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 are traveling with kids and you are traveling as a couple.
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.
Our read - 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.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You are traveling with kids
With kids, Santa Monica Pier works.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Santa Monica Pier works.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, Santa Monica Pier delivers.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — Santa Monica Pier isn't cheap for what it is.
You only have one day
Santa Monica Pier is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
You are traveling solo
Solo, it depends on the day.
You want the trip to feel easy
For relaxation, Santa Monica Pier is hit or miss.
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 ↗