Horton Plaza Park, Park in downtown San Diego, US

Horton Plaza Park is a 53,000-square-foot outdoor plaza at 4th Avenue and Broadway, split into a South Plaza, an amphitheater and the Historic Park. A low curved wall of tan stone blocks carries the name "HORTON PLAZA PARK" above a short flight of pale steps with metal handrails. Behind it, eight 23-foot color-changing metal light sculptures taper upward among small trees and palms, with a dark rectangular structure and round planters between them. The centerpiece is Irving Gill's 1910 Broadway Fountain.

The land was given to the city by Alonzo Horton in the late 1800s, and the park took its present shape with a fountain and walkways in 1910. A major renovation in the 2010s expanded it southward and reopened it in 2016 with new water features and seating.

The fountain at the center is the Broadway Fountain, designed by Irving Gill and completed in 1910; its frieze reads "Broadway Fountain for the People." It was first called the L. J. Wilde Electric Fountain after banker Louis J. Wilde, who gave $10,000 toward it. The plaza also holds eight 23-foot color-changing light sculptures and a booth run by the San Diego Performing Arts League selling tickets to local attractions.

Wear comfortable shoes because the ground is flat but the park is small, so it is easy to walk across in a few minutes. Go during daylight if you want to sit quietly, while evenings bring more lights and small performances.

Cold weather once made the water in the old Broadway Fountain freeze solid, a rare sight in this mild coastal city. A weather kiosk from the early 1900s also stood here, giving downtown workers a place to check daily conditions before forecast apps existed.