California Building and Tower (Museum of Us)

The California Building and its ornate California Tower were constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and are an example of Spanish-Colonial Revival/Churrigueresque architecture in Balboa Park. The building houses the Museum of Us (formerly the San Diego Museum of Man) and features detailed sculptural ornamentation and polychrome tile. After a multi-year restoration, the California Tower was reopened to the public for guided observation tours in 2015, offering panoramic views of Balboa Park and downtown San Diego. The building and tower are among the most photographed structures in Balboa Park.