Belmont park has been entertaining San Diego families on the shores of Mission Beach for just over a century. Of course, it’s claim to fame is the iconic Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, visible up and down Mission Beach.

There are activities for kids of all ages, with rides, arcades, county fair-style midway games, and even the Plunge freshwater swimming pool if taking a dip in the ocean isn’t your thing.

There are a number of dining options available, too:

If you need beach or tourist-type merchandise, there are a number of stores that will be happy to sell you T-shirts, hats, and other trinkets to remember your time at Belmont Park and Mission Beach.

The Plunge swimming pool offers lap swimming, all-day swimming, and even a floating obstacle course for the kids. Beyond that, you can also go there for swim lessons, water aerobics, junior lifeguard prep, and an adventure camp. A one-hour recreational session pass costs $18 per person; $20 per person for a two-hour session. A full day pass is $35 per person. A two-hour family session is $70 (for a family of 4; $10 for each additional person), and the family day pass is $90 ($10 for each additional person).

Walking into the park doesn’t cost anything, but you’ll have to pay to ride the rides or play in any of the arcade or midway games. Belmont Park has a number of different ticket options available that you should check out on their website. There’s everything from an Arcade Card for $20 to a “Ride & Play Park Pass” that gives you all-day unlimited rides, attractions, and two zipline rides for $54.95, to Ticket Bundles for the rides starting at $16.00 to $60.00, to a Season Pass at $101.00 (on sale at the time of this writing, normally $135).

When looking to buy tickets, you should look at the requirements for each individual ride. For example, the Tilt-A-Whirl uses six tickets; the Liberty Carousel uses 5 tickets per ride; and the Giant Dipper uses eight tickets per ride. That means that if you buy the 16-ticket bundle, you may only get to ride two or three rides.

Parking in Mission Beach, especially on the weekends, can be problematic. There’s a small parking lot (about four dozen spaces) right in front of the entrance to Belmont Park, and there are larger municipal parking lots south of the park and across the street from the park. MTS Bus #8 stops right at the corner of Mission Bay Drive and Mission Blvd across the street from Belmont Park. You can catch the bus at the Old Town Transit Center or the Balboa Ave. Transit Center.

Belmont Park has a bit of a county fair vibe to it with the rides, food, and arcades/games, and it would be a fun place for the kids.

Click photo to enlarge.

Explore San Diego and beyond.

What You Need to Know

Location:	3146 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
Transit:	MTS Bus 8
Hours:	Sunday, 11 AM–9 PM Monday, 11 AM–8 PM Tuesday, 11 AM–9 PM Wednesday, 11 AM–8 PM Thursday, 11 AM–8 PM Friday, 11 AM–10 PM Saturday, 11 AM–10 PM
Phone:	(858) 488-1549
Website:	https://www.belmontpark.com/
Cost:	$$$ Free to enter; costs vary by activity. There are minimum height requirements for some of the rides. Check their calendar of events on their website for events and possible ride closures.
Tips:	Arrive early to get parking.
Date Visited:	7 May 2026