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All the United States California San Diego Mushroom Beach House

Mushroom Beach House

A futuristic-looking beach house built for the owner of a snack food brand.

San Diego, California

Added By
gotmynumbr
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  Robert Gourley / CC BY 2.0
  Robert Gourley / CC BY 2.0
  Robert Gourley / CC BY 2.0
  Robert Gourley / CC BY 2.0
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  Raquel Baranow / CC BY-SA 3.0
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
February 2020   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  bacara / Atlas Obscura User
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  GlenPhred47 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A unique mushroom-shaped building hides at the bottom of the cliffs at Blacks Beach in San Diego. The architect Dal Nagle designed and built it in 1968 for Sam Bell, owner of Bell Brand Snack Foods. He wanted a futuristic-looking house that could withstand naturally occurring rock slides, earthquakes, and waves.

The original name was the Bell Pavillion, and you could access it from the cliffs via a nearly vertical tramway that ran almost 300 feet down the cliff. It was also used as a guest house, offering a 180-degree view from Torrey Pines State Park to La Jolla.

The house is currently abandoned, and its cliffside tram hasn't run in years. Though it sits in a state of disrepair along the San Diego beach, the sturdy concrete structure remains intact.

Related Tags

Beaches Funicular Architectural Oddities Eccentric Homes Houses

Community Contributors

Added By

gotmynumbr

Edited By

ccesare, Michelle Cassidy, bacara, GlenPhred47

  • ccesare
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • bacara
  • GlenPhred47

Published

May 26, 2023

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Sources
  • https://architectuul.com/architecture/bell-pavilion
  • https://lajolla.com/article/mushroom-house/
  • https://localadventurer.com/mushroom-house-blacks-beach-san-diego/
Mushroom Beach House
9036 La Jolla Shores Ln
San Diego, California, 92037
United States
32.87213, -117.252112
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