Graves (Top Gun) House, Oceanside, San Diego County

Graves House

Construction of Graves House in Oceanside was completed in 1888 on property purchased by Dr. Henry Graves for a summer home for himself and his wife Sarah. The Graves sold the house in 1905 and it passed through numerous hands, often being used as rental property and declining in condition, until purchased by Lynn and William Rego in 1975. They refurbished the house and painted it in what is now its signature blue color. In 1985, Paramount Pictures rented the property for two weeks for use as Charlie’s house in the movie “Top Gun.” In the early 2000s, hotel development threatened the house with demolition. Preservation organizations worked to maintain and save the house until S.D. Malkin Properties moved and restored the house as the “centerpiece” of a new resort, the Mission Pacific Hotel in 2020. It is now used as a pie shop, fully embracing its role in the movie.

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Oceanside, San Diego County
Photographers: John, Bare, Kurt Bayless