A Guide to Santa Monica Pier

History of the pier

Now one of California’s best-loved man-made landmarks, Santa Monica Pier boasts a rich and fascinating history. It was built more than 100 years ago as the last in a long line of public piers jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. Work on a second pier, right alongside the main one, was completed in 1916, with the Municipal Pier and the Pleasure Pier finally merged into a single attraction soon after.

The Pier really came into its own in the Roaring 20s. The Carousel, which still stands today, was finished in 1922, and the iconic entrance arch was installed just a few years later. Though it took many years for the pier to get over the impact of the Great Depression, with only anglers visiting in the 60s and 70s, since the 1980s, it has been restored to its original glory, giving Santa Monica’s residents, as well as tourists travelling across America, the chance to enjoy some traditional American entertainment while taking in the fresh sea breeze.

Santa Monica Pier today

Today the pier is the perfect place to kick back and relax on a Grand American Adventures tour. Highlights include:

Pacific Park: No visit to Santa Monica is complete without a trip to Pacific Park, an historic amusement park located along one side of the pier. Here you will find a carousel dating from the 1920s, the wooden Blue Streak Racer roller coaster, a funhouse, merry-go-rounds and, of course, its famous ferris wheel. Try and pay a visit in the evening when the park is lit up by multi-coloured light displays and the sound of historic Wurlitzer organs help make the atmosphere more electric than usual.

Route 66 Gift Shop: As well as being the spiritual home of the 1960s surfer movement, Santa Monica is also famed for being one end of the iconic Route 66 highway. If you’re a fan of all-things Americana, then, you should be sure to pop into the 66 to Cali shop and museum, to learn more about America’s best-known road and the songs and books it has inspired, and to pick up a souvenir or two.

Rusty’s Surf Ranch: Whatever the season, it’s always summer at Rusty’s, an old-fashioned surf shack that offers year-round good food, drink and live rock and roll music. The historic venue is famed for its classic American fayre, and in particular for its delicious, freshly-caught seafood, while it’s also known throughout California for being one of the best places to spot some of the West Coast’s hottest old-school bands.

Angling off the pier: It’s not just local fishermen who are able to dangle their lines over the edge of the pier, tourists are also invited to try their luck. Angling equipment, including bait, can be hired for just a few dollars from small shacks on and around the pier itself, and teachers are also on hand to help you land your supper.

Santa Monica Christmas Run: Visiting California this Christmas? Then head along to Santa Monica and cheer on the men and women taking part in the annual Santa Monica to Venice Christmas run. As with past years, the event will see tens of thousands of runners, many of them in Santa suits, tackle the course for charity. Be sure to get to the pier or the waterfront early to get a seat on an outside table from where you can watch the action unfold.