Existing comment:
House of Hospitality
Built 1915
Rebuilt 1997
The House of Hospitality is one of Balboa Park's most honored structures. Originally built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, it was designed by renowned architect Carleton Winslow in the florid Spanish Baroque style of the 17th century.
For the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, local architect Richard Requa and contractor Walter Trepte created a garden courtyard, ballroom, fountain with a sculpture by Donal Hord, and added a terraced garden to the south. Important visitors included President Franklin D and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Historic reconstruction was completed in 1997 under the direction of historic preservation architect M Wayne Donaldson. Major awards include one from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
This beloved building, home to the Balboa Park Visitors Center and The Prado Restaurant, has been maintained and preserved since 1933 by the nonprofit Balboa Park Central. |