Balboa Park Activity Center — Local services in San Diego

Showed up on a Saturday afternoon with little prior knowledge of this center, but wanting to play ping pong. The table tennis space was filled with tables and players but there was still space for us to play. Since we didn’t know how it worked, we were very thankful to be approached by a regular who explained the rules and how to set up a table. If you arrive and nobody helps you, here’s what we were told: bring your own paddles and ping pong balls. First time players can play for free but after that, it’s $5 per day or $50 for a yearly membership and access to free lessons. Then, find a table storage room and wheel it out to an open space on the floor (make sure your table has a net attached). Set up your table, make sure the wheels are locked and you’re good to go! The level of competitiveness and intensity is very high, but we were just there to have fun. It seems like most of the players here are very skilled and experienced which can be a little intimidating but there are barriers between tables which keeps the balls from rolling all over the place and it gives you a nice space to yourself. I recommend wearing athletic clothes and shoes. Non-athletic shoes aren’t allowed on the courts. You can find more info online with schedules of open play, tournaments, and other helpful stuff. There’s also other activities in the gym besides table tennis that we will check out...

Great place for Badminton. Mondays and Wednesdays they turn into volleyball courts so you can't Badminton after a certain time. There is a wait if you go during the peak hours. Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings are usually crowded. But you can still find a court but you will have to wait. They also give you a racquet if you are a newbie so feel free to drop by even if you don't...

The San Diego Senior Games have this location for the women's volleyball tournament in September. Nice facility, plenty of parking. They have restrooms, drinking fountains and large area for court set up. They also have smaller stadium benches to sit on. No AC, so floor fans are provided. Thankfully cooler year in 2025, so the gym didn't get too warm. Fun...