With its historic Giant Dipper roller coaster and indoor swimming pool the Plunge, both built in 1925, Belmont Park is San Diego’s offering to a nostalgic era where times were simpler, and the amusement park was where it all happened. Belmont Park in Mission Bay still draws thousands of people each year to enjoy not only the Big Dipper but other attractions including the Tilt-A-Whirl, a three-story drop called the Vertical Plunge, the Liberty Carousel, an artificial endless wave “Wave House”, an arcade, and bumper cars. Newer attractions include a pendulum ride called Beach Blaster and Chaos.
But the park’s landmark attraction is still the Giant Dipper, one of the two remaining antique wooden roller coasters in California, and a registered national landmark. It was closed from 1976 through 1990, opening due to a group of citizens working together as the “Save the Coaster Committee.”
The Plunge, Belmont’s indoor pool, also has a storied history starting as a salt water pool — in fact, the largest such pool in the entire world when it was built. The Plunge is located inside a beautifully architected Spanish Renaissance-style building, typical of those erected in San Diego’s Balboa Park between 1915 and 1916. Because of damage to the pool’s filter system, the pool now holds fresh water, but is still the largest indoor pool in Southern California.
The park has been renovated several times, and there are plans for further restoration and expansion, including the addition of new underground parking spaces, a new surfing reef, an indoor-outdoor water park, and a new hotel.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Vary by season and change periodically, please check with website for current hours
- Admission:
- Admission to the park is free, rides and attractions are priced separately, or you can buy a wristband for unlimited riding
- Contact:
- Location: 3146 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA
- Phone: 858-228-9283
- Website: www.belmontpark.com
