Old Town San Diego offers a wonderful tour of frontier settlement and celebrates Mexicans ..the Mexican war ...1850 ...exaggerated ..tourist trap ..super fun..I didn't know about it ..the bus dropped me off ...found my way in one day ..sunny warm ..pleasant ..history ..campus ..old town campus with historic houses ..treats ..Disney style ..hacienda hotel ..sunny fun read more

Old town has the coolest things inside of it. This museum shows you the beauty of San Diego so many years ago. The house was built in 1827. In 1866 Benjamin Hayes and his family lived in it. I loved the house and the dishes are my favorite pieces. There is an alter for church services, beautiful courtyard, and they have the outside oven that was used in those times. The museum is free and a must see. Aug 2023 read more

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When I was a kid, around 1st grade. I went into this building not knowing anything about the history. Until I saw the creepy girl dolls moved its eyes I think idk man that's what I saw with my own eyes. Then I think they closed it down to fix the inside of the building. Now, it's looks way different. They still have those dolls which I got used to see them now since I'm 18 years old. But overall this whole building might be one the best ones I've been in. And I still believe it's still haunted by ghost. I like the believe on some stuff :) read more

If you are looking for a visual representation of an original home in Old Town San Diego this is a great place to visit. I took my kids to it for a little history lesson. Even though they were already burnt out from seeing other historical sites all morning, we still enjoyed it. Each room has realistic furniture and artifacts from the time. We visited the blacksmith in another area, and he said that some of the iron work was done by them. There were lots of informational placards on the walls. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to read them all because my kids were ready to go. But it was nice to visit anyway. Make sure to not just visit the casa, but all the other buildings in the historic park. The docents at the casa told us about the donkeys and blacksmith, and they were great tips! read more

You can't beat free admission in Old Town so take 20 minutes out of your day to walk through this historical 1827 Hacienda. You can enter on any of the three sides to this house, but if you enter from the front entrance there's a guy with a clicker next to a sign that says "donations". Even though this is a free experience, there's a bit of awkwardness wondering if it's really free or if there's an unwritten expectation to donate. We didn't donate and neither did most people. I suppose if you're shy about such things, you can walk on either side of this hacienda and walk in through the side wall openings. Inside the Hacienda walls is a courtyard and a garden with a nice fountain. The U shaped house includes several bedrooms, a kitchen, an outdoor pizza oven, and a chapel.. Rooms are nicely recreated with supporting information and interesting furniture pieces. Geeked out by San Diego history? Well San Diego has two California Missions, a Presidio, and multiple Adobes. My favorites are the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside and the Rancho Guajome Adobe, also in Oceanside. read more

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I'm generally interested in historical landmarks but what caught my eye about this place was the reviews saying the place is haunted. I couldn't get my friends on board with going to a "haunted house" so I forgot about it until we stumbled upon it while exploring the Old Town area. We went in (and I kept mum), and there's nothing posted anywhere I saw that corroborated the haunting claims mentioned in other reviews. We wandered around viewing the open rooms and their furniture, wandered the courtyard and saw the architecture, but saw no one who appeared to be affiliated with the property. No one was at the tour guide booth. Maybe if you already know about the history of this property or have read the book, you'll get more out of it. read more

La Casa de Estudillo - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very lovely area. So peaceful with many unique artifacts from past times. So much history to look at. Really does take you back in time. read more

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My son and I really love history so this was a fun stop on our tour of Old Town San Diego. The house was built by the Estudillos, originally by Capitan Jose Maria Estudillo (in 1927) and then later completed by his son, Jose Antonio Estudillo, in the early 1930's. La Casa de Estudillo was an important cultural and political center during this period. Jose Antonio and his wife, Maria Victoria Dominguez, also raised their 12 children (and a few adopted children) here. This home's garden is famous for being the spot of Ramona's wedding, in Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel, Ramona. Although the story is interesting, our tour guide mentioned it's lack of accuracy during our last visit here. When the Estudillos abandoned the home (it was left to a caretaker), John D. Spreckles bought the house. He hired Hazel Waterman to remodel the dilapidated building, and in 1910 the reconstruction was complete. During the 1970's (after the house was acquired by the California State Park System, 1968), the house was furnished with pieces common during the period that the Estudillos would have lived here. It's fun touring the home's 13 rooms. The decor adds to La Casa's spookiness (and rumors that the house is haunted). The rooms include bedrooms for family and guests, a kitchen, dining room, and a chapel. The nicest part of the property is the beautiful garden. The courtyard also had a wonderful fountain and a wishing well. I can imagine that the family spent a lot of time here. On our last visit to the house, a musician was playing some lovely music from his spot on the brick patio. This beautiful adobe home is currently getting some small updates and is a really loved part of Old Town. For a step back in time, La Casa de Estudillo is definitely worth a visit! read more

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If any place is haunted, it is this place! It's obvious they are still working on the renovations, but it feels like a time warp that takes you way back to another time. We just got an eerie feeling as we were walking thru here checking things out. We really lucked out because we went around 10am on a Thursday morning, so we were literally the only ones there at the time checking it out, which probably added to the creepiness factor. lol Still, its very cool and definately worth checking out! I'm looking forward to checking it out again one day when all the work being done is completed. 4 stars read more

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The Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in San Diego, California, United States. It was constructed in 1827 by José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio Estudillo, early settlers of San Diego, and was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and is designated as both a National and a California Historical Landmark in its own right. The Casa de Estudillo is one of three National Historic Landmarks in Southern California that were closely tied to Ramona, a novel of Californio life shortly after the American acquisition of California; the other two are Rancho Camulos and Rancho Guajome. The large building is a U-shaped structure, measuring 113 feet (34.4 m) on the front side, and 98 feet (29.9 m) on each of the wings. It is constructed in the Spanish Colonial style, meaning that the house's 13 rooms are set consecutively in the building and connected only by an external covered corredor (as opposed to an interior hallway). The main portion (the center) contains the entrance, facing west. To its left is the chapel and to its right is the schoolroom. Both rooms originally were smaller, with bedrooms located at the ends of the building, but a 1910 restoration eliminated those walls to enlarge the rooms. Two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen (which was added at a later date), and the servants' dining room are in the north wing, while the south wing has three bedrooms and the family dining room. The house is topped by a cupola from which bullfights and festivals in the adjacent plaza could be seen. The museum gives a good perspective on how a farmstead was setup and lets you walk through the house and see room by room how living was. Nice placards explain the rooms and times. read more

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The Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in San Diego, California, United States. It was constructed in 1827 by José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio Estudillo, early settlers of San Diego, and was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and is designated as both a National and a California Historical Landmark in its own right. read more

HISTORICAL LANDMARK?!?!? I'M SO THERE! BACKGROUND: The Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in San Diego, California, United States. It was constructed in 1827 by José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio Estudillo, early settlers of San Diego, and was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and is designated as both a National and a California Historical Landmark in its own right. Besides being one of the oldest surviving examples of Spanish architecture in California, the house gained much prominence by association with Helen Hunt Jackson's wildly popular 1884 novel Ramona. The Casa de Estudillo is one of three National Historic Landmarks in Southern California that were closely tied to Ramona, a novel of Californio life shortly after the American acquisition of California; the other two are Rancho Camulos and Rancho Guajome. STATS: Curbside when meandering through Historic Old Town San Diego ESSENTIALS: Have an interest in history Interest in Spanish Architecture EXPERIENCE: Walking through Old Town San Diego is stepping into the past, a Quantum Leap. It's structures like La Casa de Estudillo interest me the most. This U-shaped building was built in the Spanish Colonial style, with 13 rooms connected only by an external covered corridor. One room is set up as a restaurant dining room with, typical of the time, place settings, another room display the fashion wear of the time period, as well as written historical information about the La Casa de Estudillo. To compete with The Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel, La Casa de Estudillo held monthly dances. Ahhh!!! The imagination went wild envisioning music playing in the background as couples and families enjoy their meal and conversation, and having a grand time on the dance floor. Staged bedrooms occupy a bulk of the rooms in this structure. As you Continue through the structure to the backside you find yourself outside overlooking a garden with a water feature. Such a great place to take in a lot of history. I'll definitely visit again. read more

La Casa de Estudillo is famous for being a tourist attraction for "alternate facts." It was built in 1827 by Jose Maria Estudillo, but when it fell into ruin, Helen Hunt Jackson's novel "Ramona" came to the rescue. In her romance, Ramona&her beloved Alessandro marry at the Casa. Fans of the book came to the Casa's rescue, wanting to see the chapel where Ramona got married... despite the fact Ramona never existed. As for Estudillo himself, he discovered present-day Palm Springs http://oldhighwaynotes.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-love-story-of-ramona-and-casa-de.html La Casa de Estudillo was the Forks of its time (remember when Twilight fans swamped that little Washington town?), or people seeking out Romeo&Juliet's balcony in Verona. La Casa de Estudillo has plenty of history. You can see the dining room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the chapel, all as if it were still in Ramona's time. https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/san-diego-old-town-casa-de-estudillo-history-helen-hunt-jackson-ramona The restoration was a labor of love inspired by a love story. Like many of the museums in Old Town San Diego, it's free.... and priceless. read more

This is one of many free museums in Old Town San Diego. We were there for the Dia de los Muertos festival so they had a really unique display up for the weekend. There were several plaques on the wall with various historical information and it was a fun and easy walk through while scoping out the entire place. Overall: A Add this to the list of things to do in Old Town and immerse yourself in the historical fun - plus it's Free - bonus! read more

This is my absolute favorite spot in Old Town SD Park. I love that the minute you walk into the courtyard, you are seemingly transported back almost 200 years. I'm a sucker for history, antiques, architecture and nostalgia and this place gives me all of that. While exploring Old Town, the BFF and I came across La Casa de Estudillo almost by sheer accident and I'm so glad that one of our many tangents led us to another great memory. This place was once a social and political center of SD during CA's Mexican period giving birth to early America. The house itself retains the adobe bricks originally used, exposed wooden planks and rafters and clay tiles. Its open and inviting. The home has been restored almost from ruins in the early 1900's and they did a fantastic job retaining the glory and charm of the structure. The furnishings are not all from the same period as the guide said it was pretty unclear how the Estudiilos originally furnished their home. I often find myself back here anytime I want some peace and quiet and I just wander through the rooms. I suggest if you want to to this, go during the middle of the week around 11am. It can be hit or miss because Old Town is such a huge destination for tourists but to really take in the beauty of this spot you have to experience it without the large groups. BFF/SD read more

La Casa de Estudillo - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Diego, California

I'll be honest. We came here primarily because it sounded interesting AND because of the review where the woman said her dad got scratched. While I enjoy the touristy stuff as much as the next gal (to a certain extent, at least), I was intrigued by the possibility of a haunted house/garden. Admission is free so it's definitely a might-as-well especially since there are a number of other cute shops nearby. I didn't feel creeped out by anything in particular although later my companion complained of a scratch or bite (which is unusual because he is made of buffalo hide and never feels anything) so maybe... just maybe... read more

This is a great historic place to visit in Old Town. It's right by the Cosmopolitan Hotel, and it's easy to pass by because it it looks unassuming from the outside, and the signage is really small. That makes it a hidden gem. It has been restored, due to neglect and pillaging throughout the years since it was originally built in the 1880s. It reportedly is an active haunting site. The place is great and I love it but the Hispanic guy that was working in mid-May was rude when he was closing the place. I understand he needs to close up, but he could've announced that he was closing so that people there could've hurried to see it all. He just started quickly and unapologetically slamming doors shut in us asian and black people's faces, but then some caucasian people showed up and he started giving them a tour. Wow, what a way to treat people unequally. read more

Awesome place - free of charge and free to roam. My daughter got a little creeped out walking in some of the spaces, but overall, there isn't much of spookiness factor. Cool to see how rich folks lived in the past, and to marvel at how eclectic the architects must have been to decide on building a U-shaped home. Still, there are areas that are stunning that made the kid in me wish I grew up there. It's not going to blow your socks off, but it's a fascinating and enjoyable attraction. read more

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I love this free musuem! Its smack dab in the middle of Old Town and is set up to look like a hacienda home in the mexican period of San Diego history. It has a beautiful courtyard garden, several rooms to peek in and see how a family lived back in the day. This location was famous at the turn of the century for being the supposed "Wedding Place of Ramona" who was a character in a novel by Helen Hunt Jackson. People came from all over and pretty much tore this place apart, taking pieces of tile and bricks, etc. So a lot of what you see if restored. It's supposed to be haunted by several ghosts, including a priest and one of the owners of the house. The TV show Ghost Adventures investigated here, but you cant really trust them because they essentially made stuff up about the other place they were investigating in the same episode, which happens to be directly across the street. However, I used to know someone who volunteered there a while ago and she said that she indeed experienced things. This is an all around great place to stop by when you are in Old Town. Its nice, its pretty, Its free, Its historic and culturally significant for San Diego. read more

I love historic places and historic homes are at the top of my list. This is the jewel of Old Town and I always wander around the casa when I visit Old Town. It's always kept impeccable, gardens are lush, and tour guides are super nice. read more

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Duplicate listing, kind of. Go here for a better sense of where La Casa de Estudillo is and see all of its reviews here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-casa-de-estudillo-san-diego read more

This is where Ramona got married, but you cannot buy the floor tiles anymore.

I had the most humiliating experience ever, I will never consider going back. My daughter, mother and I decided to go to Old Town after spending most of the day at the zoo. We decided to visit the house since the first time we were there it was closed already. We walked in and we were shortly "greeted" by an employee/attendant who asked if we were there for the wedding. I replied no, we just wanted to tour the house. She was EXTREMELY rude and stated "you have to get out!, we're closed for a private event!" She then proceeded to kick us out by waiving her hands signaling to get out. Moreover, she then loudly shut the door as we stepped out. I was so appalled by her lack of courtesy that I was speechless. What happened to common courtesy? A simple, "I'm sorry, were closed at the moment" would have sufficed. I have never in my life been kicked out of a place. I highly recommend this lady receives some training on customer service. This happened on 10/15 at around 6:00 pm. read more

This place is always an entertaining place to go to with new people. I love it, it's absolutely beautiful and incredibly haunted. The instant you walk in you can tell it's just plain strange, it's hard to describe but you feel like you are just not wanted. It's kind of become a joke in my family to take my dad there to get "whipped" the instant he goes in he gets what appears to be scratched. The longer he's in there the worse it gets. The worse I've physically seen it, it was raised and inflamed scratch it was pretty bad and it was whip like. This last time today we stopped at the church on the corner beforehand and he did the sign of the cross with holy water. As an experiment we checked his back before we got near to la casa de estudillo just to make sure he didn't scratch himself (My boyfriend hasn't seen it happen and he wasn't a believer) before we even walked in which has never happened before he was immediately scratched and refused to go in. It's crazy that it happens every time! I took a photo of it this last time, but let me tell you this time wasn't the worse but we also didn't go completely in. read more