Exploring the Mushroom House: La Jolla’s Futuristic Oddity on Black’s Beach

If you’re making the trek down to Black’s Beach, it’s worth adding a short detour to one of San Diego’s strangest and most iconic coastal landmarks: The Bell Pavilion, better known as the Mushroom House. Perched at the base of a 300-foot cliff and shaped like a giant concrete mushroom, the house has been intriguing surfers, hikers, locals, and architectural lookie-loos since the late 1960s.

A Futuristic Guest House Built for a Potato Chip King

Designed in 1968 by architect Dale Naegle, the Bell Pavilion was commissioned by Sam Bell, heir to Bell’s Potato Chips (“If it’s Bell, it’s swell!”). Bell wanted something bold—ultra-modern, earthquake-resistant, and unlike anything else on the California coast.

Naegle responded with a concrete, pod-shaped guest house supported by a central column and built to withstand surf, storms, and cliff erosion. Beneath the main residence once stood a larger home atop the bluff, connected to the pavilion by a private 300-foot tramway engineered by Elevator Electric Co.—the same team behind San Diego’s first glass elevator. Construction was so challenging that some workers reportedly walked off the job, leaving senior engineers and even the company owners to finish the final section of track.

The cliff-top home was demolished in the 1990s, but the pavilion remains, now owned by San Diego entrepreneur Buzz Woolley—and long abandoned. Graffiti, salt, and time have taken their toll, but the Mushroom House still feels like a relic from a retro sci-fi set dropped onto the sand.

Can You Visit?

The structure itself sits on private property and is technically not open to visitors, but in recent years, the gates and doors have been forced open and the house has been heavily vandalized. The beach around it is public, and the pavilion is easily viewable from the sand, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone already heading to Black’s.

Low tide offers the best chance to walk up to the outside perimeter. At high tide, surf pushes in close enough to block access.

How to Get There (Easiest Route)

The simplest way to reach the Mushroom House is via the paved access road to Black’s Beach, located near the Scripps campus in La Jolla.

Directions:

1. Park near the intersection of La Jolla Farms Road and the gated Black’s Beach access road (public pedestrians allowed).
2. Walk past the gate and follow the steep paved road all the way down to the beach.
3. Once you reach the sand, turn right (north). The Mushroom House is roughly a five-minute walk along the beach.
4. Go at low tide—high tide can push waves against the base of the structure.

This is the easiest and safest approach. The alternative is the much more rugged Ho Chi Minh Trail, a slippery sandstone scramble used by surfers. Adventurous but not recommended for most visitors.

Why It’s Worth a Look

Even in its weathered, graffiti-covered state, the Mushroom House is a striking piece of mid-century experimental architecture. Few beach structures in California look anything like it. Combine that with the surreal cliff backdrop, the remnants of the old tramway, and the isolation of northern Black’s Beach, and the site delivers one of La Jolla’s most unusual coastal scenes.

If you’re already headed to Black’s—for surfing, sunbathing, or the long hike in—taking a few extra minutes to visit the Mushroom House adds a dose of architectural oddity to the day. It’s part slice of history, part sci-fi relic, and completely unique to the San Diego coastline.