A fun place to walk, browse, people-watch, or dine in sidewalk cafes. The Fiesta parade goes down State Street. A 65-acre botanical showplace along Mission Creek in the foothills above the city. Features native plants and a variety of plant communities. Trails lead through a meadow, a canyon and redwood forest, across a historic dam used to impound water for the Mission, and along ridgetops with views of offshore islands.
Exhibits feature American Indian history, birds, mammals, geology, insects and marine science.
A planetarium offers daily shows. Follow signs off Mission Canyon Road. Plenty of parking. Also on the grounds is the Covarrubias Adobe built in 1817 and, according to legend, briefly the capitol of California in waning days of Mexican rule. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m.