Belmont Park is a small seaside amusement park in the Mission Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California, that opened on July 4, 1925, as part of developer John D. Spreckels’ plan to promote his electric railway and beachfront real estate. Nearly a century later, it remains one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, mixing vintage carnival charm with modern additions like zip lines and a 7D theater.
The park’s centerpiece is the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster designed by Frank Prior and Frederick Church that has run above the boardwalk since the park’s opening day. Despite a 1955 fire, earthquake damage, and a park closure in 1976, a citizen-led preservation effort saved the ride, and it reopened after restoration in 1990, cementing Belmont Park’s identity as a living piece of Southern California beach history.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Mission Beach, San Diego, California
- Operator: Eat.Drink.Sleep (Pacifica Enterprises LLC)
- Opened: July 4, 1925 (as Mission Beach Amusement Center; renamed Belmont Park in 1955)
- Size: About 4 acres
- Annual Visitors: Reported in the millions, though exact figures vary by source
- Signature Attraction: Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, a National Historic Landmark (1925)
The Giant Dipper’s Survival Story
The Giant Dipper is one of only a handful of wooden roller coasters from the 1920s still operating in the United States. It has survived a 1955 fire that destroyed its engine room and loading area, decades of coastal weather, and a 1976 park closure that put its future in doubt. A grassroots “Save the Coaster Committee” campaigned to protect the ride from demolition, and after a multi-year restoration it reopened to the public on August 11, 1990.
The National Register of Historic Places listed the coaster in 1978, and it was later designated a National Historic Landmark, recognition that reflects both its age and its rarity as a surviving example of early American amusement park engineering.
A Beachfront Hub Beyond the Coaster
Belmont Park sits directly on the Mission Beach boardwalk, giving it a setting unlike most amusement parks: the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay are steps away from the rides. Alongside the Giant Dipper, the compact park has historically included attractions such as a Tilt-A-Whirl, a drop tower, and a carousel, plus the historic Plunge indoor pool, which reopened in 2019 after a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Because the park occupies only a few acres within a dense beach community, it has evolved over the decades by adding newer draws like ropes courses and a 7D theater rather than expanding its footprint, keeping it a walkable stop for both tourists and longtime San Diego locals.
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Roller Coasters at Belmont Park
Every Belmont Park coaster ThrillZing has covered — stats, ride experience and history for each:
Belmont Park FAQs
Is Belmont Park still open today?
Yes. Belmont Park continues to operate in Mission Beach, San Diego, with the Giant Dipper roller coaster and a mix of other rides and attractions.
How old is the Giant Dipper roller coaster?
The Giant Dipper opened on July 4, 1925, making it one of the oldest wooden roller coasters still running in the United States.
Why is the Giant Dipper considered historic?
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and later named a National Historic Landmark, recognition earned after community preservationists saved it from demolition following the park’s 1976 closure.
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Photo: David S. Roberts / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.