What to KnowSan Diego residents can get parking passes at a discounted rate after registrationA one-time $5 registration fee is required to register in advanceVerifying your address could take up to two business daysKiosks in the park do not have the ability to verify San Diego residence for a discountHourly, daily, monthly and annual parking passes are available
Visitors to Balboa Park will be asked to pay to park their vehicles in city lots on Monday, breaking a tradition of more than 100 years of the city’s crown jewel being free for visitors in private vehicles.
San Diego residents are now able to purchase a monthly, quarterly, or annual parking pass at a discounted rate by visiting https://sandiego.thepermitportal.com/. A one-time $5 registration fee is required to register in advance, even for city residents. Verifying your address could take up to two business days.
The San Diego City Council voted last year to begin charging for vehicle parking in surface lots and along streets within the park as part of an effort to erase a budget deficit. It goes into effect on Monday for all lots, except the San Diego Zoo’s lot, which will operate its own parking program.
Besides annual and monthly passes, park-goers can also purchase daily and hourly passes for their vehicles. Kiosks in the park do not have the ability to verify San Diego residence for a discount, but the city said its vendor is working to fix that.
Parking revenues must be reinvested in the park because of both state and local law, with eligible expenses including park operations and maintenance.
Some of the parking kiosks were already vandalized ahead of the start of enforcement on Monday, according to the city.
Should visitors find a vandalized parking kiosk, there are other ways to pay, city officials assured. There are more than 50 kiosks in the park.
“You can pay at the kiosk with coins, or with a credit card, you can also use Apple Pay, and then online payments are accepted as well,” said Nicole Darling, spokesperson for the city.
Sue Walker isn’t looking forward to paying for parking. She lives in Serra Mesa and brings her dog Miss Mae for a walk in Balboa Park often. Friday’s visit will be their last, she said, because she’s not paying to park.
“No, it’s not fair,” Walker told NBC 7 reporter M.G. Perez.
“We’re already jacked up so much with the food costs and everything else … the park was one of the last places you could go for free,” Walker said.
Balboa Park parking lot rates
The cost of each lot varies depending on how close it is to the center of the park. The rates going into effect Monday are:
Resident TypeLevel 1
Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades, South CarouselLevel 2
Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, Marston PointLevel 3
Lower Inspiration PointCity of San Diego Resident$8/day; $5/four hours$5/day$5/day; first 3 hours freeNonresident$16/day; $10/four hours$10/day$10/day; first 3 hours free
Pass TypeCity Verified Resident RateNonresident RateMonthly Pass$30$40Quarterly Pass$60$120Annual Pass$150$300
City of San Diego
City of San Diego
According to the city, one pass is needed per vehicle. The passes are virtual; there will be no physical placards or tags and passes will be verified via license plate information.
The city is in the process of installing meters on roads in the park — including Balboa Drive, El Prado, Juniper Road, Presidents Way, Quince Drive and Village Place — and around the park on 6th Avenue and Park Boulevard. Those rates will be $2.50 per hour with a maximum of $10 per day. Annual and monthly parking passes apply to the meters inside the park, but not to those outside.
Hours of enforcement will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
At 8 a.m. Monday, paid parking begins for the first time ever throughout Balboa Park and at the San Diego Zoo. How much you pay depends on where you park and where you live. NBC 7’s M.G. Perez sorted through the city’s new parking plan, and shares the few free options left.
A few free options for parking remain
Parking in the lot at Lower Inspiration Point near the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), is free the first three hours for anyone. You can walk to your park location from there or take a free Balboa Park Tram.
The tram makes its way through the heart of the Park, stopping at the most popular destinations. They include the Plaza de Panama (in front of The Prado), the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and Pan American Plaza (Palisades Lot).
The city has already expanded service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for all visitors, and a free on-call shuttle is available for park employees and volunteers outside of those hours.
At the nearby San Diego Zoo, there is a free option for members. But in order to get the complimentary parking, members must register their vehicle on the zoo’s website.
Non-members pay a flat rate of $16 per vehicle, per day. Parking for oversized vehicles is $44 per day.
Additionally, those with a disabled Person license plate or placard will still be able to park for free in and near Balboa Park in blue ADA parking spaces marked.
For more information on parking in Balboa Park, visit the city’s website here.