One of the most distinctive features of an Exposition rich in distinctive features was the Organ Pavilion at the south end of the esplanade connecting to the Plaza de Panama. Like their father, Claus Spreckels, who in 1900 gave an outdoor Music Temple to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, John D. Spreckels and Adolph B. Spreckels gave the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park to “the people of San Diego.” John D. Spreckels also hired Dr. Humphrey J. Stewart, a distinguished organist and composer, to give daily concerts throughout 1915. These concerts continued, at the expense of the Spreckels interests, until September 1, 1929.
The Spreckels Organ continues to thrill and entertain visitors to Balboa Park. Join the Spreckels Organ Society or view the current schedule of free organ concerts in Balboa Park.
