Santa Monica Pier
Historic pier with the Pacific Park amusement park, the solar Ferris wheel, and the end-of-Route-66 sign.
The call
Worth it if you're traveling with kids and you're traveling as a couple.
Short answer
Is Santa Monica Pier worth it?
Santa Monica Pier deserves a place on most first itineraries. Go early or reserve ahead. Crowds are part of the cost.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
The quintessential LA-beach postcard — the solar Ferris wheel over the Pacific, the Route 66 end sign, street performers — and also genuinely crowded, touristy, and overpriced the moment you step onto the deck.
- 02
The way it works is to stop fighting that: skip paying for the carnival games and mediocre pier food, and treat it as a free late-afternoon-into-sunset stroll.
Is it a fit?
Go if
You're traveling with kids
With kids, Santa Monica Pier is an easy yes.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, Santa Monica Pier is an easy yes.
You care about the visual experience
Santa Monica Pier rewards a trip built around beauty & photography.
Think twice if
You're watching the budget
Santa Monica Pier can strain a tight budget. Go only when it is a priority.
You only have one day
Keep Santa Monica Pier only when it outranks a half-day elsewhere.
You're traveling solo
Solo, Santa Monica Pier needs the right timing and tolerance.
You want the trip to feel easy
Santa Monica Pier offers some relaxation, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
Plan it well
- Cost
- Free to walk; rides ~$5-10 each
- Timing
- Late afternoon into sunset for the best light and cooler crowds.
- Allow
- 1-3 hours
- Accessibility
- The pier deck is wide and wheelchair accessible; the beach itself is soft sand.
- Getting there
- Metro E (Expo) Line ends nearby in Downtown Santa Monica; pier parking is pricey.
Consider instead
Sources and method (2)
- The pier dates to 1909 and was the first concrete pier on the West Coast; in 2009 it was dedicated as the official western terminus of Route 66. en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Pacific Park on the pier opened in 1996 and runs the world's first solar-powered Ferris wheel, which debuted in 2008. en.wikipedia.org ↗