The Botanical Building is a historic building in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Built for the 1915âÂÂ16 PanamaâÂÂCalifornia Exposition, it remains one of the largest lath structures in the world. Alfred D. Robinson (1867âÂÂ1942), founder and president of the San Diego Floral Society, suggested the construction of a lath house as a feature of the PanamaâÂÂCalifornia Exposition, which was to open in the City of San Diego on January 1, 1915.
The building was closed in 2021 for renovations and reopened three years later in December 2024.
A garden and Lily Pond was built in front of the building in 1915 for the PanamaâÂÂCalifornia Exposition. During World War I and II, the navy used the pond for swimming lessons.