Belmont Park has been a staple of the Mission Beach community since it opened in 1925. The brainchild of sugar magnate John D. Spreckels, the park and its many attractions draws thousands of locals and tourists throughout the year. Perhaps the most recognizable feature of Belmont Park is the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster that originally opened July 4, 1925. Now nearly 85 years old, the coaster is the heart of the park, and it is also an integral part of many people’s personal histories. “To have this wooden roller coaster right at the beach has a lot of appeal,” said Wendy Crain, general manager of the San Diego Coaster Company, which maintains the Giant Dipper. “We have grandparents bringing their grandkids, parents bringing their kids. It is a rite of passage for kids as soon as they turn 50 inches tall, and for a lot of people in San Diego, it is their first roller coaster experience.” The Giant Dipper is open seven days a week for most of the year, and Crain estimates that the coaster’s 24-passenger car operates as many as 100 times in a day. However, the coaster hasn’t always been so active. The park and coaster closed to the public in 1976 as seaside amusement parks were falling out of favor with the public, Crain said. The Giant Dipper remained idle for 14 years, and after several fires threatened the structure, it was scheduled for demolition in the late 1980s. It was spared from the fate when an enthusiastic group of citizens formed the “Save the Coaster Committee,” which was able to have the coaster named as a national landmark. In 1989, the company that operated the Giant Dipper’s sister roller-coaster in Santa Cruz, Calif., stepped in with an offer to lease the roller coaster from the city and restore it to operating condition. The Giant Dipper reopened in August 1990. Although the Giant Dipper may be the most recognizable of Belmont Park’s attractions, it isn’t the only one that draws crowds. The Wave House, a 40,000-square-foot “beach lifestyle venue,” offers bars, restaurants, concerts and a wave machine that generates barrels up to 10 feet high. The venue is open daily and frequently hosts special events and live music, especially during the summer. Visitors who want a tamer aquatic experience can check out The Plunge, a 12,000-square-foot indoor heated swimming pool that opened with the park in 1925. The Plunge has year-round aquatics programs and is also open daily to the public.