A little piece of Puerto Rico has a home in Balboa Park. House of Puerto Rico San Diego brings Boricua history, books and community into a cottage known as La Casita. For Puerto Ricans in San Diego County, it offers a place to reconnect with their roots. For visitors, it is an invitation to learn about the island through the people who keep its traditions alive in Southern California.
From La Casa To La Casita
The organization began in 1972 as La Casa de Puerto Rico. According to its official history, Puerto Rican families led by Doña Casilda Pagán came together to preserve their heritage and build a community far from the island.
The cottage came later. In February 2006, House of Puerto Rico San Diego opened La Casita among Balboa Park’s International Cottages. That distinction matters: the organization’s roots reach back decades before its permanent cottage opened. Today, the space serves as a museum and gathering place, connecting that history with people discovering it for the first time.
A Place To Explore Puerto Rican Culture
La Casita’s museum introduces visitors to Puerto Rican culture and history. The House of Pacific Relations’ organization profile describes exhibits and cultural programming, including Culture Corner presentations connected with members-and-friends gatherings.
The setting makes the visit especially approachable. You can include La Casita in a weekend walk through Balboa Park’s International Cottages, rather than waiting for a major festival. It is a chance to ask questions, explore a familiar part of your own heritage or introduce someone else to Puerto Rico. Check the organization’s calendar before planning around a particular presentation or gathering.
Books, Community And Cultural Gatherings
A Book Club You Can Join From Home
HPRSD’s book club explores works set in Puerto Rico, about Puerto Rico or Puerto Ricans, or written by Puerto Rican authors. Meetings take place on Zoom, usually on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Pacific, with the calendar taking precedence when a meeting date changes.
You do not need to be a member to attend the book club. Current membership is required to borrow the club’s selections from the Casita library. To receive the Zoom link, RSVP through the official book-club contact listed on its website.
For an upcoming opportunity to join, see our November 17 book-club preview, featuring Sarah McCoy’s The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico.
Gatherings Beyond The Cottage Doors
The official 2026 calendar shows how varied the organization’s community life can be: members-and-friends meetings, a Casita anniversary celebration, a Latino Film Festival outing, a Padres Puerto Rican heritage game and its Balboa Park lawn program. Those examples describe the year’s programming, not a list of events still to come.
For the remaining 2026 schedule, consult that calendar directly. Dates are subject to change, and an organization’s regular cottage hours should not be treated as the start time of a special event. Our CaliRicans event calendar is another place to find published coverage of Puerto Rican events around California.
Supporting Education And The Next Generation
Education is another part of HPRSD’s work. Its scholarship program includes awards named for Doña Casilda Pagán and Kelvin S. Carlisle, supporting eligible students pursuing educational or vocational goals.
The scholarship page connects this work to Pagán’s own story: she came from Aguas Buenas, moved to San Diego in 1967 and became the organization’s first president. Her commitment to education lives on in the award that bears her name.
The listed 2026 application deadline was July 31 and has passed. This feature is not an announcement of an open application period. Anyone interested in a future cycle should check directly with HPRSD for current eligibility, community-service requirements, application materials and deadlines.
How To Get Involved
You do not have to begin by organizing an event. One practical way to help is volunteering to host at La Casita. Hosts welcome visitors and help introduce them to Puerto Rico’s history and culture. HPRSD says new hosts are paired with someone who has hosted before, so newcomers are not expected to do it alone.
For people who want a more ongoing connection, the membership page lists individual and household options. As checked in October 2026, annual memberships are $35 for an individual and $40 for a household; confirm current terms before joining. The page also explains that members are expected to contribute at least 10 volunteer hours each year.
Joining a book discussion, visiting the cottage or asking about a hosting shift gives you a concrete starting point. Choose the kind of involvement that fits your interests and availability.
Visit House Of Puerto Rico San Diego
Cottage address: 2172 Pan American East Road, San Diego, CA 92101
Regular cottage hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific
Phone: (619) 259-0043
Email: hprsd@houseofpuertorico.com
Website: houseofpuertorico.com
These details were checked against HPRSD’s current contact page on October 25, 2026. Confirm hours before a special trip, especially around holidays or events. The cottage address above is for visits; the organization lists a separate mailing address on its website.
A Boricua Connection In Southern California
Puerto Rican community in California takes many forms, from long-standing clubs to local cultural spaces. Like the Club Puertorriqueño de San Francisco, House of Puerto Rico San Diego gives that connection a place to grow through shared activities and the time people choose to contribute.
If you have been looking for a Boricua connection in San Diego, a weekend visit to La Casita is a welcoming place to start. Explore more Puerto Rican organizations in California through CaliRicans, and find a community you would like to get to know.
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