Belmont Park
| |
| Location |  |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Owner | Tom Lochtefeld |
| Website | https://belmontpark.com |
Belmont Park is a historic oceanfront amusement park located in the Mission Bay area of San Diego, California, USA. The park was developed by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and opened on July 4, 1925 as the Mission Beach Amusement Center.[1] In addition to providing recreation and amusement it also was intended as a way to help Spreckels sell land in Mission Beach. Located on the beach, it attracts millions of people each year.
Attractions
The attractions and rides that remain from the original 1925 park include Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places]. Another historic facility is The Plunge, an indoor swimming pool.[2]
Other amusements include a Tilt-A-Whirl, a three-story drop tower called Vertical Plunge, Liberty Carousel, and the Wave House Athletic Club. The Wave House Bar and Grill overlooks the ocean and features two artificial waves. The larger wave is a FlowBarrel called "Bruticus Maximus" (or "bmax") and features an 8-foot barreling wave. The other wave is a smaller sheet wave known as a FlowRider. Newer attractions in Belmont Park include a pendulum ride called The Beach Blaster and another ride called Chaos.
History
In 2002, businessman/surfer Tom Lochtefeld bought the master lease for the property and started development of the Wave House. In Spring 2006, the Wave House hosted MTV's 'Total Request Live.
On November 3, 2010, Wave House Belmont Park LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court citing a 700% increase in rent owed to the City of San Diego as the reason. Tom Lochtefeld, Belmont Park Manager Member, alleges the city has breached its lease agreement.[3]
Roller coasters
Present
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Dipper | Frank Prior, Fredrick Church | Wooden | 1925 | Operating |
Past
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiddie Coaster | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. | Wooden | 1955 | Unknown | Scrapped |
| Wild Mouse | Unknown | Wooden | 1974 | 1976 | Relocated to J's Amusement Park |
Attractions
Present
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Blaster | Chance Rides | Frisbee | 2004 |
| Control Freak | Moser Rides | Gyro Loop | 2010 |
| Liberty Carousel | Morgan | Gallopers | 1989 |
| Mic Drop | Moser Rides | Junior Drop Tower | 2002 or earlier |
| Octotron | Chance Rides | Looper/Rock 'n' Roll | 2011 |
| Overdrive Bumper Cars | Majestic Manufacturing | Dodgems | 2004 |
| Sky Ropes Adventure | Ropes Courses, Inc. | Ropes Course | 2010 |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Manufacturing | Tilt-A-Whirl | 1995 |
Closed
- This list is incomplete, please expand it if you can.
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos | Chance Rides | Chaos | 2003 | 2010 | Part-exchange with Chance Rides |
| Bumps | Majestic Manufacturing | Dodgems | 1991 | Unknown | Sold to Majestic Manufacturing |
References
External links
- Belmont Park on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
- "S.D. businessman betting on the beach," March 2, 2007 - Union Tribune