“where the first european stepped foot onto the west coast in 1542!”
Cabrillo National Monument is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. The site was designated as California Historical Landmark #56 in 1932. As with all historical units of the National Park Service, Cabrillo was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The Visitor Center offers a place to purchase souvenirs and learn about the park’s history. The center also allows visitors the chance to communicate with Park Rangers and volunteers. Visitors can learn the day’s weather readings, the time of low tide, get a National Park Passport stamped, visit the “Age of Exploration” exhibit, and learn the times for ranger talks/guided tours and auditorium showings. The auditorium offers several showings a day, and features three different films including: “In Search of Cabrillo,” “On the Edge of Land and Sea,” and “First Breath: Gray Whales.” Cabrillo National Monument also hosts a "Junior Ranger" program in which children can earn a Junior Ranger badge by exploring the park and filling out an activity sheet. In 2013, Junior Ranger Day was held on April 27.
I took my 7-year-old here for a few hours and it was very good. The Junior Ranger book helped us get around the park and see the different things. Watching the park video was great and then going up to the light house and then down to the tidal area was very nice. We even watched some submarines coming and going from the nearby base.
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Cabrillo National Monument
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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- National park
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