South of Pacific Beach, west of Mission Bay and just east of the warm sands of Mission Beach is a sight unique in San Diego: a roller coaster, and an antique one at that.
The coaster — the Giant Dipper — was built during the era of flappers, had its heyday during World War II, fell into disrepair while flower children were the rage, and was resurrected while most UCSD students were learning long division.
Belmont Park, the amusement park surrounding the Giant Dipper, opened in 1925 as the Mission Beach Amusement Center, the pet project of San Diego sugar magnate John D. Spreckels. It was his funding that brought the 2,600-foot long coaster to life. The Giant Dipper was built in less than two months by a crew of more than 100 workers. The entire project cost only $150,000.
The coaster had its first go-round on July 4, 1925, just a few short weeks after the park itself opened.
As San Diego grew in the 1930s and 1940s, the park enjoyed growing popularity. It was late in the 1940s that the Mission Beach Amusement Center was renamed Belmont Park.
The park hit hard times in the late 1960s and early 1970s and eventually closed down in December 1976.
Belmont Park faced its most troubling times in the early 1980s when city officials decided to demolish the Giant Dipper, which had become an eyesore in the community after surviving several fires and becoming the home of transients.
The Giant Dipper may well have been demolished if not for the work of a group of concerned citizens who called themselves the “”Save the Coaster Committee.”” These people rallied around the coaster and had it designated a national landmark.
The rights to the coaster were transferred from the city to the “”Save the Coaster Committee,”” which tried to raise enough money to restore it. When committee members failed to raise the necessary money, they turned to the Santa Cruz Seaside Company, the owners of the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, Calif., to help renovate the coaster.
After $2 million in renovations, the Giant Dipper roller coaster reopened to the public on Aug. 11, 1990, as the center of the new Belmont Park retail specialty center.
Since its reopening, the coaster has been the site of two “”Whirl ‘Til You Hurl”” competitions hosted by local radio station STAR 100.7. Belmont Park itself has also hit the national spotlight as the site of MTV’s “”SoCal Summer”” in the summer of 2000.
Today, interested parties can brave the insanity that is parking at Belmont to peruse the various shops that line the path going through Belmont Park.
There are also other rides designed for those not quite brave enough for the mighty wooden coaster. A historic carousel along with a three-story vertical plunge, bumper cars and a tilt-a-whirl are all main attractions at the park. Pirate’s Cove is a place for younger children that includes many games and activities.
If you’re hungry while at the park, there is always Chillers, a restaurant with a splendid view of the ocean from its sun deck. At night, Chillers heats up with live music and dancing.
Belmont Park has certainly passed the test of time as it has endured 77 years, a few fires and a closing. It keeps going strong today and looks to be around for years to come.
The park, at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and West Mission Bay Drive, opens at 11 a.m. every day. Closing times are seasonal. Call (858) 488-1549 for more information.
