Santa Monica 101: The Santa Monica Pier

This is where the iconic Route 66 ends. The song, (Get Your Kicks) On Route 66, popularized by Chuck Berry, talks about this super-connected interstate that winds its way across this country, ending at the tip of the Santa Monica Pier. In this post, I will talk about the pier’s history and tell you about the many things to do on the Santa Monica Pier. You might not realize that this place has more to offer than a nice walk over the ocean.

Santa Monica and its pier attracts people from across the world daily. It is easy to feel frustrated by the crowds; keep this in mind and go with the flow. It does feel like the crowd of tourists and locals moves you like an ocean current from its entrance to the outer rails overlooking the Pacific.

The Santa Monica Pier is what I consider an everything space. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is a place with an original intention, in the case of the Santa Monica Pier, a fun fair, which has now turned into more. The pier is still an amusement park, but it is also a concert venue, outdoor movie location, and the list goes on. Read about another everything space here.

History of the Pier

There are conflicting dates as to when the Santa Monica Pier opened. There were actually two piers built adjacent to each other. The Municipal Pier was built in 1909, and its sole purpose was to carry the city’s sewage into the ocean. The second, Newton Pier, built in 1916, held a pleasure/fun fair that had rides, games, and other diversions. The outline of the original Newton Pier pleasure fair is still visible today. The tented peaks of the hippodrome (carousel) shelter, the wood decking, and the museum building were restored.

However, much of what stands today is not original. The pier fell on hard times during the Great Depression. Its pleasure/fun fair had been torn down, rebuilt, and renamed several times over.  At a certain point, the municipal pier was demolished and, thankfully, never rebuilt. What has replaced the original is an entertainment wonderland.

A new app was developed to teach you about the pier’s history with interactive games; read about that here.

Pacific Park (Amusement Park)

There are plenty of things to do to keep the kiddos and kiddos at heart occupied in Pacific Park. The small but mighty amusement park has a roller coaster, scrambler, and stands to buy fair favorites like funnel cakes. It just might be expensive to do it for too long. 

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://pacpark.com
• Hours: Open from 12:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on weekdays. 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends. Notice that hours are subject to change as COVID restrictions dictate.
• Cost: $8 a ride. Not the most economical, but I think the ticket for the Ferris Wheel is well worth it.
• COVID-19 INFORMATION: Masks are required to ride in you are not vaccinated.

Pier shops and things to do

Ways to spend your money

There are many ways to spend your money on the pier, even before getting to Pacific Park. Souvenir shops and stands line the pier. Here you can get all manner of snowglobes and California T-shirts. Like the Third Street Promenade, artists, acrobats, and musicians try to get your attention. Want that beachy caricature of you and your friends? This is the place to get it. 

There is an arcade if you want to sneak in a couple of games of Skee-Ball

Restaurants

Restaurants on the pier are more touristy, and you need to deal with courageous sea gulls and brown birds. These restaurants often have great happy hour deals and views of the ocean. However, I recommend you eat closer to the promenade or that line Ocean Avenue. My recommendations for places to eat in the area are here.

If you want that classic touristy Santa Monica experience with great views, I suggest the Lobster at the pier’s entrance. Reservations are recommended. 

Summer on the Pier

Late summer is when the Santa Monica Pier becomes an event space and my favorite time to visit the pier. From concerts to communal yoga, there is a lot to do.

Front Porch Cinema

Once the Twilight concert series ends at the end of September, it is Front Porch Cinema’s turn to take over the pier. Each weekend in October has movie nights, bring your friends and a picnic. Check event details for related pre-and post-show activities. When they showed LaLa Land, for example, there was a dance class beforehand.

Pop-ups

Pop-ups on the Santa Monica Pier can be anything from immersive movie and television show experiences or holiday craft fairs. When the latest season of Stranger Things was released, the pier became The Upside down. Along with interactive Demogorgon-filled fright houses were 80s cover bands and lots of show-themed swag.

Read about the other Los Angeles everything spaces I have written about in Los Angeles– Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Barnsdall Park. 

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