Historic Glorietta Bay Boat House (1887)

Built in the autumn of 1887, the Glorietta Bay Boat House is the oldest standing commercial structure in Coronado, pre-dating Hotel del Coronado by several months. Architect James W. Reid designed the Victorian wooden pavilion with a dramatic red shingled cupola and decorative bargeboards to test the construction techniques, timber joinery, and oceanfront weatherproofing that would subsequently be used on the hotel itself.

In 1888, it became the headquarters for the San Diego Yacht Club and later the Coronado Yacht Club, hosting rowing regattas and sailing fleets for more than a century.

Positioned right at the water’s edge on Glorietta Bay, the boathouse provided protected mooring for racing sculls, steam launches, and visiting private yachts. Its distinctive octagonal cupola and sweeping wrap-around porches mirrored the Queen Anne detailing of the grand resort rising across the road.

Now functioning as a waterfront seafood restaurant, the Boathouse retains its original Douglas fir timbers, exterior red cedar shingles, and maritime charm. Walking tour visitors can walk the adjacent harbor promenade to observe the original timber pilings that have supported the pavilion for nearly 140 years.