Existing comment:
Designed by Bertram Goodhue and built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition the "Laguna de las Flores" is one of the most photographed sites in Balboa Park and the City of San Diego. It consists of a northern smaller pond "La Lagunita" and a larger southern pond "La Laguna." the two ponds are divided by a balustrade (walkway) and filled with lilies and lotuses. The colorful reflecting pond has served as an enticing entrance corridor to the striking Botanical Building since its inception with several notable and temporary exceptions.
WWI: The US Naval Training Station located in Balboa Park used the pond to teach rowing and swimming to new sailors.
WWII: The US Naval Hospital located in Balboa Park deepened the larger pond by two feet and used it as a physical therapy pool for wounded sailors for the duration of the war.
1945-49: The pond was opened to children for swimming and to adults for bait and fly casting.
Major renovation to the Lily Pnd took place in 1949, 1964, 1994 and 1999 which included the replacement of the wooden balustrade with a concrete balustrade and the installation of a modern filtration system. The "Laguna de las Flores" will continue to inspire photographers, painters, visitors and staff with its tranquil beauty and magnificent floral displays for generations to come. |