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A New Way to Explore Historic Seventh Avenue
Self-Guided Walking Tour Booklet
By Alana Coons
July/August 2026
 For many visitors to the George Marston House Museum & Gardens, the historic homes along the entire 3500 block of Seventh Avenue are one of the most fascinating and most frequently asked-about features of this neighborhood. Until now, the only way to fully experience the stories of these remarkable residences and the people who commissioned their fine architecture was via SOHO’s monthly guided walking tours.
Historic Seventh Avenue: A Self-Guided Walking Tour is a beautifully illustrated, 40-page booklet that invites readers to explore at their own pace one of San Diego’s most architecturally significant and quietly remarkable residential streets. Nestled along the northwest edge of Balboa Park, the block was developed beginning in 1903, when civic leader George W. Marston and his wife, Anna Lee, first recognized the potential of what was then a rugged, undeveloped mesa. Standing at 3525 Seventh Avenue, the Marston House (1905) and its sweeping lawn and florid gardens were the block’s first, and they continue to offer an elegant entry into the enclave.
Over the next decade, this intriguing cul-de-sac became home to an extraordinary collection of Arts and Crafts-era residences designed by some of our region’s most influential architects, including Irving J. Gill, Louis J. Gill, William S. Hebbard, Richard S. Requa, and Hazel Wood Waterman. Equally important is the block’s landscape heritage, shaped by pioneering horticulturist Kate Sessions and other prominent landscape designers whose work helped define the character of both the neighborhood and nearby Balboa Park.
SOHO’s new booklet vividly recalls this history through historic photographs, architectural drawings, landscape history, and detailed descriptions of the homes and the people who lived there. Designed as a companion for a leisurely walk through the area, it allows readers to discover how architecture, landscape design, and civic vision converged to create one of San Diego’s most picturesque historic streets.
For those who have long been curious about the historic homes that line Seventh Avenue—or for anyone who enjoys delving into San Diego’s architectural history—this new guide offers the perfect opportunity to experience one of the city’s best-kept secrets.
Available now at the Marston House Museum Shop. Purchase online or visit the shop in person at 3525 Seventh Avenue, 92103.
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