Belmont Park, San Diego’s staple boardwalk attraction, is revitalizing some of its rides, arcade features and leaning into a retro look ahead of its 100th birthday.

Steve Thomas, manager of Belmont Park, said this summer the park is celebrating its 98th anniversary and that over the past five years they’ve worked on unifying the park in a new way.

“It’s always been a collection of tenants, and now we’re a solely owned and operated business with the same family company out of Rancho Santa Fe,” Thomas said. “It’s really exciting for us to now have this unified park (and) we have a vision moving forward of what Belmont Park can be.”

Part of that focus has been leaning into San Diego culture, featuring murals by local artists and even collaborating with Second Chance Beer Company on a rollercoaster-themed “Coaster Cruisin’ IPA.” Thomas added that later this year the park will start serving fresh, made-to-order churros.

As for rides, the Mission Beach amusement park is adding a new attraction called Shipwreck Cove where seated riders pull themselves up on a rope and let go as fast or slow as they want. It will also have a nautical-themed play area below for kids.

A date has not been set for the new ride opening, but Thomas explained that they’ve been looking at ways to add more free attractions, like the shipwreck-themed play area, to Belmont Park.

In a nod to one of San Diego’s early developers, John D. Spreckels, the ship will be called the Venetia after the boat he sailed into the area a century ago. Thomas said it made sense, given that Spreckels originally built Belmont Park, including its iconic wooden roller coaster, the Giant Dipper.

Recently, Belmont Park expanded its arcade by more than 1,600 square feet and built out its “Escapology” section to have five different themed escape rooms.

Additionally, the park will roll out a “barcade” next year that’s geared toward adult gamers with a nearby bar that serves booze.

Thomas said in recent years, they’ve been investing about $3 million annually into updates and want Belmont Park to offer the “quintessential San Diego” beachside experience for visitors and be something locals of all ages are proud of.

“It was marrying kind of the nostalgia of Belmont Park, but not in a dated way,” he said. “When they came out with the new Ford Mustang that had that retro feel to it; it’s taking that same approach where it’s something that’s 98 years old, and we wanted to have the nostalgia but be fresh and updated and modern.”

A typical ticket to Belmont Park that provides access to all rides and attractions costs about $60. Prices can vary based on the day of the week and guests can check the website for discounts.