2 Best Sights in Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego

The oldest wooden house in San Diego houses the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, the district's curator. Before developer Alonzo Horton came to town, Davis, a prominent San Franciscan, had made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the waterfront area. In 1850 he had this prefab saltbox-style house, built in Maine, shipped around Cape Horn and assembled in San Diego (it originally stood at State and Market streets). Pre-booked private tours of the home are available on Tuesdays (starting at $20) and general admission runs Wednesday through Sunday (starting at $8). Walking tours ($25) of the historic district leave from the house on Thursday at 3 pm and Saturday at 11 am, and themed tours are also available depending on the season, such as a 30-minute "Strange & Spooky" tour in fall.

Featuring more than 20 immersive exhibits created by local and international artists, designers, and makers, the museum is a multisensory art and technology experience for all ages that challenges viewers to look at (and experience) art in a new way. Among its exhibits are Masterpiece, which allows interactive distortion of familiar works of art, as well as the disorienting Quantum Mirror and the game-like interactive One Minute. Don't miss the Compliment Machine for a quick pick-me-up, and be sure to schedule at least an hour (or two) for the full experience. Guests with sensory processing sensitivities to light and sound may wish to proceed with caution.