Belmont park is rather touristy, but we still treasure our Giant Dipper Roller Coaster built in 1925. The thrills of riding the rollercoaster are 1. it's fast 2. it has an ocean view 3. it's old! It's perfect for a cheap date night (it's only $6 a ride and it runs from 11 am to 10 pm) or a family outing. Fun tip: You used to be able to drink beer on the rollercoaster, which is no longer allowed. A little history on the roller coaster: In the early 1900’s, a wealthy sugar magnate by the name of John D. Spreckels was hard at work driving the development of San Diego. A main focus of his development plan was the up and coming Mission Beach. In 1925, in an effort to stimulate real estate sales and to promote his electric railway, Mr. Spreckels built the Mission Beach Amusement Center, now known as Belmont Park. One of the amusement center’s star attraction was to be the Giant Dipper roller coaster. The 2,600 foot long coaster was created by the noted design team of Prior and Church and was built in less than 2 months by local suppliers and a crew of between 100-150 workers. The original cost to build the coaster was $150,000, including the two, 18 passenger trains.