History of Friendship Park

Friendship Park is located within the Border Field State Park in San Diego California. Established in 1974, the park encompassed four hundred eighteen acres of land in the Tijuana Estuary to enhance public access to its natural and cultural features.  Lying along the Pacific Coast and adjacent to Mexico, the new development allowed access to the beach and more importantly historic Monument Mesa.  On top the Coastal Mesa rests border marker 258, originally marker 1, observing the U.S. Mexico boundary, established in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1849.  Over one hundred fifty-nine years ago the Boundary Joint Commission met at that exact location in San Diego to survey the land and divide their countries.  In the 1880’s a monument was placed to commemorate the initial point of the boundary and celebrate a friendship between the two nations.  In 1971 Pat Nixon, the wife of President Richard Nixon, commemorated this beautiful spot as friendship park or parque de amistad, a place where friends and family could meet, despite nationality.
Go Here to read Nicholas Corrette's thesis on Friendship Park

What it was. The Park supported

Gatherings Over the years there have been many
bi-national gatherings at the Monument

FamiliesSeparated by the border meet for picnics.

FriendshipAcross a border

Palm Trees at Posada sin fronteras celebration on December 15, 2007

People gathered on both sides of the border again this year at Border Field State Park to celebrate Christian hope, hospitality and catholicity. In the contemporary practice of the Mexican church, people celebrate hospitality with a party as there was no room in the inn for Mary and Joseph. In the ancient practice of the Church (Works of Mercy), we specifically took time to mourn for those who have died crossing the border. The theme for this year's (14th annual) Posada Sin Fronteras was Familias sin fronteras, or families without borders.



See more pictures of the event