Balboa Park’s
Starlight Bowl
A New Vision for a Historic Space
The Starlight Bowl is a historic outdoor amphitheater in the heart of San Diego’s Balboa Park. Built in 1935, it brought generations of people together for concerts, musical theater, and performances in one of the city’s most distinctive settings. After its last production in 2010, the Bowl closed, and the building has been abandoned for more than a decade. Save Starlight is working to restore this remarkable space and give it a lasting public purpose. We envision a flexible venue that can welcome performers, arts organizations, educators, and community groups—a place where San Diego can gather for a wider range of experiences while preserving the history that makes Starlight worth saving.
“The Save Starlight Plan is a plan is a classic example of finding innovative new uses for important historical structures, rather than destroying and replacing them. When the renovation is complete, Starlight Bowl should be an important contribution to the revitalization of Balboa Park’s neglected Palisades area.”
-Bruce Coons, Executive Director, Save Our Heritage Organization
Every Year of Neglect Has a Cost
Look past the weeds and graffiti, and the damage at Starlight goes much deeper. Years of exposure and vandalism have left the Bowl facing major repairs. As the site remains closed, new damage can go unnoticed, existing problems can spread, and the cost of restoring this historic venue can keep growing.
Save Starlight’s volunteers have cleaned, maintained, and watched over the property for years. But they cannot replace the full-time security and major repair work the Bowl needs. The longer we wait to protect and restore it, the more of Starlight we risk losing.
Our Organization
Find out about our mission and our decade of advocacy.
Take Action
Ready to take the next step? You can become a contributor to our cause, or participate yourself.