Traffic & Transportation

With more than 300,000 people attending December Nights and extremely limited parking at Balboa Park, we encourage visitors to use the FREE off-site shuttles or take public transportation. Download the 2011 transportation map.

FREE SHUTTLES | PUBLIC TRANSIT | DRIVING

FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE

PETCO Park Shuttle at Tailgate Park at Imperial Ave. and 13th St.: Parking is only $3.00/vehicle and there are more than 2,000 parking spaces in this area. Shuttle takes less than 10 minutes and drops off at 6th and Laurel Streets.
County Administration Building North Lot at 1600 Pacific Highway (corner of Grape St.): Parking is free in the North Lot.
City College Lots between 16th and "B" Street: Parking is free.

The December Nights Shuttle runs on Friday from 4:30-11pm and on Saturday from noon until 11:00pm in all locations. The last shuttle leaves all sites at 8:45 pm and the last shuttle from the park is at 10:45pm.

TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Balboa Park is accessible from most San Diego neighborhoods—as well as cities in East County, North County, and South Bay— by bus, trolley, or train. By taking the bus or trolley you not only avoid traffic, but you help the environment, and it’s economical.

To create your personal trip plan visit www.sdmts.com or call 511 to speak to one of the Transit Information Operators.

MTS Trolley & Bus

From the South or East, take the Blue or Orange Line trolley to the City College Station in downtown San Diego and transfer to the MTS Route 7 (on 11^th Avenue) to Park Boulevard.
From the North, take the Blue Line to the County Center/Little Italy Station and walk west to the County Administration’s north lot and board the free shuttle.
From Hillcrest, Uptown, Mid-City, Normal Heights, City Heights, and North Park communities take any bus to University Avenue and Park Blvd and transfer to a special Route 7 shuttle heading to Park Blvd.
See all MTS Trolley and Bus schedules and route maps.

DRIVING TO THE PARK

Parking at Balboa Park is extremely limited. If you do drive, please carpool and arrive early.

Only the Zoo Lot is available for free parking. This lot will be filled by 6:00 pm on Friday and by 4:00 pm on Saturday. If you plan on arriving after these times, you should:

Look for parking on the Westside (6^th Ave. side);
Go directly to the shuttle stops; or
Take public transportation.

All of the other lots along Park Blvd. are permit, $20 preferred parking, or handicap designated parking. Park Blvd. will be very congested, so if you cannot park in these lots or arrive early for the free lots, avoid driving on Park Blvd.

There is also $10 preferred parking available at the Inspiration Point parking lot.

Please avoid exiting at Park Blvd. & Highway 163 because this highway is extremely congested.

Preferred Parking Service is available on the east side of the Park (at Park Blvd. and Village Place adjacent to the Cascades Holiday Marketplace and the San Diego Natural History Museum) for $20
$10 parking is available in the Inspiration Pt. lot at Park Blvd. and President's Way.
Handicap Designated Parking is available at: Park Blvd. & Space Theatre Way; Park Blvd. and President’s Way; Laurel St. & Balboa Drive. These areas have limited space, so plan on arriving early. Vehicles entering these areas must have a valid placard and identification card. Handicap parking is also available in the Zoo Lot.

Balboa Park 2011 December Nights Parking Map (pdf)