The beloved and historic Giant Dipper roller coaster in Belmont Park on Mission Beach will celebrate it’s 90th birthday on July 4.
The Giant Dipper is one of the only two remaining wooden roller coasters in California and has a rich San Diego history.
The project was the idea of sugar magnate and newspaper publisher, John D. Spreckels, a major force in San Diego’s development. It opened to the public on July 4, 1925, as part of the 33-acre Mission Beach Amusement Center, later renamed Belmont Park.
By the 1980s, it had become a dilapidated eyesore and was in danger of being demolished until a group of concerned citizens helped raise $2 million to restore and save it.
The national and state historic landmark will be open 11 a.m. to midnight on Independence Day.
