Mission Beach, San Diego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mission Beach, San Diego
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| Mission Beach | |
Mission Beach in October 2005
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 Mission Beach, San Diego
Location in San Diego
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| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Diego |
| City |  San Diego |
Mission Beach is a fun community in San Diego, California. It's built on a narrow strip of land, like a sandbar. On one side is the huge Pacific Ocean. On the other side is the calm Mission Bay.
This community stretches for almost two miles along the ocean. To the south, you'll find the San Diego River. Mission Bay Park is to the east. The community of Pacific Beach is to the north. A long boardwalk runs along both the ocean and bay sides. The main road through Mission Beach is Mission Boulevard. The area is split into South Mission and North Mission. At the very end of the beach, a jetty with grass and a walking path reaches into the ocean.
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Homes and Land in Mission Beach
Many houses in Mission Beach were built in the 1930s and 1940s. They were often used as summer homes. Some homes are even older, from the 1920s. For example, a special "airplane bungalow" on Manhattan Court was built in 1924.
It was tricky to build on sand. Because of this, Mission Beach developed later than nearby areas. These include Ocean Beach to the south and Pacific Beach to the north. In 1914, a new plan for the area was made. John D. Spreckels started selling small plots of land. This was helped by land sales in other communities. A new wooden bridge also linked Mission Beach with Ocean Beach.
Today, Mission Beach has many homes packed closely together. It has some of the smallest land plots in San Diego. These plots range from about 1,250 to 2,400 square feet. Not many of these small plots have been combined to make bigger ones. Many buildings have been rebuilt into two-story homes. The old wooden bridge to Ocean Beach was closed in 1950 and taken down in 1951.
Fun History and Attractions
Mission Beach has some cool places to visit. One is SeaWorld, located in Mission Bay Park. Another is the historic amusement park, Belmont Park. It's in South Mission Beach.
Belmont Park was first built in 1925. It was called the Mission Beach Amusement Center. John D. Spreckels built it to help sell land. He also wanted to promote his electric railway.
Belmont Park's Famous Rides
Belmont Park still has its original wooden roller coaster. It's called the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster. There are also newer rides like the FlowRider at Wave House. Other rides include Vertical Plunge, Krazy Kars, and Tilt-a-Whirl. You can also find Liberty Carousel, Crazy Submarine, The Beach Blaster, and The Chaos.
The Mission Beach Plunge
The Mission Beach Plunge is a large swimming pool. It opened in May 1925. It was designed by architect Frank Walter Stevenson. The pool building looked like the Spanish Renaissance buildings in Balboa Park. The changing rooms from the Plunge even appeared in the movie Top Gun. Famous swimmers like Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller once swam there.
The roof of the building could roll open. This made it both an indoor and outdoor pool. The Plunge now uses fresh water. The Plunge and the Giant Dipper are the only original attractions left from Spreckels' park. Other buildings were taken down in the late 1980s. The Plunge has been closed since 2014 for repairs. Plans to rebuild it were approved in 2016.
Activities at Mission Beach
Mission Beach is a great place for outdoor fun! You can enjoy:
- Sunbathing
- Playing horseshoes
- Surfing
- Bicycling
- Skateboarding
- Throwing a Frisbee
A local skating group called "Skate This!" performs on weekends. They do cool tricks and dance on rollerblades and traditional skates. Mission Beach is also very popular for sports. You can find courts for beach volleyball and basketball.
There's a public recreation center on Santa Clara Place. It's on the bay side of Mission Beach. At the south end of Belmont Park, you'll find the Wave House Athletic Club. This is a fitness center right by the beach. It has exercise machines, weights, and fitness classes.
Mission Beach also includes Mariner's Point. This was the first place where the "over-the-line" softball tournament was held. This is a special type of softball played on the beach.
Many people who visit the beach are college students. Tourists and people who live nearby also come to Mission Beach often. You can rent places to stay for a week or a month during the summer.
Notable People from Mission Beach
Some well-known people have lived in Mission Beach:
- David C. Copley: A very wealthy person and former publisher of San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper.
- Mike Gotch: A former San Diego City Councilman and California state assemblyman.
- Jeanne Lenhart: A California Senior Olympian and amateur volleyball player. She also won senior beauty pageants.
- Bob Mendoza: A professional baseball player and coach. He is in the San Diego Hall of Champions.
- Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz (1921–2014): A famous surfer and doctor.
- Cathy Scott: An author who writes about true crime.
- Curtis Casella: The person who started Taang! Records, a record company.
Images for kids
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The Giant Dipper roller coaster at Belmont Park
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People playing beach volleyball at Mission Beach
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Mission Beach rules and regulations
See also
In Spanish: Mission Beach (San Diego) para niños
