![]() You’ll still find people fishing from the pier today. Yes, there really is quite a bit living under the pier. There are touch tanks kids will love, plus exhibits on octopus, moon jellyfish, moray eels, and the diverse sea life that you can find underneath the pier. The Heal the Bay Aquarium used to be called the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, but since 2003, it’s been run by Heal the Bay, a nonprofit that focuses on protecting our waters. Even if you don’t buy into the idea that her ghost still walks the park, it’s true that the actress used to visit the hippodrome, though she had to come in disguise to avoid being mobbed by adoring fans. Some believe the hippodrome at Pacific Park is haunted by the ghost of Marilyn Monroe. (I’ll cover this more in the FAQs at the bottom.)įun fact: Here’s a little LA lore for you. But don’t spoil your appetite too much because there’s good food in the area for lunch. And you’ve got the usual fun theme park foods to splurge on. ![]() It’s worth a walk around outside just to admire the building.Īlong with all the rides, there are plenty of carnival games at the pier. The hippodrome (pictured toward the top of this post) is rather interesting architecturally: cobalt-colored arched windows and lots of them on pale pink walls, almost Moorish in style. The park contains a few gems for history lovers, too - a historic carousel and the Looff Hippodrome, a national historic landmark over 100 years old. Instead, you purchase tickets for individual rides like the roller coaster and bumper cars. Unlike many other amusement parks, there’s no admission charge to enter Pacific Park. Got kids? This is the place to take them. The amusement park at the pier, currently called Pacific Park, boasts a famous Ferris wheel that’s the world’s only solar-powered wheel of its kind. The pier was getting seedy, definitely not a place where you wanted to take the family for spring break. A gangster named Tony Cornero ported his casino boats off the coast with water taxis to bring people from the pier aboard to gamble (illegally) what little money they’d saved. The pier was losing its prestige, and many storefronts couldn’t make enough to stay open. When the Great Depression hit, the tourism industry came to a screeching halt. At the Santa Monica lifeguard headquarters, Preston Peterson developed the Peterson lifeguard tube, the modern tube most lifeguards use today. Tourists flocked to the beaches of Southern California and the Santa Monica Pier was the epicenter of tourism.įun fact: With so many people swimming on the beach, they had to have top-notch lifeguards on duty. Next to the pier, Muscle Beach - an outdoor gym you can still see today - brought in famous weightlifters and spectators. When Route 66 was finished in the ’20s, Americans now had a direct path leading to Santa Monica. (They stopped using it for this purpose in 1920 don’t worry.) People naturally gravitated to the pier, which led to the creation of the Looff Pleasure Pier in 1916, featuring carnival rides, arcades, a dance hall, and yacht harbor. Santa Monica first built a municipal pier which was used to pump treated sewage out into the ocean. Overall, sunset with the mountain backdrop was what captivated me the most.Around the turn of the 20th century, pleasure piers were common on the West Coast. Nighttime can get chilly so be aware to bring appropriate clothing. As for the ocean, it didn’t look too clean to swim but during our stay, people were at the beach and enjoying the water. Lots of souvenir stores and if you drive/walk around, you can find all sorts of clothing and apparel stores also. Restaurant options either on the pier or surrounding street areas, within reasonable walking distance. The pier has activities, performers, artists and loads of homeless walking around, trying to hustle. You can stand on this pier and watch them miles away, at Manta Del Ray marina but it wasn’t as dramatic as being right beside the action. We visited on July 4th so be aware they don’t do fireworks here anymore. Be careful with ocean view hotels, request the best view ahead of time or you can be stuck with a dumpster back of the building view. Our hotel included parking but if you’re not careful, it’s extremely pricey around here and it adds up quickly.
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