Weird Things to Do in San Diego

San Diego may be famous for its beaches, zoo, and sunny weather, but the city also has plenty of unusual attractions hiding beyond the typical tourist stops. From a sea cave reached through a historic tunnel to a garden with a surprisingly strange past, these offbeat destinations offer a different way to experience San Diego.

If you’re looking for something a little weird on your next North San Diego getaway, add these memorable attractions to your itinerary.

Sunny Jim's Sea Cave

Located beneath The Cave Store in La Jolla, Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave is one of San Diego’s most unusual attractions and one of the few places where you can literally walk into a sea cave from land.

Why It's Weird

Sunny Jim’s is the only one of La Jolla’s seven sea caves accessible from land. In the early 1900s, a hand-dug tunnel was created through the sandstone cliffs to reach the cave below. The tunnel also has a colorful Prohibition-era history involving bootleggers and the smuggling of alcohol and opium. 

Things to See

• The historic tunnel: Walk through the passage dug into the sandstone cliffs more than a century ago.
• Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave: Reach the cave at the end of the tunnel and look out toward the Pacific for an amazing view.
• The Cave Store: Browse this historic shop before or after your underground adventure.

Things to Know

• Hours: Cave tours run daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Admission: Adults are $13; youth ages 3–17 are $7.
• Reservations: Tours are first-come, first-served; advance reservations are not available.
• Accessibility: The route includes approximately 145 stairs each way, and the stairs can be slippery.
  

The Whaley House Museum

Step into Old Town San Diego and you’ll find the Whaley House Museum, a beautifully preserved historic home with a fascinating past and a claim of being “America’s Most Haunted House.”

Why It's Weird

The Whaley House has a surprisingly varied history as San Diego’s first commercial theater, a county courthouse, and a general store. Add decades of ghost stories and reported paranormal activity, and the historic landmark takes on an unmistakably eerie atmosphere.

Things to See

• Whaley family home: Explore rooms furnished to reflect the home’s 19th-century history.
• Courthouse: See the spaces associated with the building’s time as a county courthouse.
• Haunted history: Hear the stories and legends surrounding the house’s reported paranormal activity.

Things to Know

• Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Day tours: Self-paced tours typically take 30–40 minutes.
• Reservations: Daytime reservations are not required.
• Evening tours: Haunted evening tours require reservations and are rated PG-13.

Balboa Park

Beyond its grand museums and gardens, Balboa Park contains several wonderfully unusual attractions that reward visitors who venture beyond the most familiar landmarks. 

Why It's Weird

Balboa Park is home to an eclectic collection of attractions. These unexpected things to see make the park much more interesting than a simple stroll through its beautiful grounds.

Things to See

• Comic-Con Museum: Explore rotating exhibits celebrating comics, animation, popular arts, and fandom. The current Chas Addams: Family and Friends exhibition showcases 60 original works by the creator of The Addams Family.
• Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater: Catch a live puppet or marionette performance in this historic theater, which has presented puppetry in Balboa Park for decades.
• Zoro Garden: Once the location of a nudist colony, guests can now wander through this sunken garden and butterfly habitat filled with plants that support butterflies throughout their life cycle.

Things to Know

• Comic-Con Museum: Generally open 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Wednesdays. Admission is charged.
• Puppet Theater: Performances are generally Friday–Sunday; schedules vary.
• Zoro Garden: Free to visit during park hours.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

For a completely different kind of attraction, head to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, where enormous miniature railroads recreate Southern California landscapes in remarkable detail.

Why It's Weird

This isn’t your average collection of model trains: the museum occupies 27,000 square feet and contains elaborate layouts complete with miniature cities, landscapes, trains, and hidden details.

Things to See

• Cabrillo Southwestern: Explore a 120-foot-long O-scale layout depicting California around 1955.
• Tehachapi Pass: Watch trains navigate a detailed model of the famous Tehachapi Loop.
• Pacific Desert Lines: Search for miniature San Diego landmarks and quirky hidden surprises.
• Toy Train Gallery: See classic toy trains in a colorful fantasy landscape, including a train-mounted camera offering a first-person view.

Things to Know

• Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Admission: Adults are $20; seniors and military are $14; children ages 5–12 are $10; children 4 and under are free with paid adult admission.
• Free admission: San Diego County residents can visit free on the second Thursday of each month with proof of residency.
• Location: The museum is inside Balboa Park’s Casa de Balboa Building and is wheelchair accessible.