Belmont Park is a great escape and a fun place for families in San Diego. It is a popular local attraction located right on Mission Beach. Belmont Park is a historic amusement park that was built in 1925. It was built by sugar industrialist John D. Spreckels who at the time was eager to develop the Mission Beach area. When it first opened, it had two iconic rides; the Giant Dipper, which was a huge rollercoaster made of wood, and one of the two original rollercoasters on the West Coast. The last time it was renovated was in 1990. There’s also the Plunge which used to be filled with salt water. It’s currently the largest indoor swimming pool in San Diego. It offers various aquatic programs all year long to San Diego residents.
Besides the plunge, Belmont Park has many attractions that are fun for all ages. One of the most popular rides is the wave house which has the FlowBarrel and FlowRider that allows visitors to surf even without any experience thanks to the latest sheet wave technology. There’s also the Game Arcade where you can play some popular games such as Guitar Hero and Deal or No Deal, and you can play fun games such as the Hi-Striker and Down the Clown at Midway Games. The entire family will have a great time playing unique golf at the Glow in the Dark Miniature Golf Course and wobbling through the mirror maze and the Lazer Maze Challenge. If you’re looking for something more active, then try out High Ropes Adventure or go rock climbing at Sky Climb.
The attractions are fun, but Belmont Park is also known for its many rides. Besides the most popular which is the Big Dipper Roller Coaster, there’s the Beach Blaster, Control Freak, Octotron, and the Vertical Jump which takes riders three stories high before dropping them down at dizzying speeds. Kids in particular will love the Speedway Bumper Cars; Tilt-A- Whirl, Krazy Kars and Thunder Boats. To finish off the day or night, you can ride on the Liberty Carousel.
One of the best things about Belmont Park besides its ideal location next to the beach is the free admission and parking. During the summer, the park is usually open from 11 am until 10 or 11 pm and up until midnight on weekends. In the fall, it’s open from 11 am to until 8 pm on the weekdays and until 10 pm Fridays and Sundays, and 11 pm on Saturdays.
Although admission to Belmont Park is free, visitors have to pay to go on most of the rides and attractions. You can get tickets for unlimited admission to certain rides and attractions through the park’s website. Get the unlimited ride wristband for those over 48 inches tall for $23.95 and the unlimited ride wristband for riders under 48 inches for $12.95. If you want to pay for individual attractions or combo packs, you can call (858) 488-1971 for ticket information.
Going on rides and attractions are not the only fun things to do while in Belmont Park. You can get tons of novelty items and clothing at the many Belmont Kiosks or the Beach & Resort Wear, Wings, and Sun Diego Stores. You can also get tattooed with henna at Henna Heaven.
Once you’re done shopping, you will find a great assortment of restaurants and eateries around Belmont Park. Try out Diego Dawgs for great hot dogs, Five Star Grill for everything from great Chinese dishes to burgers and chicken sandwiches, and the North Shore Café for the best breakfast around. For something sweet, head over to Beach Treats and the Sweet Shoppe.