Dana Point in Orange County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Dana Point Elevator

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 14, 2020

1. Dana Point Elevator Marker

Inscription. This structure was built in 1930 to provide access to a pocket beach for the Dana Point Inn, intended to be built above on the bluff's edge. The doorway provided entry for a 165-foot-long tunnel to an elevator, which was to take guests 135 feet to the hotel lobby. The project was abandoned due to the 1929 stock market crash. Remnants of the hotel arches remain above.

Erected 2016 by Orange County Board of Supervisors, Orange County Historical Commission. (Marker Number 53.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location. 33° 27.781′ N, 117° 42.032′ W. Marker is in Dana Point, California, in Orange County. It is on Dana Point Harbor Drive 0.1 miles west of Island Way, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24443 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point CA 92629, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles

and in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Harbor/Pilgrim (within shouting distance of this marker); Dana Point Inn (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The History Beneath Your Feet: Concrete Curb and Sidewalk Stamps (approx. 0.2 miles away); Auditorium (approx. ¼ mile away); Richard Henry Dana Jr.

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(approx. 0.3 miles away); Telephone Office (approx. 0.3 miles away); Richard Henry Dana (approx. 0.3 miles away); Dana Point (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dana Point.

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 14, 2020

2. Dana Point Elevator Marker

Dana Point Elevator Entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Adam Margolis, March 1, 2022

3. Dana Point Elevator Entrance

Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 1,698 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 2, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3. submitted on March 1, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.