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Spanish communities used the town plaza for bullfights, political events, executions, and fiestas. Ever since the American flag was raised in 1846, tradition maintains that the Old Town flagpole must be made from a ship’s mast.

Canon in Old Town Plaza

Built by José Estudillo, the Presidio’s commander, this 1827 adobe home is Old Town’s showpiece. Workmen shaped the curved red tiles of the roof by spreading clay over their legs. Thick walls helped support the roof.

Peruvian Juan Bandini arrived in San Diego in 1819 and became one of its wealthiest citizens. Following business losses, his home was converted into a hotel. It’s now home to a Mexican restaurant.

Until railroads proved more efficient, Albert Seeley ran a stagecoach business between San Diego and LA. Today, this reconstructed barn houses original carriages and wagons from the Wild West.

This wood-frame house was built in New England and shipped down in 1851. Home to the early years of The San Diego Union , a faithful restoration depicts the newsroom of the city’s oldest newspaper.

This one-room school opened in 1856. Its first teacher, Mary Chase Walker, resigned her $65-a-month position when townspeople complained that she had invited a black woman to lunch.

The name Wells Fargo came to symbolize the opening of the American West. At this little museum housed in a former hotel, a restored stagecoach is the main exhibit.

Jack Stewart married Rosa Machado in 1845 and moved to this adobe home, where the family line continued until 1966. The structure’s inevitable deterioration finally compelled them to move.

Docents are on hand to answer questions at this 150-year-old house which is the headquarters of Old Town. Look out for the model of the 1872 Old Town.

Vibrant colors and unique shops present the best of Latin America. Andean bands and folk dancers perform amidst Guatemalan weavings and Mexican folk art.