San Diego Bonsai Club — Balboa Park Meetings Since 1965

What it is

The San Diego Bonsai Club (SDBC) is a San Diego bonsai club. Its main identity is the monthly club meeting at the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park, plus calendar-year membership dues, the award-winning newsletter The Bonsai Wire, and spring and fall public shows. The official Overview says SDBC was founded in 1965 as a non-profit California 501(c)(3) and is one of the oldest bonsai clubs in the state. Club members care for two club-owned collections: the Bonsai Pavilion at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and a collection at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. SDBC is a member of the Golden State Bonsai Federation. It is not a commercial nursery and not a museum tuition class series.

Who it’s for

San Diego County bonsai enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced growers, who want a club with second-Sunday morning meetings in Balboa Park. Members get visiting-master demos, lectures, critiques, and workshops, a monthly sales table, a lending library, field trips, and a chance to show trees at the spring and fall shows. Membership Benefits says membership is open to anyone interested in bonsai, and people under 12 can join with an adult member as sponsor. Guests should check each date and room on the live 2026 Calendar, because several months meet away from Casa del Prado. They should also check Balboa Park parking fees before traveling.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party club site. It lists a meeting place and regular cadence, a dated 2026 calendar, dues with online payment tiers, and Overview / Contact context. It is not a Facebook-only club and not a scraped directory card. (San Diego Bonsai Club was held as the Clubs alternate on the Thu Sep 24 ship. It is used as planned this ship, rechecked today.)

Meeting place / cadence (Overview + Activities, checked 2026-09-25):
- Meetings are at the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park, generally on the second Sunday of each month at 10:30 AM, except in May and October.
- In May the club meets at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a program and picnic. In October it meets at Lake Poway for a picnic and fundraiser auction.
- Beginning and intermediate classes start before meetings at 8:30 AM. The Bonsai Library is in Room 104, Casa del Prado.
2026 calendar samples (2026 Calendar + home, checked today):
- September 25: Fall Show room setup, Casa del Prado Room 101.
- September 26–27, 2026: Fall Bonsai Show, Room 101, Casa del Prado, Balboa Park.
- October 11, 2026: Annual Picnic and Auction, Lake Poway Pavilion, 14644 Lake Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Poway lists a $10 non-resident parking fee, but the club bought 50 non-resident vehicle permits.
- November 8, 2026: Monthly Meeting at the War Memorial Building, 3325 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92103, not Casa del Prado.
- December 13, 2026: year-end meeting, Casa del Prado Rooms 101 & 104.
Membership / dues (Membership Form + Membership Benefits, checked today):
- Individual $30.00; 2 people $35.00; 3 people $40.00. Benefits describes this as $30 individual plus $5 for each additional family member.
- Dues run by calendar year: payment is due January 1 and past due March 1. New members who join after September 1 are considered paid through the following year.
- You can pay online through Square after submitting the form, or in person at a monthly meeting. New members get a welcome package, an engraved name tag, and the newsletter.
Club identity / contact (Contact + Overview, checked today): mailing address San Diego Bonsai Club, PO Box 86037, San Diego CA 92138-6037. There is a contact form, and care questions go to the club Facebook group. The officer roster names President John Holloway, and the page states “SDBC has no paid positions.” Club-sponsored beginner classes, study groups, and private lessons do not make this a Learning card.

Meeting times, dues, and calendar samples above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live 2026 Calendar, Membership, and Contact pages before joining or traveling.

Official URL

https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/

2026 Calendar: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/2026-calendar.html
Membership Form (dues): https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/membership.html
Membership Benefits: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/membership-benefits.html
Overview of Club: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/overview-of-club.html
Activities: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/activities.html
Contact: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/contact.html

Location

Meeting place: Casa del Prado building, Balboa Park, San Diego (Room 101 for shows and meetings; library in Room 104).
Regular meetings: generally the second Sunday at 10:30 AM, with classes from 8:30 AM. May meetings are at the Safari Park and October at Lake Poway. The November 8, 2026 meeting moves to the War Memorial Building, 3325 Zoo Drive.
Club mail: PO Box 86037, San Diego CA 92138-6037.
Parking: the home page notes that Balboa Park parking fees apply for now. The City agreed to remove them no later than January 1, 2027.

This is a club meeting / show / demo address. It is not a retail nursery showroom and not a museum or botanic-garden tuition desk.

Notes

Category is Clubs. SDBC is a first-party nonprofit club with a meeting place, a second-Sunday cadence, a dated 2026 calendar, and dues. Not a nursery. Member classes, study groups, and the show sales area do not make this card Learning.
Second Sunday 10:30 AM at Casa del Prado, dues of $30 / $35 / $40, the “join after Sept 1 counts for next year” rule, and the Sep 26–27 / Oct 11 / Nov 8 / Dec 13 2026 samples come from official pages checked on 2026-09-25 and may change.
The site does not print a street number for Casa del Prado. Use Balboa Park wayfinding.
Pics optional for this Friday card; no listing image saved beside this file.
Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza.
No Bonsai Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: When and where does SDBC meet?
A: According to Overview and Activities (checked 2026-09-25), SDBC meets at the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park, generally on the second Sunday of each month at 10:30 AM. The exceptions are May (Safari Park) and October (Lake Poway picnic and auction on Oct 11, 2026). On November 8, 2026 the meeting is at the War Memorial Building, 3325 Zoo Drive. Confirm on https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/2026-calendar.html

Q: What are the dues?
A: The Membership Form (checked 2026-09-25) lists $30 individual, $35 for 2 people, and $40 for 3 people. Dues run by calendar year, due January 1. New members joining after September 1 are paid through the following year. You can pay online via Square or at a meeting. Confirm live: https://www.sandiegobonsaiclub.com/membership.html

Q: I’m new. Where do I start, and is this a Learning listing?
A: Visit the Fall Bonsai Show (Sep 26–27, 2026, Room 101, Casa del Prado) or a monthly meeting, then join to get access to the club’s beginner classes. SDBC stays Clubs. Its classes are member programming, not a standalone curriculum-first Learning card.