Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Address:	2510 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
Phone:	+1 619-298-3317
Site:	lds.org
Rating:	4.8
Working:	9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 14

Alex Lystrup

This historic site is one of the less informative ones Ive ever been to. I was expecting a detailed history of the Mormon Battalion, but I learned more on a quick read through of the related Wikipedia page than was available at the historic site. There is a small room at the end of the tour with a handful of underwhelming artifacts associated with the battalion and the surrounding time period, other than that the tour is entirely devoted to a multimedia presentation that presents a dramatization focused on a few of those who were involved in the battalion. The stories are a tad superficial and one sided, but that is to be expected. It was immediately apparent upon entering that the exhibit is not intended to provide a balanced and detailed look at the Mormon Battalion, but rather is intended to serve as a missionary tool for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The stories are chosen to exhibit the hand of God in the lives of the subjects and to validate Brigham Young as the rightful successor to Joseph Smith as the head of the church. You are invited at the end of the tour to invite missionaries to visit either your home or the home of someone you know. I would recommend this exhibit only for active members of the LDS church or for those interested in finding out more about it. I would not recommend it for those interested in learning more about history.

Michael Prestwich

I was surprised at how entertaining the 40 minute interactive film presentation was! It summarized the 2,000 mile historical journey of 500 Mormon men and women who joined the US Army in Iowa, marched to Santa Fe, then blazed a wagon road from there to San Diego. The film and presentations are based on 80 diaries written by the participants. I liked the story of the 9-year-old boy who followed the company until the commander allowed him to join. When the Mormons arrived in San Diego their one-year enlistment had not been completed so they went to work to improve this settlement. The dug wells, fired bricks, and the old courthouse that still stands near the Wells Fargo building. Even though this site is run by the Mormon Church, they made no attempt to preach or proselyte to us. They did not ask for, or even have a box for donations. They made their presentation light and fun! The have historical artifacts and old time photos at the end. There is also a place to pan for fools gold. There is nothing for sale, otherwise I would have liked to buy a book with more information about this historic trek!

Lisa Lee

My husband and I were creeped out by the entire tour. Its cool and interactive, but only if you are Mormon or like Mormon history. I appreciated their efforts to act, but honestly it was really cheesy and forced. We cringed our way through the tour. I was also creeped out by the way they looked at us from across the street and then quietly smiled as we walked in. I think I would have much appreciated it if there was just a quiet museum side to walk in and look at. Oh and this isnt San Diego history. This is Mormon history leading up to San Diego.

Zed star

My wife and I were attracted by the nice looking building and while taking exterior photos we were invited to see the inside via a guided tour with other visitors.The center is staffed by young women doing their 2 year Mormon missions.The show dragged on for an hour and there were many not too subtle recruitment attempts along the way.The staff were nice enough to let us take photos inside which we appreciated however its all about the promotion of Mormonism and much less about history as we know it.

Jayson Seegmiller

My wife grew up in San Diego and has so many wonderful memories of this place. We have traveled here many time with our children and visited the Mormon Battalion Historic Site, supper interactive and the kids love it. I am so glad that the Mormon Church has this place for the people of San Diego to visit. The missionaries are friendly and the tour is Free to everyone. The Mormon Battalion did so much to help improve the area and settle San Diego. I highly recommend EVERYONE to attend!

Kerron Mitchell

This is a fun little exhibit on the Mormon Battalion! They take you from room to room and give you a good idea of what happened during the Mormon Battalion era. This does play into how San Diego really got it start as well. So its a good history lesson for anyone who wants to learn more about it. Very friendly staff. And you get your free picture taken and a chance to pan for gold.

Randy Allred

Wow. Loved it. My kids loved the hands on activities and computer games. One of my best museum/ tour experiences. Ask the missionaries for restaurant recommendations or other activities. The missionaries have good suggestions and might have a card with coupons too. I also liked heritage park right next to the Mormon battalion. My kids loved it and wanted to go back the next day.

John Mulholland

Interesting and interactive. There were activities for children at the end and the way the stories were portrayed pulled you in. We did feel there were too many missionaries at the beginning which caused you to feel overwhelmed. They had difficulty accommodating the number of people there. We were glad that the missionaries werent too pushy and that it was free, with parking.

Rafael Gamero

We went to the Historic Site on 7-25-14,we took a tour that tells the story of the Battalion March,It is about 45 minutes,but if was so much fun,it felt only 10 minutes have gone by,and the tour guide(Sister Kennedy),was so nice and make us feel welcome.my entire Family was very mood by the story. If you visit old town San Diego,you have to stop by the Mormon Battalion Site.

Ben Mosey

This is an awesome place for kids to learn some of the history of the colonization of the American frontier. Few people know the history of the Mormon Battalion and the effect they had on shaping southern California and the American west. The lessons taught here are very interactive (if a little cheesy) and fun. Definitely worth stopping in. Best part -- COMPLETELY FREE!

Aren Anderton

Not your average historical site. Im not going to go into too much detail as to ruin it, but the tours are more involving than you might expect. Unlike a typical historical site, this place will keep children and adults alike interested. I definitely recommend visiting this location if youre already considering it. And if you are not considering it, maybe you need to.

Simon N

Learned about a part of San Diego that I didnt know anything about. Amazing for a FREE museum. Of course there are subtle undertones of Mormonism, but it was not overwhelming and they were not pressuring you at all. The actual museum was world class and seemed like a Disneyland ride! Takes about 45 min but well worth it if you have the time. Very friendly staff.

Jacanita Harris

We bring visiting guests here EVERYTIME, it is a staple in our "entertain guests" agenda. AND its FREE! The interactive tour is great for the young and "older" and everyone in-between. Even though I have been on the tour dozens of times, it never gets old... its a fascinating story of San Diegos history, one of many but definitely one the best stories told.

Danielle Wilson

Fully interactive for kids of all ages! We loved it as adult too, interesting piece of history even if you are not Mormon this is a great place to stop for some interactive ;fun! Plan for about two hours, leave the stroller in the car. Kids may get wet during panning for gold, extra pair of clothes a good idea. We went right at open, perfect time of day.