With a history that stretches back to the 19th century, Horton Plaza Park is one of the most notable attractions in downtown San Diego, California. Featuring an interactive fountain and green space that allows audiences to experience the history and legacy of the surrounding community, it showcases what it can mean for a space to become a hub of connection that spans eras and audiences.
An Icon of San Diego
Sold to the city of San Diego in 1895 by the founder of downtown San Diego Alonzo Horton, the space that would become Horton Plaza Park is composed of three sections: the South Plaza, the Amphitheater, and the Historic Park. However, it is defined by what has become an icon of the city.
The Broadway Fountain was built in 1910 to honor Horton, a year after he died at the age of 96. The engraving on the frieze reads “Broadway Fountain for the People.” The piece has gone through several changes and restorations over the years to become an icon that organizations like the Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) actively utilize.
The landmark has also become a catalyst for further developments like The Park At Horton, which is an open-air urban plaza and central community gathering space across nearly one acre of land in the middle of the city. The space is being positioned as San Diego’s innovation hub for science, technology, arts, entertainment and education, highlighting what it can mean for landmarks to facilitate further economic opportunities.
Horton Plaza Park is available to rent for public or private functions but has also hosted countless city celebrations over the decades. These opportunities highlight what it looks like for an otherwise typical urban greenspace to become something so much more for both residents and visitors.
Connecting the Past to the Future of San Diego
In 1971, the City of San Diego designated Horton Plaza Park as a historical landmark, further solidifying its status as an iconic image for the area that is featured in maps and guides, but has also become an attraction that audiences navigate to and around. Valuable to the surrounding community and the entire city of San Diego, the continued developments that it has enabled will help Horton Plaza Park connect the past to the future of the entire region.
