Balboa Park was originally called “City Park,” but was renamed after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, in honor of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, held in the Park that year.  Balboa Park was declared a National Historic Landmark, and a National Historic Landmark District in 1977.  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as, one of the Great Places in America.  The Park is managed and maintained by The City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, and supported by dozens of other non-profit organizations.  You can learn more about a few of these organizations, and their missions.