When it comes to being a home for many different purposes, it would be hard to beat the Casa de Balboa Building. The current structure was built in 1978 after arson destroyed the earlier Casa del Balboa (notice the name for the current building has dropped the ‘l’ in ‘del’). That first building would have drawn visitors from all over to the discount hotels in San Diego near the Casa de Balboa; the structure once housed everything from the electric company to a temporary exhibit hall after the first national exposition.
Of course, plenty of visitors are still choosing a cheap hotel in San Diego near Casa de Balboa because of everything it holds. First there is the Museum of San Diego History, the perfect place to delve into the city’s history or your family’s history in the Research Archives. Then there is the Museum of Photographic Arts with its photo displays. And for the child in us all, visit the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.