Giant Dipper (Belmont Park) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant Dipper |
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Wooden roller coaster in Belmont Park
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| Belmont Park, San Diego, California | |
| Location | Belmont Park, San Diego, California |
| Coordinates | 32°46′18″N 117°15′0″W / 32.77167°N 117.25000°W |
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Mission Beach Roller Coaster
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 Location in San Diego
Location in San Diego County, California
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3000 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, California |
| Area | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | Frank Prior, Fredrick Church |
| Architectural style | "Bobs"-type coaster |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000753 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 1978 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 1987 |
| Status | Open |
| Opening date | July 4, 1925 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Frank Prior, Fredrick Church |
| Designer | Frank Prior, Fredrick Church |
| Model | Twister |
| Track layout | 8 layers laminated wood strips with 1/4"x3" wide steel rail |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Drop | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Length | 2,600 ft (790 m) |
| Speed | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:45 |
| Max vertical angle | 40 degrees at bottom of first drop° |
| Height restriction | 50 in (127 cm) |
| Giant Dipper at RCDB | |
The Giant Dipper is a famous wooden roller coaster in Belmont Park. This fun amusement park is in the Mission Beach area of San Diego, California. People also call it the Mission Beach Roller Coaster.
It was built a long time ago, in 1925! It's one of the last wooden roller coasters on the West Coast. It was designed by Frank Prior and Frederick Church. They even watched over its building. This roller coaster is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Contents
What is the Giant Dipper Like?
The Giant Dipper is in the northeast part of Belmont Park. This park is right by the water. The roller coaster covers a big area, about 100 feet by 500 feet. You get on the ride from a building on its west side.
The track is about 2,800 feet long. Its tallest hills are about 75 feet high. These hills are at opposite ends of the ride. You can see a sign that says "Belmont" on the wooden structure of the coaster.
History of the Giant Dipper
The Giant Dipper was built in 1925. It was part of a big plan by John D. and Adolph Spreckels. They wanted to bring more visitors to the Mission Beach area. The Mission Beach Amusement Center cost $2.5 million to build. It opened in 1925.
The roller coaster was one of the main attractions. Church and Prior, who designed coasters, also watched its construction. Later, the Spreckels family gave the park to the city. In 1954, Jack Ray leased the park. He changed its name to Belmont Park.
Sadly, a fire badly damaged the roller coaster in 1955. After that, Jack Ray went bankrupt. In 1978, the city thought about tearing it down. But local people worked together to save it! The coaster was fully fixed up between 1989 and 1990.
Exciting Roller Coaster Events
In 1997, the Giant Dipper hosted a special event. A local radio station, Star 100.7, held a coaster-riding marathon. People rode the coaster for more than 12 hours a day. This marathon lasted for eleven days in a row!
The radio station held another marathon in 1998. This time, contestants rode the coaster for 70 days! The winners split a $50,000 cash prize. Imagine riding a roller coaster for 70 days!
See also
In Spanish: Mission Beach Roller Coaster para niños
