Doesn’t look like much during the day, but on weekend nights, the Gaslamp in downtown San Diego is very much alive. For daytime exploration, there’s shopping and art galleries. There are dozens of beautiful historic buildings and several parks nearby. Up until the 1990"s this historic district harbored mostly prostitutes, sailors, bars & tattoo parlors. Here’s a link to learn more about it’s history- http://www.gaslamp.org/history There are dozens of clubs, bars and restaurants here. Even some shopping and hotels. Everything shuts down at 2pm and that’s when people really fill up the streets. Whether it be a mellow, chill jazz bar or a wild brash dance club, the Gaslamp has something for you on a weekend night. Tip: If you come out for a really crowded weekend, such as Mardi Gras, Saint Patrick’s Day or Halloween and you need a cab ride home- set it up earlier in the day. There aren’t as many cabs available here as in larger cities, so on busy events, it can take hours to get a cab. My sis and I went out on a Halloween and it took us 3 hours to find a cab. And he was one his way to pick up a reserved ride, so we literally threw ourselves on top of his cab and wouldn’t get off until he agreed to take us home!

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Party all night at the Gaslamp district

Doesn’t look like much during the day, but on weekend nights, the Gaslamp in downtown San Diego is very much alive. For daytime exploration, there’s shopping and art galleries. There are dozens of beautiful historic buildings and several parks nearby. Up until the 1990"s this historic district harbored mostly prostitutes, sailors, bars & tattoo parlors. Here’s a link to learn more about it’s history- http://www.gaslamp.org/history There are dozens of clubs, bars and restaurants here. Even some shopping and hotels. Everything shuts down at 2pm and that’s when people really fill up the streets. Whether it be a mellow, chill jazz bar or a wild brash dance club, the Gaslamp has something for you on a weekend night. Tip: If you come out for a really crowded weekend, such as Mardi Gras, Saint Patrick’s Day or Halloween and you need a cab ride home- set it up earlier in the day. There aren’t as many cabs available here as in larger cities, so on busy events, it can take hours to get a cab. My sis and I went out on a Halloween and it took us 3 hours to find a cab. And he was one his way to pick up a reserved ride, so we literally threw ourselves on top of his cab and wouldn’t get off until he agreed to take us home!

A Downtown with Character

The Gaslamp Quarter, located in the heart of downtown San Diego, has come a long way since its start in 1867. It is home to some of the finest restaurants in San Diego, and is an ideal place to spend an entertaining weekend. Go shopping at The Horton Plaza, see a Padres game at Petco Park, or see a play at the Civic Center, all while admiring the unique, historical architecture of the city.

Take a Self-Guided Art Tour in the Gaslamp, San Diego

The Gaslamp district in San Diego has several art galleries that are in a tight radius, making it easy to create your own, self-guided art tour. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs for when you want to stop and grab a bite to eat. Most of the galleries feature local artists and a couple, such as the Chuck Jones Gallery and Art of Tim Cantor Galleries, are artist-specific. At the Alexander Salazar Fine Art Gallery, you will also find a working artist studio, where you can watch the featured artist working behind a large glass wall. A self-guided art tour is a wonderful way to spend the day walking around the Gaslamp, while enjoying amazing works of art in all mediums. Almost all the galleries are located in historic Gaslamp buildings. The image above is the Michael Wolf Fine Arts Gallery.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

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