Top Gun House

Although it is today surrounded by a much taller hotel, fans of the movie Top Gun will still recognize this house as that of love interest Charlie Blackwood. Being one of the primary locations of the blockbuster film, the pie restaurant that today occupies the building capitalizes heavily on its association. Out front, visitors are greeted by a replica of Maverick Mitchell's Ninja 900 motorcycle. Inside are signed photos and memorabilia from the movie, and some of the menu items also pay homage to it.

Besides its associations with film history, however, the Top Gun or Graves House is also a fascinating and unique piece of regional history. Built by Henry Graves in 1886, it is one of the oldest Folk Victorian homes in San Diego County and one of the last beachside cottages in Oceanside. Originally brown in color, it was not painted its distinctive blue hue until the 1970s. When the house and neighboring beach cottages were threatened by resort development in the 2000s, it was successfully moved a block north. Today, the Top Gun House is the centerpiece of the Mission Pacific Hotel, another new resort built by a more grateful developer.