Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier is the center of tourism in the beachfront city of Santa Monica, Los Angeles. It marks the end of route 66, so it’s popular with tourists who have completed the famous road trip from east to west. The first pier was built in 1909 and was immediately a hotspot of leisure, despite being used to pump sewage into the ocean. The pier has become an icon over the years, featuring in movies including Forrest Gump and Hannah Montana: The Movie, and TV shows including Star Trek: Voyager, Gilmore Girls, and California classic 90210. The pier is home to an amusement park, an aquarium, a hippodrome, a trapeze school, stores, bars, and restaurants, so there’s something to do at any time of the day or night.

No, the pier is free to access to all visitors, although there may be areas which need a ticket to access. You’ll need a ticket to get into the aquarium and each of the amusement park rides charges an individual fee. You can buy a pass that allows you to ride all 12 included rides an unlimited number of times. Passes are available for children aged 7 and under and for all visitors over the age of 8, and you can save time and money on the day by ordering them online in advance.

There aren’t any official tickets that combine the different attractions on Santa Monica Pier, but some tour providers offer a local package that often includes a guided tour of the area plus some entrance tickets. Check out what’s available and book the option that best suits your interests.

Absolutely! The pier has an interesting history, with over 100 years of events and drama to capture your imagination. From the Roaring Twenties to the Depression, through catastrophic storms to its present-day success, there are lots of stories to tell, and there are plenty of local experts willing to fill you in on a guided tour.

There are six rides at Pacific Park which are specifically designed to be child-friendly including a seaside swing and a small-scale bounce tower. Very small children can also ride the Pacific Wheel, the Sea Planes, Inkie’s Wave Jumper, and Inkie’s Air Lift, which don’t have any height restrictions for children who are riding with a chaperone. Older children have a wider range of rides to choose from, and children over 36” tall (91cm) can ride almost all rides.

You should plan in 1-2 hours for visiting the Pier and add one more hour if you plan to see the surrounding area. On beautiful days, you could plan to stay longer and have lunch in one of the sourrounding places.