Landmarks and Public Art

Explore San Diego’s diverse heritage through its monuments and public installations. This collection includes the 19th-century Old Point Loma Lighthouse, the 25-foot 'Unconditional Surrender' statue on the Embarcadero, and modern works like Do Ho Suh’s 'Fallen Star.' Historical markers highlight the Butterfield Overland Mail route and Civil War-era camps, while memorials honor military service and local history from the coast to the Cuyamaca Mountains.

Cpl Aubry L. Buzek / Public domain

The Unconditional Surrender

This statue by Seward Johnson resembles a photograph of the most famous kiss in the world - The Kiss of American sailor and a woman in a…

Ctorbann / CC BY-SA 3.0

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo

Cabrillo National Monument is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California, United States.

Veroni / CC BY-SA 3.0

Old Point Loma Lighthouse

The original Point Loma Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on the Point Loma peninsula at the mouth of San Diego Bay in San Diego,…

Zacharias Mitzelos / CC BY-SA 2.0

Fallen Star

Fallen Star is an art installation by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh on the grounds of the University of California San Diego.

"Pacific Portal"

A bronze and stone sculpture by James Hubbell at Shelter Island, designed as a symbolic gate to celebrate cultural connections among Pacific Rim nations.

RightCowLeftCoast / CC BY-SA 4.0

Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico

The Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico is the westernmost boundary marker on the international boundary between the United…

Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0

Waldo Waterman Monument

This is a List of San Diego Historic Landmarks. In 1967, the City of San Diego established a Historical Resources Board with the authority…

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

This state park features historic sites including the remains of the Dyar House and various markers commemorating early California settlers and the region's natural history.

Spacemountainmike / CC BY-SA 3.0

San Ysidro Massacre Memorial

Located at Southwestern College, this memorial features 21 hexagonal marble pillars designed by Roberto Valdes to honor the victims of the 1984 tragedy.

Martha Harville Memorial Oak Grove

A dedicated grove in Poway honoring the memory of local conservationist Martha Harville and her contributions to the community's natural spaces.

Oak Grove Stage Station Historical Marker

California Historical Landmark #302, this site preserves the location of a key station on the Butterfield Overland Mail route used from 1858 to 1861.

Camp Wright Historical Marker

A California Historical Landmark marking the 1861 site of a military camp established to protect the supply route to Fort Yuma during the Civil War.

Mountain Springs Station

A historic stagecoach stop and watering hole along the arduous mountain pass connecting San Diego to the desert regions of the Imperial Valley.

Airplane Monument

Located within Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, this marker commemorates the 1922 crash of a U.S. Army plane piloted by Colonel Marshall and Lieutenant Webber.

Battlefield Historical Monument

Commemorates the 1846 Battle of San Pasqual, the bloodiest engagement in California during the Mexican-American War between U.S. forces and Californio Lancers.

Camp Pendleton

A major Marine Corps base containing the historic Las Flores Adobe and sites related to the region's transition from Spanish ranchos to military use.

Vietnam Unit Memorial Monument

Situated at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, this monument honors the Navy and Coast Guard personnel who served in small-craft units during the Vietnam War.