Belmont Park Mission Beach: Hours, Rides, Tickets & Parking

Belmont Park is the small seaside amusement park on Mission Beach, best known for the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster that has run since 1925. Entry to the park is free. You pay per ride with tickets or buy an all-day Ride & Play wristband. Hours change by season, so check the official calendar before you go, especially between fall and spring.

What Belmont Park is and where to find it

Belmont Park covers about seven acres right on the Mission Beach boardwalk, roughly a mile west of SeaWorld, according to the park’s Getting Here page. The address commonly listed is 3146 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109. The ocean is on one side, Mission Bay is a short walk away on the other, and the boardwalk runs right past the coaster.

It is a compact park, not a full theme park. Think of it as a boardwalk midway: a historic coaster, a dozen or so rides, an arcade, carnival games, restaurants with patios and a big indoor pool. Most visitors spend two to four hours here, often as part of a beach day.

The Giant Dipper roller coaster

The Giant Dipper opened on July 4, 1925. Designers Frank Prior and Frederick Church built it during the golden age of wooden coasters. It survived a 1955 fire and a demolition threat in the 1970s before residents rallied to save it. After a full restoration in 1989–90 it reopened, and it is now a National Historic Landmark (designated 1987). It is often called the “Mission Beach roller coaster” or “Mission Bay roller coaster” in searches.

What to expect:

• Height requirement: 50 inches.
• Speed: up to about 48 mph on roughly 2,800 feet of twisting wooden track.
• Feel: rough, rattly and fast, with tight turns and short drops rather than one giant hill. If you have back or neck problems, sit this one out.
• Cost: 8 Universal Tickets per ride, or included with a wristband.

Night rides are worth it in summer, when the track lights come on and the line is often shorter after the dinner rush.

Other rides and attractions

Belmont’s lineup leans toward families with kids in the 36- to 54-inch range. Heights below come from a La Jolla Mom ride guide. The park can change rides and rules, so check posted signs.

Ride	Minimum height	Notes
Giant Dipper	50”	Historic wooden coaster
Belmont Express	36”	Small family coaster
Flip Out	52” (max 78”)	Biggest thrill after the Dipper
Beach Blaster	48”	Swinging pendulum ride
Tilt-A-Whirl	46” alone, 38” with chaperone	Classic spinner
Overdrive Bumper Cars	42” to drive alone	Full-size bumper cars
Krazy Kars	42”	Spinning bumper cars, fun at night
Liberty Carousel	None (under 2 with adult)	Gentle option for toddlers
Zip Line	46” (max 78”, 50–250 lb)	Two zips per admission

You will also find Mic Drop, Dip & Dive, Zero Gravity and Wave Jumper (36” to 42” minimums), plus a speedway, seasonal go-karts, laser tag and a Lazer Maze. Belmont Park has no Ferris wheel. If you searched for “bumper cars on ice,” the park’s bumper cars are the regular kind on a floor. Holiday programming has changed from year to year, so check the events calendar for any winter extras.

Games and the arcade

The arcade has 70-plus games on a reloadable card, and you trade tickets for prizes at the redemption counter. Midway carnival games are paid separately and are not covered by the wristband or Universal Tickets. Expect a few dollars per play.

The Plunge

Plunge San Diego is the indoor heated pool that started life as the 1925 Natatorium. It has lap lanes, an inflatable obstacle course on some days and a retractable roof. It runs on its own schedule and pricing, so book or check times separately.

Tickets, wristbands and prices

There are two ways to pay for rides. The details below come from the park’s Park Info FAQ, with prices from a La Jolla Mom ticket guide updated in October 2026.

Ride & Play wristband (all day). Covers all rides and attractions plus two zip line turns. One price applies to everyone, regardless of height. As of October 2026, the gate price was $68.95. Online prices were lower: about $48.95 on off-peak days (usually weekdays), $34 on Wednesdays, and from $58.95 on peak days (usually weekends). Wristbands are good for one day, can’t be shared and need a photo for ID. All sales are final.

Universal Tickets (pay per ride). Sold in bundles online (for example 16 for $16 or 30 for $30) and in other amounts at the main ticket office beside the Giant Dipper. Most rides cost 5 to 8 tickets, and the zip line costs 12. These tickets never expire, they can be shared within a group and you can use them any day. That makes them the smarter buy if only one person wants a couple of Dipper rides.

Season pass. Valid 365 days from purchase, for the named holder only. Passholders get a limited number of buddy-pass days through the year.

A simple rule: if a child will ride more than six or seven rides, the online wristband usually wins. If adults just want the coaster, buy tickets.

Hours: why they change

Belmont Park doesn’t keep one year-round schedule. In summer, rides generally run daily from late morning into the evening. Through fall and winter, rides drop to a reduced schedule and are not open every day. The restaurants, arcade and Plunge each keep their own hours. The park posts a monthly calendar on belmontpark.com, so check it on the day of your visit, especially on a weekday between November and March. Rides can also close without notice for wind, rain or maintenance.

Getting there and parking

Parking: Belmont Park has four free public lots for guests, with no overnight parking. They fill fast on summer days, weekends and holidays. If the lots are full, look for free street parking a few blocks north or south along Mission Blvd and walk in along the boardwalk. Read the street signs carefully, since enforcement is active in beach neighborhoods.

Rideshare: The park suggests Uber or Lyft, which saves the parking hunt on busy days.

From the airport or downtown: It’s about a 15- to 20-minute drive outside rush hour, via I-8 west and West Mission Bay Drive. See our San Diego airport guide for getting out of the terminal.

Food and drink

You can eat well without leaving the park:

• Sit-down: Draft, Beach House Tequila & Taqueria and Cannonball, all with patio or upstairs seating close to the ocean.
• Quick bites: pizza, burgers, Hot Dog on a Stick, pretzels, Dippin’ Dots, Dole Whip and sweets along the midway.

Draft and Cannonball get busy at sunset on weekends. Put your name in early, then ride while you wait.

Tips for a smooth visit

• Buy online, on a weekday if you can. Online wristbands are much cheaper than the gate price, and Wednesdays have historically been the cheapest day.
• Ride the Dipper first. Lines are shortest at opening and after dark.
• Travel light. Keep phones and sunglasses secured on the coaster and spinning rides, and leave bulky beach bags in the car.
• Combine it with the beach. The sand at Mission Beach is steps away. For water conditions and other beaches nearby, see our San Diego beach guide.
• Shoes: Bring closed-toe shoes if you plan to do go-karts or the zip line. Flip-flops are fine for everything else.

Who it suits

Belmont Park works best for families with kids roughly 4 to 12, for coaster fans who want to ride a piece of history, and for anyone already spending the day at Mission Beach. It is not a full-day theme park. If you want big coasters and shows, plan a day at SeaWorld San Diego a mile east. For younger kids, LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad is the bigger outing.

Nearby pairings

• Mission Beach boardwalk: Walk or rent a bike and cruise the boardwalk north toward Pacific Beach.
• Mission Bay: Calm bay beaches on the east side of Mission Blvd are better for small kids than the surf side.
• Sunset: Stay for sunset on the sand right behind the coaster, then ride the Dipper after dark.