Today the San Diego City Council approved a fee structure for parking passes for all Balboa Park parking lots and in-park roads. The fees include monthly, quarterly and annual options for both verified residents of the City of San Diego and non-residents, who will pay a higher rate. For those not purchasing passes, parking will be available on Balboa Park roads for $2.50 an hour, and in the lots for daily fees ranging from $5 to $16. 

Paid parking in Balboa Park is expected to begin Jan. 5, 2026. To obtain discounted passes, City residents must register their vehicle’s license plate via an online portal, which is currently in development. Parking will remain free for staff and volunteers who are registered and working with park-based organizations while working in the park. Additionally, free parking will still be available for all visitors in the Lower Inspiration Point parking lot for the first three hours. 

Individuals with a valid ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) placard displayed can also park for free in the designated spaces within parking lots and anywhere on park roads. 

The rates for the parking passes will be as follows:  

• City of San Diego residents – Monthly, $30; Quarterly, $60; Annual, $150
• Non-residents – Monthly, $40; Quarterly, $120; Annual, $300 

Hourly and daily parking rates for the Balboa Park parking lots, which were previously approved by the Council, will vary depending on the location of the lot and its proximity to the central park attractions and will be enforced from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: 

• Level 1 lots: Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades, South Carousel
  • Resident rate: $8 per day and $5 for up to 4 hours
  • Non-resident rate: $16 per day and $10 for up to 4 hours
• Level 2 lots: Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, Marston Point
  • Resident rate: $5 per day
  • Non-resident rate: $10 per day
• Level 3 lot: Lower Inspiration Point
  • Resident rate: $5 per day with the first 3 hours free
  • Non-resident rate: $10 per day with the first 3 hours free
• Meter rates on in-park roads will be $2.50 per hour with a maximum of $10 per day. 

Installation of new striping, signage, and parking meters and kiosks will begin on Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard, adjacent to Balboa Park, as soon as tomorrow, Nov. 19. New parking meters and kiosks will be installed within Balboa Park lots and park roads starting in December. While the meters and kiosks within the parking lots and roads will not be activated until Jan. 5, meters on Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard will begin collecting fees as soon as they are installed. Meter rates on Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard will be $2.50 an hour with a four-hour maximum. 

Parking revenues collected within Balboa Park must be reinvested in the park, with eligible expenses to include park operations and maintenance. Revenues collected from the Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard meters may be reinvested in the park and surrounding streets, and those funds can only be used for traffic safety, mobility and transportation-related infrastructure needs. 

A free tram service will continue to serve visitors, traveling from the Inspiration Point parking lot to a variety of stops within Balboa Park. All trams are equipped with ADA-accessible ramps. As the paid parking program rolls out, tram and shuttle service times and stops will be expanded to include an on-demand service for employees and volunteers. Information on this program will be rolled out closer to the implementation date. 

The City Council also approved new user fees for special event parking for organizations holding special events within Balboa Park that either use a parking lot or park road or prohibit access to a parking lot or park road during the event. Those fees will vary depending on whether the organization is a nonprofit, the amount of space needed, the duration of the event, and other factors. 

For questions related to parking in the San Diego Zoo lot, please contact the Zoo or visit the Zoo’s parking website.