Cabrillo National Monument
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Cabrillo National Monument
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| Nearest city | San Diego, California |
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| Coordinates | 32°40′23″N 117°14′19″W / 32.67306°N 117.23861°WCoordinates: 32°40′23″N 117°14′19″W / 32.67306°N 117.23861°W |
| Area | 143.9 acres (58.2 ha) |
| Built | 1542 |
| Architect | US Lighthouse Board; National Park Service |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| Visitation | 877,951 (2012) |
| Website | Cabrillo National Monument |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000224 |
| CHISL # | 56 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NMON | October 14, 1913 |
| Designated CHISL | 1932 |
Cabrillo National Monument is located at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later became the West Coast of the United States. The site was designated as California Historical Landmark #56 in 1932. As with all historical units of the National Park Service, Cabrillo was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
The annual Cabrillo Festival Open House is held on a Sunday each October. It commemorates Cabrillo with a reenactment of his landing at Ballast Point, in San Diego Bay. Other events are held above at the National Monument and include Kumeyaay, Portuguese, and Mexican singing and dancing, booths with period and regional food, a historical reenactment of a 16th-century encampment, and children's activities.
The park offers a view of San Diego's harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. On clear days, a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Tijuana, and Mexico's Coronado Islands are also visible. A visitor center screens a film about Cabrillo's voyage and has exhibits about the expedition.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is the highest point in the park and has been a San Diego icon since 1855. The lighthouse was closed in 1891, and a new one opened at a lower elevation, because fog and low clouds often obscured the light at its location 129 meters (422 feet) above sea level. The old lighthouse is now a museum, and visitors may enter it and view some of the living areas there.
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Wikipedia