The Giant Dipper is located at the northeast corner of Belmont Park, a waterfront amusement park at the junction of Mission Boulevard and West Mission Bay Drive. The coaster occupies an irregular area about 100 by 500 feet (30 m × 152 m) in size, and is accessed via a terminal structure on its west side. It has a track length of 2,800 feet (850 m), and its highest hills, located roughly at opposite ends of the area, reach 75 feet (23 m) in height. A sign with the name "Belmont" is affixed to the wooden trestle structure at its northeast edge.[5]
HistoryEdit
The coaster was built in 1925 as part of a major real estate development led by John D. and Adolph Spreckels to attract visitors and residents to the Mission Beach area. The Mission Beach Amusement Center was built at a cost of $2.5 million and opened in 1925, with this roller coaster as one of its main attractions. It was designed by Church and Prior, coaster designers based in Venice, California, who also oversaw its construction. The Spreckelses bequeathed the attraction to the city, which in 1954 was leased to Jack Ray. He renamed the park Belmont Park, after another park in Montreal. The roller coaster was severely damaged by fire in 1955, and Ray subsequently declared bankruptcy.[5]
Threatened with demolition by the city in 1978, local citizens banded together to rescue it and a few surviving attractions of the defunct park.[5] It underwent a full restoration in 1989–90.[6]
EventsEdit
In 1997, the Giant Dipper held a coaster–riding marathon sponsored by a local radio station, Star 100.7. The marathon consisted of eleven consecutive days riding the coaster for more than 12 hours per day. The radio station arranged a second marathon in 1998, which was eventually won by contestants who split a check for $50,000 in cash prize after riding the coaster for 70 days.
Popular cultureEdit
The Giant Dipper and Belmont Park amusement center are included in author Stephen M. Silverman's 2019 book The Amusement Park: 900 Years of Thrills and Spills, and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them.[7]
^"California Historical Landmark: San Diego County". Office of Historic Preservation. California State Parks. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
^"Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board" (PDF). City of San Diego.
^ ab. National Historic Landmarks Quick Links. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
^ abc"NHL nomination for Mission Beach Roller Coaster". National Park Service. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
^"Company History". Belmont Park Company. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
^Silverman, Stephen M. (2019). The Amusement Park: 900 Years of Thrills and Spills, and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 265. ISBN978-0316416481.
Media related to Giant Dipper (San Diego) at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
August 25, 2023
giant, dipper, belmont, park, giant, dipper, also, known, mission, beach, roller, coaster, historically, other, names, historical, wooden, roller, coaster, located, belmont, park, small, amusement, park, mission, beach, area, diego, california, built, 1925, na. The Giant Dipper also known as Mission Beach Roller Coaster and historically by other names is a historical wooden roller coaster located in Belmont Park a small amusement park in the Mission Beach area of San Diego California Built in 1925 it and its namesake at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk are the only remaining wooden roller coasters on the West Coast designed by noted roller coaster designers Frank Prior and Frederick Church and the only one whose construction they supervised It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 1 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 4 Giant DipperWooden roller coaster in Belmont ParkBelmont Park San Diego CaliforniaLocationBelmont Park San Diego CaliforniaCoordinates32 46 18 N 117 15 0 W 32 77167 N 117 25000 W 32 77167 117 25000Mission Beach Roller CoasterU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic LandmarkCalifornia Historical Landmark No 1044 2 San Diego Historic Landmark No 90Site in U S state of CaliforniaShow map of San DiegoGiant Dipper Belmont Park San Diego County California Show map of San Diego County CaliforniaGiant Dipper Belmont Park California Show map of CaliforniaGiant Dipper Belmont Park the United States Show map of the United StatesLocation3000 Mission Boulevard San Diego CaliforniaCoordinates32 46 18 N 117 15 0 W 32 77167 N 117 25000 W 32 77167 117 25000Area2 8 acres 1 1 ha Built1925ArchitectFrank Prior Fredrick ChurchArchitectural style Bobs type coasterNRHP reference No 78000753 1 CHISL No 1044 2 SDHL No 90Significant datesAdded to NRHPDecember 27 1978 1 Designated NHLFebruary 27 1987 4 Designated SDHLDecember 7 1973 3 StatusOperatingOpening dateJuly 4 1925General statisticsTypeWoodManufacturerFrank Prior Fredrick ChurchDesignerFrank Prior Fredrick ChurchModelTwisterTrack layout8 layers laminated wood strips with 1 4 x3 wide steel railLift launch systemChain lift hillHeight70 ft 21 m Drop60 ft 18 m Length2 600 ft 790 m Speed48 mph 77 km h Inversions0Duration1 45Max vertical angle40 degrees at bottom of first drop Height restriction50 in 127 cm Giant Dipper at RCDB Contents 1 Description 2 History 3 Events 4 Popular culture 5 References 6 External linksDescription EditThe Giant Dipper is located at the northeast corner of Belmont Park a waterfront amusement park at the junction of Mission Boulevard and West Mission Bay Drive The coaster occupies an irregular area about 100 by 500 feet 30 m 152 m in size and is accessed via a terminal structure on its west side It has a track length of 2 800 feet 850 m and its highest hills located roughly at opposite ends of the area reach 75 feet 23 m in height A sign with the name Belmont is affixed to the wooden trestle structure at its northeast edge 5 History EditThe coaster was built in 1925 as part of a major real estate development led by John D and Adolph Spreckels to attract visitors and residents to the Mission Beach area The Mission Beach Amusement Center was built at a cost of 2 5 million and opened in 1925 with this roller coaster as one of its main attractions It was designed by Church and Prior coaster designers based in Venice California who also oversaw its construction The Spreckelses bequeathed the attraction to the city which in 1954 was leased to Jack Ray He renamed the park Belmont Park after another park in Montreal The roller coaster was severely damaged by fire in 1955 and Ray subsequently declared bankruptcy 5 Threatened with demolition by the city in 1978 local citizens banded together to rescue it and a few surviving attractions of the defunct park 5 It underwent a full restoration in 1989 90 6 Events EditIn 1997 the Giant Dipper held a coaster riding marathon sponsored by a local radio station Star 100 7 The marathon consisted of eleven consecutive days riding the coaster for more than 12 hours per day The radio station arranged a second marathon in 1998 which was eventually won by contestants who split a check for 50 000 in cash prize after riding the coaster for 70 days Popular culture EditThe Giant Dipper and Belmont Park amusement center are included in author Stephen M Silverman s 2019 book The Amusement Park 900 Years of Thrills and Spills and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them 7 References Edit a b c National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 California Historical Landmark San Diego County Office of Historic Preservation California State Parks Retrieved October 13 2012 Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board PDF City of San Diego a b Mission Beach Roller Coaster National Historic Landmarks Quick Links National Park Service Archived from the original on October 8 2012 Retrieved March 23 2018 a b c NHL nomination for Mission Beach Roller Coaster National Park Service Retrieved January 29 2018 Company History Belmont Park Company Retrieved January 29 2018 Silverman Stephen M 2019 The Amusement Park 900 Years of Thrills and Spills and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them New York Black Dog amp Leventhal p 265 ISBN 978 0316416481 External links Edit National Register of Historic Places portal California portal Media related to Giant Dipper San Diego at Wikimedia Commons Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Giant Dipper Belmont Park amp oldid 1169065369, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
