Period Attire Program

Photo of a group of people in various types of period attire ranging in date from 1821 through 1872

Photo of a woman in period undergarments in the Casa de Estudillo garden

Black and White photo of a woman in historical Californio attire

Photo of a man in black Californio attire with red trim and a white shirt

Photo of a man and a woman in American Period clothing from the later 1800s

Photo of a woman in period undergarments holding up her petticoats to look at her shoes

A woman in a long period dress looking in a mirror to tie her bonnet

Statement of Purpose

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s mission is to “provide to the park visitor the opportunity to experience the setting of the original town (pueblo) of San Diego.” In union with the mission, the purpose of the Period Attire Program in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is to further that endeavor by thoughtfully and carefully dressing staff and volunteers in nineteenth century reproduction clothing, also known as period attire, to enhance the interpretive presentations and cultural landscape of the park for visitors from all over the world. Currently, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park has the largest period attire program within California State Parks and is the most visited historic park in the state. A culturally responsive and historically accurate period attire program offers the public a deeper connection to the past and provides a better understanding of the vibrancy of nineteenth century San Diego. As described in the park’s 2005 Strategic Plan for Interpretation, accurate period clothing contributes to the look, feel, and ambiance of the park, especially in relation to its primary interpretive period of 1821 to 1872. Old Town San Diego’s Period Attire program focuses on dressing staff and volunteers for third person interpretation from the decades 1845 to 1865 when both Californio and American cultural influences were present. When visitors are engaged in a setting where park representatives are wearing accurate period attire, it inspires their educational experience and ultimately invites them back to the park. Taking guidance from the latest research from the public humanities, including the fields of critical heritage studies, interpretation, and public engagement, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s Period Attire Program strives to represent the blending of cultures relevant to the park’s primary interpretive period, including Mexican/Californio and American attire, among others.

Form and Function: An Examination of Nineteenth Century Women's Underpinnings

Have you ever been interested in historical clothing? Learn how women in early California navigated wearing a multitude of undergarments and how it affected their daily lives in this video created by the Period Attire Program in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.