Most days, at least a couple of tour groups can be spotted making their way through Chicano Park, the park tucked under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan.

Folks stop to snap selfies in front of the colorful murals as they learn about the park’s history and significance.

Photo by Sam Hodgson
Photo by Sam Hodgson

Each mural has a story. Each artist who helped paint the murals has a story. And of course, the park itself has a story that’s packed with politics, turmoil and community pride.

Photo by Kinsee Morlan
Photo by Kinsee Morlan

For now, volunteer tour guides – local educators, historians, longtime neighborhood residents and the Chicano Park muralists themselves – are the keepers of the park’s history.

But those guides are getting older and some have already passed away. That’s part of what’s behind the push to turn a vacant, city-owned building that borders the park into a museum where the park’s narrative can be stored and accessed by the public for decades to come.

Photo by Kinsee Morlan
Photo by Kinsee Morlan

In episode three of Culturecast, VOSD’s podcast covering the intersection of arts and gentrification in Barrio Logan, I dig deep into the movement to open the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.

Subscribe to Culturecast on iTunes or get the RSS feed here. Stream it here. Request a transcription of the show.

Kinsee Morlan was formerly the Engagement Editor at Voice of San Diego and author of the Culture Report. She also managed VOSD’s podcasts and covered...

Leave a comment

We expect all commenters to be constructive and civil. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. You are welcome to flag comments to us. You are welcome to submit an opinion piece for our editors to review.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.