After an 80-year closure, California Tower at Balboa Park’s Museum of Man will reopen to the public on Jan. 1.
The 150-foot tower, which offers sweeping views of San Diego and can be seen from many points in the city, was closed after the second Panama-California Exposition in 1935. Like many structures in the park, it was built for the first Panama-California Exposition in 1915. Museum officials said no records exist that adequately explain why the tower was sealed off. The structure has undergone a seismic retrofit and might need another in 2016.
The museum also announced a campaign to raise $3 million to pay for remodeling of the tower, safety improvements and a long-term tower fund and for investments in other parts of the institution. –City News Service