Discover Fun-Filled Santa Monica Pier and Beach
Where can you find sun, sand, gorgeous views, a family amusement center, and even cultural events all in one convenient location? At the fun-filled Santa Monica Pier and Beach, that's where!
Brand new Pacific Wheel! Santa Monica Pier gets a $1,500,000+ ferris wheel on steroids! Santa Monica's former Pacific Wheel was a Southern California icon. Thanks to it, thousands of visitors and residents alike have been whisked into the heights above the pier to enjoy sweeping Pacific Ocean views. And what movie or TV-lover hasn't stumbled across a view of the Pacific Wheel in one of the numerous productions which have made use of its striking profile to make a scene more impressive?
The brand-new Pacific Wheel seems bound for "icon" status, as well! It's an impressively high-tech version of a ferris wheel, complete with a computer-generated show of special-effects lighting. The new Pacific Wheel will gets its red carpet-worthy premiere on Thursday, May 28, 2008 at 8:30 pm. (This is the new, re-scheduled date; the grand opening did not take place on May 22nd, as originally planned.) The unveiling ceremony will include a fireworks show...and will be followed by free rides from 9 pm until midnight! Come and make a fun evening of this "only in Santa Monica" event!
Pacific Park family amusement center
As you look at this picture of the Santa Monica pier, does it seem familiar to you? Do you think you may have seen it before somewhere? It's possible that you HAVE, indeed...even if you've never been to Santa Monica! That's because the Santa Monica Pier is a very popular filming site for movies, ads, music videos and television episodes. While visiting Santa Monica, be sure to snap a mental picture of the pier. You never know when you'll catch a glimpse of it one evening as you're watching a rerun of a favorite movie or TV show!Pacific Park, the family amusement park on the pier, opened in 1996, becoming an immediate "hit" with visiting out-of-state tourists, Santa Monica locals, and residents from all over the Los Angeles metro area seeking a fun afternoon at the beach. At Pacific Park's amusement area, you'll find 12 different rides---6 for adults and older kids, and 6 others for the kiddies. You'll also find a miniature golf course, food vendors, and 20 different midway games where you can win plush animals and other prizes.
Pacific Park's list of rides
Pacific Park family attractions for older kids and adults are as follows:
1.) The Pacific Wheel,, which is the attraction making its debut May 22, 2008 on the pier. The former Pacific Wheel was the world's 1st solar powered ferris wheel! This is the tallest object on the pier, and views from the top of of the Pacific Wheel are breathtaking. If you only have time to enjoy one ride while at Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier, choose THIS one!The minimum height for riders without adults is 42"; there is no minimum height requirement when children are riding with adults.
2.)The West Coaster steel roller coaster: How would you like to have a fun coaster ride WHILE enjoying sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean? The West Coaster offers you just that. Built out on the pier, this family-style roller coaster gives riders moderate thrills meant for almost every member of the family. At 55 ft. tall, it's fun for all family members who are approximately 9+ years old. There is a minimum height of 42" for riding the West Coaster.
3.) The Pacific Plunge: Pacific Park's ride called the Pacific Plunge is a tower-type ride. You'll board a ride car that ascends a 9-story tower...and then come plunging down from the top! And, when you're not busy screaming, you'll also enjoy beautiful ocean views from this ride, too! The minimum height required to ride is 36 inches tall.
4.) The Sea Dragon: This ride is a favorite at many theme parks throughout the country...the always-enjoyable "boat" that swings side-to-side pendulum style in a 180 degree arc. Riders in the middle seats get a mildly thrilling ride, while riders in the end seats experience a much wilder, scream-provoking version of the trip. The minimum height to ride alone is 48 inches, but kids who are at least 36 inches tall may ride if a parent accompanies them.
5.) Inkie's Scrambler---This is Pacific Park's version of another standard amusement-park ride, the well-known Scrambler. "Inkie," a purple cartoon octopus,is the Mascot for Pacific Park; this ride is named after him. Each ride car seats up to three guests, and there's a minimum height requirement of 42" to board. The rider sitting towards the outside (right side) of the car is sure to get squished once Inkie's Scrambler gets speeding in circles!
6.) Sig Alert bumper car ride: Minimum height for the pier's bumper cars is 48 inches. At the Santa Monica Pier, maybe you can't drive ON water...but in the bumper cars, you can certainly drive OVER it!
What is a "Sig Alert? Visitors, it's time that you learn what a "Sig Alert" is...because if you listen to Los Angeles traffic reports, you'll hear this word. It's a local word describing an especially bad traffic jam, where you should expect to be tied up for at least 30 minutes or more. The name came from the "old days," when an announcer...whose nickname was Sig...coined the term Sig Alert to give an especially strong warning to motorists to avoid particular areas of the greater LA freeway system. Dear Sig has passed now...but, to honor his memory, area TV and radio stations continue to broadcast his famous "Sig Alerts."
Pacific Park's kiddie rides
1.) Red Baron: These are the same kiddie planes so popular in the children's sections of numerous theme parks & family fun centers. Your child needs to be at least 24" tall to ride; but there's ALSO an upper height limit of 48" tall, as well.
2.) Inkie's Li'l Scrambler: On this miniature version of the adult Scrambler ride, kids can whirl around at a slower, gentler pace. This kids-only ride accepts children to ride if they're between 36" and 48" tall.
3.) Frog Hopper: This is another kids-only ride, which requires a minimum height of 36". The Frog Hopper is a mini-tower ride: the kids go up, up, up...then zoom down screaming.
4.)Pier Patrol: The Pier Patrol is a tame kiddie car ride which circles a central hub on a track. Kids will enjoy honking the horn and watching the flashing lights as they "drive." The minimum height requirement here is 36" tall.
5.) Ship-A-Hoy: Here's a children's ride that you can ride this one with your child! It's a mini version of Pacific Park's swinging boat ride, the Sea Dragon. Kids must be over 36" to ride alone; no height restriction when riding with an adult.
6.) Crazy Submarine Ride: On the Crazy Submarine, you and your child can gently make circles up into the air and down again as you ride inside the Submarine's cabin. Kids need to be 48" tall to ride alone, but there's no height restriction if they ride with you.
Pacific Park's Mini Golf and games: What other activities can your family enjoy at the amusement park on Santa Monica Pier? Another fun family activity is miniature golf. In fact, this is the only Los Angeles miniature golf course on which you can play while you're actually out over the Pacific Ocean!
In addition, you can choose from a variety of 20 different games of skill to play while you're at Pacific Park. You can knock over milk bottles, throw balls or discs, break plates, squirt water, etc, all in an attempt to win a prize. Or, you can gear up for some Skee Ball fun, and watch the tickets come racing out of the machine thanks to your high scores at this always-fun game.
Santa Monica Pier's amusement park address, phone & ticket prices
380 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
The Pacific Park phone number is (310) 260-8744.
Pacific Park Ticket Prices---
All Day Wrist Band: To best enjoy all of the rides at the Santa Monica Pier's amusement park, it's cheapest to get the Pacific Park All Day Wristband. The online price is $8.95 for a kiddie all-day wristband (that's for children under 42" tall) and $16.95 for the adult wristband (everyone over 42".) If you buy your tickets right on the pier at Pacific Park, the kiddie wristband will run $10 and the adult wristband will be $20; and slightly higher prices apply on weekends. (At the pier, you can also purchase individual ride tickets.)
Pacific Park discount coupons: If you don't want to purchase your wristbands online, then you can get print-at-home Pacific Park discount ticket coupons on the park's official website (and then redeem them at the park's ticket booth when you go there.) You'll also find a coupon good for $1 off each family member's game of miniature golf. Please use the following link to enjoy the
Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park official website.
Santa Monica Pier's Carousel: There's still one more ride on the Santa Monica Pier, but it's not connected to Pacific Park...and so, your ticket purchases must be made separately for this. The ride is an antique carousel...and chances are, you've seen it before. It was used in filming the classic movie, "The Sting," and also in "The Net" (starring Sandra Bullock) which was made in the '90's. The beautiful carousel sits inside a building called the Hippodrome. (Both the Hippodrome and the Carousel were made Los Angeles County historical landmarks back in 1975!) Even if you don't want to ride the antique carousel, you'll enjoy stopping to peek inside the building to take a look at the carousel's lovely hand-carved animals.
Santa Monica Beach and Pier -- On the sand
From the Santa Monica Pier, you can take a flight of stairs directly down to the beach. A walkway leads out onto the sand for a little ways, but at some point, you've either got to get sand in your shoes, or take them off altogether! Since the ocean's blue water looks so tempting...and since the stairs onto the sand from the pier make getting to the water's edge so convenient, you'll find quite a few fully dressed people on the beach at Santa Monica!In the picture at your left, you see my granddaughter, Natali, exploring some seaweed. Just an interesting tidbit...some Southern California beaches have seaweed, and others don't. It all depends on what's growing offshore under the water. Throughout the Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica areas, there are off shore kelp beds, and this seaweed washes up onto the shore with regularity. Other beaches, such as Orange County's Huntington Beach (which you may read about on another page of this website) have no kelp beds growing offshore...and thus very little seaweed washing up.
Santa Monica State Beach smoking & alcohol rules
If you're a smoker from out of state, just take this policy with a grin. It's nothing personal against you; they just need to keep the beaches in top shape at all times without making the budget burst.
Santa Monica is also a "no alcohol/no glass containers" beach.
Santa Monica Pier and Beach Parking: Parking lots line the Pacific Coast Highway, which runs parallel to the beach. So, parking is simply a matter of finding your favorite stretch of beach and entering the adjacent lot. Since the Santa Monica Pier is the busiest spot along Santa Monica Beach, you'll find 2 parking lots there. To reach the Santa Monica Pier parking lot, drive directly onto the pier, and then follow the signs to the parking area. The other lot is just to the south side of the pier, and it's reached from Ocean Avenue.
Santa Monica Pier and Beach: Order visitor's guide
If you're planning to include a visit to the Santa Monica pier and beach on your Southern California family vacation, you may wish to learn a few more details about Santa Monica. The city of Santa Monica's Convention and Visitor's Bureau official website can fill you in on details about restaurants, stores, and special events. You can even order a FREE visitor's guide to Santa Monica! Just used the following link, and it will take you directly to the offical Santa Monica Visitor's Bureau informative website.
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