Save Our Heritage Organisation
School Group Tours
Within walking distance
Please take a moment to read about an exceptional field trip possibility for students, which is both fun and educational.
We operate three historic museums in San Diego
In Old Town San Diego we have the Whaley House Museum complex and the Adobe Chapel; both are truly a trip back in time and fit right into the California Curriculum. We are an educational institution and reaching out to our youth is important to us.
The Whaley House & Adobe Chapel
A presentation of Whaley House history with Q&A will be given in the courtroom by a knowledgeable docent in period attire, followed by a self-guided tour of the Whaley House and grounds. The Whaley House is a fine example of how a well-to-do family would have lived in San Diego during the 1860s and '70s. As home to an early county courthouse, San Diego's first commercial theater, and Mr. Whaley's general store, the possibilities for education are many. Although it does have a reputation for being haunted, the Whaley House is first and foremost a historic house museum.
Included also is a guided tour of the Adobe Chapel, one of San Diego's most revered historic places and the site of Ramona's Marriage. Each student will also receive a certificate good for a free return visit with a paying adult to the Whaley House Museum.
Check in for the Whaley House - 2476 San Diego Avenue
Upon arrival, please check in at the SOHO Museum Shop, located directly next door to the museum.
- El Campo Santo Cemetery - Final resting place of at least 477 former residents of Old Town including outlaws Antonio Garra and "Yankee Jim" Robinson
- Heritage Park - A cluster of 19th Century Victorians
- Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, where several historic sites are free to visitors, including the Casa de Estudillo, the Wells Fargo Museum, and the Robinson-Rose House
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Groups of Children under 13 years of age
Our third museum is the George and Anna Marston House in Balboa Park. This 8,500 square-foot home with five acres of gardens and trails is one of the most interesting house museums in all of California. George Marston is known as the father of Balboa Park, San Diego's first citizen and is acclaimed as one of San Diego's earliest environmentalists, conservationists and historic preservationists. The guided tour of the Marston House Museum includes a certificate good for a free return visit with a paying adult to the Marston House Museum and Gardens.
Check in for the Marston House - 3525 Seventh Avenue
Upon arrival, please check in at the SOHO Museum Shop located in the Carriage House on the property.Tips for a Successful Visit with Youth Groups
- Group Tours are available only between 10am and 4:30pm
- $2.50 per person including chaperones (Chaperones must be 18 or older)
- Minimum 15 people including chaperones
- No fewer than one chaperone to every 10 children
- Large groups must be broken into smaller numbers
- Must be reserved at least one week in advance
- Must be paid for at time reservation is made
- Cancellations must be made at least 12 hours in advance for refund
Call (619) 297-9327 to book your reservations
- Speak in quiet voices
- Walk, don't run. Take time to see all the exhibits
- Children should stay with chaperones at all times. Chaperones must supervise children at all times
- Be careful climbing stairs
- Look with your eyes and not your hands. Do not touch anything in the museum, including walls and doors
- Do not open doors or drawers
- Large groups should be divided into subgroups, with a minimum of one adult per ten children
- Children are allowed in the Museum Shop in groups of five
Please note: Group Tour rates are only honored if you have reserved your group in advance.
No exceptions.