum), Balboa (Starlight) Bowl, the House of Pacific Relations international cottages and the Women’s Palace (Puppet Theater). The 1915 New Mexico Building was redesigned with the roofed-over original courtyard. Now called the Balboa Park Club, it serves as a meeting space and activity center.

— Roger Showley

The Balboa Park Committee of 100 has commissioned three new historic markers to place at the entrances to the San Diego Automotive Museum, Municipal Gymnasium and Comic-Con Museum. The earlier blue signs, still standing throughout the park, are giving way to brown signs, such as at the Kate Sessions Cactus Garden, with text in English and Spanish.