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-Editorial
Parking passes for Balboa Park are now available for advance purchase through a new online portal launched by the City of San Diego, ahead of the start of paid parking on Jan. 5, 2026.
The city will begin charging for parking in Balboa Park parking lots and at parking meters along roads within the park. Options include hourly, daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual passes. City of San Diego residents may purchase passes at discounted rates after verifying residency through the online portal, a process that can take up to two business days.
Free parking will remain available for up to 3 hours at the Inspiration Point parking lot.
Both residents and non-residents may purchase daily parking or longer-term passes in advance. Registration through the portal includes a one-time $5 fee and requires proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, vehicle registration, or utility bill. Purchasers must also provide a vehicle license plate number. Parking kiosks throughout the park will display only non-resident daily rates, as resident discounts are available exclusively online and must be secured before arriving at the park.
City officials said technology to verify residency at kiosks is not currently available, though efforts are underway to allow discounted resident rates to appear at kiosks in the future.
Under state and local law, parking revenues must be reinvested in Balboa Park, including for operations, maintenance, and improvements.
Daily parking rates will vary by lot based on proximity to the park’s central areas. Resident discounts require prior online verification, as kiosks cannot confirm residency on-site.
Effective Jan. 5, 2026, parking rates at Balboa Park will vary by lot based on location and proximity to central areas. Level 1 parking lots include Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades, and South Carousel.
For Level 1 lots, non-residents will be charged $16 per day or $10 for up to four hours, while City of San Diego residents will pay $8 per day or $5 for up to four hours after verifying residency in advance.
Level 2 lots—Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, and Marston Point—will cost non-residents $10 per day and residents $5 per day. The Level 3 lot at Lower Inspiration Point will be $10 per day for non-residents and $5 per day for residents, with the first three hours free for both.
Monthly, quarterly, and annual passes will be virtual and verified through license plate recognition. One pass is required per vehicle. Rates are $30 per month, $60 per quarter, and $150 annually for verified city residents, compared with $40, $120, and $300, respectively, for non-residents.
Parking meters are also being installed on roads within the park, including Balboa Drive, El Prado, Juniper Road, Presidents Way, Quince Drive, and Village Place, as well as on 6th Avenue and Park Boulevard near the park. Meter rates will be $2.50 per hour, with a maximum of $10 per day. Passes may be used in park lots and on park roads, but not at meters on 6th Avenue and Park Boulevard or in zoo parking areas.
Enforcement hours for all paid parking areas will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Parking will remain free at park meters and in designated spaces for vehicles displaying Disabled Person license plates or placards. Beginning Jan. 5, free tram service will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an on-call shuttle available for park employees and volunteers outside regular hours. All trams are ADA accessible.
The city is also installing directional signage throughout Balboa Park to assist visitors in locating parking areas and payment kiosks.